Samurai Skewers

Spiedini di Maiale allo Sansho & Tagliatelle Asiatiche con Piselli, Coriandolo e Menta

Sansho Pork Skewers with Glass Noodle/Cilantro/Snow Pea Salad

Yes, I became a warrior in the kitchen this evening- but I didn't have much need of a Samurai sword for this meal! No, the Japanese influence came from the Sansho pepper that I used to season my little ground-pork skewers, which is wonderful with its truly intense lemon flavor! Use a little too much of that stuff and you can slay a dragon for sure!

I combined it with a salad, made of glass noodles, snow peas, mint, cilantro, sesame and lots of lime juice- mmm! So there were lots of strong, fresh flavors going on here- and they went together pretty wonderfully! Not traditional, not authentic and not a problem is what I would say if you asked me about this recipe. I think that is 3 good reasons for you and I to make this- and to leave the real thing to the people who know it best...

The first thing I did was to prepare the glass noodle salad. To do this, I put the noodles into a bowl, along with the snow peas which I had chopped up a little and covered them with boiling water. I let them sit for 5 minutes, until the noodles were cooked and the peas a little more tender but with plenty of crunch. That was all the cooking that was entailed- pretty wonderful!

I drained off the hot water and ran the noodles and peas under the cold tap to cool them off- that way I was ready to get going and assemble the salad- but also, the nice, bright green of the peas was maintained better. The other ingredients were plenty of cilantro and a little mint, which I chopped finely and added along with a splash of fish sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and the plenty of lime juice. I tossed everything together and set the salad to one side for the flavors to combine, develop and soak into the noodles... this was going to be a great supper!

The skewers I made by gently kneading together the ground pork with some grated ginger and finely chopped onion, with a little fish sauce added for seasoning and nothing else. Simple. I formed the meat into 3 portions which I skewered and patted into shape, then began to fry them in a non-stick frying pan with no added fat. I rolled them back and forth so that they browned nice and evenly. After about 5 minutes, the pork was nicely browned in the middle, but still a little pink at each end. No problem. I added a splash of water into the frying pan- just a little, rolled them back and forth and put on the lid. I kept rolling them back and forth with the lid on for a minute or so and then released it... the trapped steam created enough heat to make sure the pork cooked all the way through- again... easy!

I let them fry for a minute or two longer until the water had evaporated away and they had begun to fry and crisp up again... and that was it! I was ready to serve!

I sprinkled the skewers with the infamous, yellow Sansho pepper and immediately everything tasted wonderfully intensely of lemon- yum! But remember now- this stuff is tricky! It doesn't simply become hot like chili if you use too much- it seriously works as an anesthetic and WILL put your tongue to sleep if you are not careful! A little- delicious- a lot- not good! You have been warned!

I sprinkled the salad with toasted sesame and served a little sweet chili sauce and soy up on the side for extra seasoning if necessary... and that my friends was that! Just plain delicious! Be fearless, be bold and try something new... because after all- that is all that I do! And enjoy!

Mediterranean Munch Time!

Tortine Salati con Finocchio, Olive, Pancetta e Timo Fresco

Fennel, Olive & Bacon Tarts with Fresh Thyme

Preparing snacks for parties, or appetizers, need neither be a worry, a chore, nor the same-old same-old thing every time. They don't have to be stodgy dips n' chips or crackers and they don't have to cause you a headache! In fact- they can be as simple and pretty and delicious as this- and be made in just 30 minutes! And I would call that a good thing!

Using the last bit of puff pastry and a little ingenuity, I came up with this idea for some very Mediterranean tasting snacks. The combination of fennel, olives and bacon, with the sweetness of the honey and the zingy fresh thyme made these really special- like an afternoon in the Sicilian or Greek sun...

I started off by chopping the fennel, greens and all, into small chunks and then adding the bacon, but rather than frying them together, I first put them into the frying pan with a little water. The reason why, was that obviously the fennel began to boil and steam and soften up more quickly, but also that the flavor of the bacon was transported through the water much better, along with the fat, and the effect was to make the fennel become silky smooth and delicious. After 2-3 minutes, the water had evaporated away anyway and the bacon began to brown gently. 

