Share your recipes

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Seppia
Posts: 2017
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2016 9:34 am
Location: South Florida

Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

I can’t believe I still haven’t posted my very basic recipe for tomato sauce.

First things first: tomato sauce is made with very few ingredients and very little cooking, so the keys are:
1- buy good ingredients
2- try not to ruin them

Tomatoes: buy only whole peeled tomatoes. Crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes are made with the leftovers from making peeled tomatoes.
I have given my suggestion to the USA based folks as to what brand to use, in this post viewtopic.php?f=7&t=8201&start=25#p150537

Some other very good ones are the real San Marzano type from the Naples area.
The brand doesn't matter (assuming they aren't counterfeit San Marzano, which they are if they cost half what all the other San Marzano cost) because they're all made by the same packers for a matter of protected origin.

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A good way to understand if peeled tomatoes are of good quality is to look at them. The best ones will be firm and red all around, without (or with very little) yellow/orange at the tips

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The best canned ones also tend to have a sort of ceramic coating in the inside of the can, to protect the product

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Oil: buy only extra virgin, and of good quality.
A good quality extra virgin olive oil will cost minimum $10-12 for a 750ml bottle.
Monini is a good brand, so are all the DOP and IGP Italian varieties (DOP and IGP are “seals of quality”, and they do their job. Notice how also San Marzano is a DOP)

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Now, as usual, prepare some soffritto, I like for this sauce the most basic of all (garlic only)

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Once done, take out most of the garlic

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Mix the tomatoes (you can also hand crush them)

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Put in a pan on high flame, let reduce for a few minutes stirring often

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After around 10 minutes it’s ready.
I like to keep it a little liquid, so that I can sauté the pasta in it as described in this post viewtopic.php?f=7&t=8201#p128512

This is the structure I like

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Last edited by Seppia on Sun Dec 31, 2017 12:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Dunkelheit
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Joined: Sat Nov 28, 2015 4:24 pm
Location: Somewhere in Spain

Re: Share your recipes

Post by Dunkelheit »

Thanks for the new recipe!

I was just cooking (some pre-made raviolis) pasta and couldn't stop thinking about you :)

Next time I will try to copy your pasta with shrimps, I promise.

Fish
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by Fish »

Is there a reason you use canned tomatoes and not fresh ones for your sauce? Peeling tomatoes is a simple matter by immersing them in boiling water. Is it a matter of better flavor, or cost or time savings? Or is it because sauce is not an appropriate use for fresh tomatoes?

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Seppia
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Location: South Florida

Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

It's simply a matter of season.
Canned tomatoes are only produced once per year, and the tomatoes are harvested at the exact peak of ripeness (well, by those who do their job correctly).
Also, fresh tomatoes, even during the season, are usually harvested sooner than peak ripeness because of shelf life matters.

So, unless you have access to local products, harvested at the right time, a good canned option will be of better quality.

The three weeks per year I can get the right fresh tomatoes from the right source I use fresh, but generally, canned is by far the best option (provided you buy good quality)

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Seppia
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Location: South Florida

Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

Also: I am cooking my favorite stew and some lentils for tonight's dinner (we have 4 friends coming), I'll post the recipe in the next few days

Fish
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by Fish »

Thanks for the helpful reply on my canned tomato question! So do you prepare tomato sauce at the same time as the pasta? Or do you ever make the sauce in bulk and store it for later?

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Seppia
Posts: 2017
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Location: South Florida

Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

When I lived in the USA and used the Alta Cucina tomatoes I mentioned, I was obliged to cook in bulk because those are Foodservice sized cans (about 6lbs each), and I would freeze it in small 2 portions cups.

Now I just cook on the fly, once you’re a little expert you can prepare it while at the same time as the pasta, and the savings of getting bigger cans are minimal.

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Seppia
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Location: South Florida

Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

So this New Year’s Eve I had some friends over and made a simple stew with risotto.

For some absurd reason here in Italy pork tenderloins are cheaper than any other boneless cut of meat, except a few low end sausages.
Probably because Italians don’t generally have a use for this cut.

First, clean the tenderloin from any excess fat or extra parts

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Prepare a soffritto, in this case I used scallions and garlic. Let it go on low for a good 15-20 minutes, in the meanwhile, chop the pork in pieces.

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I personally keep the center cut and freeze it, to be used it as mini steaks at a later time

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Next, turn the flame on high and sauté the pork till it it cooked on the outside.

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Chop up carrots, and prepare some bay leaves and juniper berries

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With the flame on high, incorporate everything and add 3/4 of a bottle of dry white wine

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Keep flame on high till you cannot smell the alcohol evaporating any more. I also added some green beans I had leftover.

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Then put flame on low and cook till the meat is soft

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It is excellent with rice and with polenta.

You can also vary the recipe by adding more vegetables like potatoes or zucchini or fresh/canned tomatoes.