I added the olive slices, just a little salt, but plenty of black pepper, another splash of water and stirred everything together well. I didn't add any oil for a couple of reasons. One, because I consider there to be enough fat in the bacon and puff pastry combined for these little snacks, and two, because it would seep into the pastry later and make it soggy. So basically, I kept stirring away until the water was completely evaporated and then turned off the heat and set the filling for my tarts to one side to cool.

In the meantime, I cut out circles from the pastry and lay them out on baking paper. As soon as the filling was cool, I spooned it into the middle of the circles, leaving a gap of about 1" around the edges... you have to leave puff-pastry room to puff up a little after all!

These baked in a 400°F pre-heated oven for 15 minutes... then came out to get a light drizzle of honey and went back in for a further 5 minutes to brown and finish off. Once they were finished baking and had cooled off, I added the thyme, so that it would neither wilt from the heat after baking nor dry out as it would have, had I baked it in the oven... nope! This was what I wanted- a very fresh burst of flavor to lift the cooked-in and baked-in yumminess of the fennel, bacon and olives. 

These are great to prepare in advance- but I would recommend making a few more than you need. Because you WILL pinch one or two of them for yourselves before your guests arrive... You know I'm right!

Banana Drama

Sfogliatini di Banana

Puff-Pastry Wrapped Banana Bites

Ok- here's a question for you: how much fun can bananas be for breakfast? Sure, you can chop them up into yogurt, fry them in your pancakes or make a banana loaf even... but that's all ordinary stuff. How can you wow for family and friends- or even yourself, with a simple banana and an absolute minimum of effort? 

So apart from a nice ripe banana, the only other thing you are going to need is some cinnamon and some puff pastry. In 15-20 minutes, you are going to have these wonderful little pastries ready to go- with a really intensely sweet banana flavor. The cool part is that there is no other sweetness added , other than what Mother Nature already provided- you will be amazed at how dramatically the flavor of a simple banana can change as if by magic!
  

To make these, I simply cut the banana into thirds- disposing of the tapered end pieces nonchalantly straight into my mouth- cooks treat! I rolled the banana in cinnamon- not too much!- then cut the puff pastry into narrow strips and simply wound it around the banana sections, making sure that it slightly overlapped. When I found that the strip of pastry was not long enough, I simply pressed another one directly on top of where the first strip ended and carried on... no fuss and no worries! On a couple of them, I folded the strip of pastry that was too long across the top, which also looked really nice- have fun! Puff pastry is pretty unforgiving!

I made sure to have the oven really hot, and then baked them on the middle shelf at 400°F for 15-20 minutes until they were puffed up and golden brown... delicious! I was amazed at how much juice began to ooze from the banana after 10 minutes of baking time already- that was not something I expected to happen! Once they had baked and cooled, I was blown away by how much more intense the flavor had become and at simply how SWEET they were- pretty cool with no added sugar or honey! And the cinnamon was a great addition too... I think you should try them! Because I know you will like them!

Coconut Sunshine

Mandarino Caramellato con Coco, Menta & Yogurt

Caramelized Mandarin Orange & Coconut with Yogurt & Mint

This little sweet dish started out as an experiment... and ended up as my dessert this evening! I have always found it strange, interesting and just plain cool that you can grill watermelon, that it takes on a new flavor, remains firm and does NOT turn into a puddle of wet sludgy juice- which is what you would imagine, right? Well obviously not- but I digress...

I got the crazy notion into my head, that maybe mandarin orange might react to heat in a similar way- and being as they are in season and I had a couple of pounds of them, I just simply had to find out! What I DID find out was that heat does strange things to food sometimes! And not always in the way you might expect...

So- where did I begin? Oh yes! I started off by getting my frying pan really hot- figuring that it would sear the outer layer of the mandarin orange segments, which I had diced... mainly in order to remove the pips. So- into the frying pan they went! Hissss! And- surprise-surprise... they did not turn into a pool of juice as I had feared- hurrah! 

The I tasted one... and discovered that the otherwise sweet orange had become bitter because of the heat- and although I just claimed with my bitter dandelion salad that I like that... there is a time and place! And the time was not at the end of my meal and the place was not in a sweet dessert! So- what to do? I decided I needed something neutral tasting to balance things out a little. I had been planning on eating the fruit with a little mint on yogurt, but there was no way I could do that with the fruit now turned bitter. Then I had an idea... grated coconut! 

I sprinkled the orange chunks with coconut, which soon began to change color as it soaked up the juices... mmm, that must be a good thing, right? I tasted it... mmm- nice flavor and a little better, but not yet good. Honey would have tasted great, but also run the risk of burning and becoming bitter in itself- so instead I sprinkled everything with powdered sugar and stirred, added a little more and stirred on... and found that the coconut began to change from a pale gold to a rich crispy brown... and the flavor had changed from too tangy to just right! Yay! You will need to keep adding the sugar little by little and tasting it until it gets to be sweetness you prefer- you just can't do too much in one go or it will melt and stick everything together.

Once the orange had cooled, I popped it into the fridge for a half hour or so, so that it was slightly chilled- and then served it on just a little yogurt, with a sprinkle of finely chopped fresh mint... yum! Now it was perfect! tangy, crispy, slightly sweet and refreshing! A slightly different fruit-salad of sorts- and yes, it was really good when everything mixed together! I hope you like it too!

Hearts and Flowers

Spaghetti allo Zafferano Carciofini e Piselli

Spaghetti with Saffron, Baby Artichokes & Peas

The hearts in question here were of course these tiny, delectable baby artichokes- so small and tender they were literally all heart! And the flowers, crocuses- in particular, these were Sicilian ones from Tropea, where the wonderful saffron that I used originated from. I am not sure which region in Sicily the artichokes came from... but they were also from The Old Country- so I got a little nostalgic whilst I prepared this... and very, very hungry!

This is a traditional combination in Italy, although I must admit, it was one that I had never tried until this evening! When I caught sight of the tiny little artichokes I knew they had to be mine- I know by now how wonderful they are! I only began eating the smaller artichokes in the past year or so- back home, my mother only ever prepared the larger, "Roman" artichokes- with lemon, garlic and and mint... mmm! But now I am all grown up I am enjoying venturing out and beyond a little- and that is a good thing!

To make this, I heated just enough water to cover the artichokes in a small saucepan, brought it to the boil, added about a half teaspoon of saffron threads, a squeeze of lemon and the artichokes. Once they came back up to the boil, I added a little salt, reduced the heat to a gentle simmer and let them cook for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, in an second saucepan, I started the spaghetti boiling. After about 5 minutes, when it was half- cooked, I turned off the heat and set it to one side. I then took a large frying pan and fried a very finely chopped clove of garlic in a little olive oil in it. When the garlic began to color slightly, I added the peas, straight from frozen and let them fry for a minute or two. I then added the artichokes along with the water they had simmered in, which was by now tinted wonderfully yellow by the saffron. 

And then, you guessed it, I added the spaghetti, so that it could finish cooking along with the other ingredients and really soak up the good flavors- oh, and that wonderful color too! When I added the pasta, I scooped it out of the saucepan using a pasta fork, so I still had the hot cooking water, which I added little by little as was necessary. The idea is to give the pasta just enough liquid to cook, but no more- so that all of the flavor stays right there in the saucepan.

I seasoned with salt, pepper and a little freshly grated nutmeg and after about 5 minutes of cooking this way it was ready to serve! And it was totally delicious! Buon apetito a tutti!

Why Be Bitter?

Insalata di Radicchio, Dente di Leone e Mandarino

Dandelion, Radicchio & Mandarin Orange Salad

Being Sicilian, I have a liking of all things bitter-tasting by default- I guess it is a genetic thing! Many people have a problem with radicchio's slightly bitter taste, or that of endives or broccoli rabe... which is a shame because they are missing out on a lot of healthy goodness!

But of course, you can always counter-point the flavor with something sweeter or milder- a cheese or a fruit for example. In any case, it is always the balancing act between different ingredients that makes meals come to life and taste complex and special. I wouldn't all this salad complex by any means... but it sure was delicious! 

The dandelion greens and the radicchio have a very similar taste- but whilst the radicchio is good to go when you buy it- the dandelion can sometimes need plenty of washing! I rinsed mine 2-3 times in lukewarm salted water- this also reduces the bitterness- so there you go- it is already starting to taste better!

Obviously there is no recipe here- the ingredients are simply arranged on a platter and served. But I did drizzle the salad with olive oil and a little lemon juice, sprinkle it with salt and pepper and drizzle it with honey- just a light dressing so that all of the natural flavors come out and do combat together at there full strength- it would have been such a shame to overpower the great taste by using a heavy dressing.

The balancing act become complete when you eat the three ingredients together- the bitter greens and the sweet and refreshing mandarin orange- what more could you want for an eye-catching and inviting appetizer? This will tantalize, tease, kick-start and tune-up your taste buds in preparation for a great meal... So I hope you have something wonderful in mind! 

Elevation of Vegetation

Puré di Patate, Sedano Rapa & Carote al Forno con Parmigiano & Porro

Mashed Potato, Celeriac & Carrot Bake with Parmesan & Leek

A delicious side-dish or a vegetarian meal in itself, this baked potato and leek creation is a crowd pleasure for sure! With the addition of celeriac and carrot, the potatoes become more wholesome and a little more complex in their flavor... but in a good way! In fact- in a very good way indeed!

I was going to make some little potato fritters at first- but then, being me, I opted for an oven-baked solution instead. Frying food is fine- but you know... I will always opt for a healthier and lower fat option if given the chance. And being as I live alone and cook for myself- I always get my way! Oh, but I would not inflict my culinary creations on you if they were anything less than delicious my friends! So fear not and read on! 

As I said, I was intending on making the little potato cakes I love from back home in Sicily, with mashed potato, parmesan, mint and bread crumbs, which I really adore- but somehow seemed a little bit too Summery for such a cold, January evening! But here I was, mashed potatoes at the ready and hungry as could be- so of course I had to take action fast and improvise! Because I didn't really have much of a concrete plan- all that I knew was that I wanted to make a vegetable dish and use up my left-overs! So what I did was this...

I started by cutting a fine dice of both celeriac and carrot- about a cupful of each. I popped them into a saucepan with enough water to cover them and boiled them for 5 minutes. In the meantime, I sliced up a small leek and set the slices out on a steam rack, popped it into the same saucepan as the celeriac and carrot and let it cook through. I didn't want the leek to fall apart, so steaming was the best way to cook it without that happening.

After 5 minutes, I removed the leeks and added some milk to the vegetables. As soon as the milk began to boil, I seasoned it with salt, pepper and nutmeg and added the mashed potato. I stirred it in and added some finely chopped onion and parsley, adjusted the seasoning and took the soft mashed potatoes off the heat. I then added bread crumbs- enough to thicken and stiffen the mixture to a firm consistency that I could have formed into small fritters. But I didn't do that... I allowed it to cool off for 5-6 minutes...

I then added a good handful of parmesan and an egg, which I stirred into the mix quickly, to make sure it would stay nice and smooth. Lining the dish with baking paper, like I did, is by the way neither necessary, nor does it help- so don't bother! But in any case, I poured the mix into my baking dish and sprinkled it with parmesan. I then arranged the steamed, sliced leeks on top, grated them with nutmeg, seasoned with black pepper and drizzled them very lightly with olive oil... yum! And off into a pre heated oven it went- for 40-45 minutes at 350°, until golden brown. And very, very delicious. You have been warned!