Also works well with veal (shoulder being the best cut), beef (chuck roast or short ribs), or game.

If you use game or beef you can also substitute the white wine with a simple red. Just use a bit less.

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Seppia
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Location: South Florida

Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

Yesterday I was really trying hard to get some sweet sexy time with the miss, so I gave the best of me with a fancy pasta dish I keep for the most important occasions.

Pasta with swordfish, one of my absolute favorites.

Like most Italian dishes, ingredients are everything, so I’ll bore you with the details.

First, put on mid-low flame some extra virgin olive oil, garlic, olives, capers and a couple thinly chopped anchovies.
Let go for a good 15 minutes to let all tastes blend well

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Olives have to be of the sweet kind.
Here in Italy the best ones are sold in a jar, filled with oil.
The above aren’t sold in the USA usually, but a good substitute are the roasted black olives, without any spices or flavors added.
The cheaper ones sold in a jar filled with water and vinegar are to be avoided.

Anchovies: you only need to put a couple, but they have to be the good stuff.
This is the good stuff:
https://www.amazon.com/Agostino-Recca-A ... B0083WZQ92

Capers: use capers under salt, the ones in the water and vinegar filled jar suck terribly and they will ruin the taste of this dish
Just make sure to rinse them thoroughly in water prior to putting them in the pan
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Next, cut a small piece of swordfish (Tuna, grouper, mahi-mahi will also work great, but swordfish and tuna are the best) in little, thin pieces.

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Turn the flame on high and dump the fish.
You want to cook this as quickly as you can, and as little as you can, to avoid the fish becoming hard.
As soon as it’s all cooked on the outside, turn the flame off and let rest, the residual heat will finish the cooking for you.

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This sauce is good as is, but I had a little leftover tomato sauce and I added it.
This is a sauce that we consume both “white” (meaning without tomatoes) and “red”, with a little tomato sauce added for color.

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As usual, drain the pasta a bit before your liking and finish with a sautée in the pan

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Enjoy!

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EdithKeeler
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Pea Soup

Post by EdithKeeler »

I did a ham for Super Bowl Sunday. The problem with ham is that it’s hard to have ham without having so much...ham. I froze some, have eaten way more ham in sandwiches, salads, and ham salad this week than I wanted. But now I’m down to the last of that ham and gosh darn it, I will not waste it!

So: bag of split peas, leftover ham and bone, carrots, onions and celery chopped (who measures??) black pepper. Simmered over low heat until the peas break down. I’ll eat for lunches and dinners this week, and may change it up by serving over some steamed rice with raisins, maybe add some curry.

Super cheap, super easy, super filling.

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Seppia
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Location: South Florida

Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

Sorry for going MIA

Not sure I shared this already, but chickpea soup with pasta is one of my favorite winter recipes ever.

Cheap, excellent, freezes well, has multiple uses.

Drop the dry chickpeas in water for at least 24 hours (careful they inflate a LOT, at least 3x)

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Rinse multiple times and drain

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Prepare a soffritto with garlic, oil, celery, carrots and bay leaves.
The most important are the bay leaves and the garlic

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After 15-20 mins, add new water, the drained chickpeas, and cook to desired level.
Add salt at the end and you will have a perfectly serviceable chickpea soup
The one in the pic below is too liquid to be used as a soup, but you want to keep it a little liquid for the use shown later.

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Now put it in single portions of soup and store/freeze it.
This way you’ll be able to use it as a soup for one (just reheat and let the excess liquid evaporate) or pasta for two, like so:

Take 1/2 - 2/3 of the portion out and mix it, set aside.

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Put the remaining to boil, with added water and salt.

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The water needs to be salted in a way that the remaining soup is still edible, but very salty.
This because you will add the pasta later and it will suck up a lot of salt
It also needs to be very liquid, as the pasta will suck up a lot of water.

This is enough pasta for two, because you’ll also have the soup.
If you use a normal portion, it will be too much

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Add the pasta.
Beginning:

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End

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Incorporate the mixed chickpeas:

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Stir, add a touch of pepper and olive oil, and voila

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It is hard to convey how amazingly good this recipe is.
It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a perfect example of Italian cuisine: three or four ingredients, easy to make, seems super simple, tastes delicious.

Try it you won’t be disappointed.

Smashter
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Location: Midwest USA

Re: Share your recipes

Post by Smashter »

Looks great, thanks. This might be the one I have to try.

My favorite pictures in this series are always of the soffritto. I need to get some soffritto in my life.

Peanut
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by Peanut »

@Seppia: Thank you for your swordfish pasta recipe! I made it with mahi-mahi and I was so pleased and my baby (she's 1) loved it too. It also gave me the courage to try to duplicate a farfalle al salmone dish I used to order regularly at an Italian restaurant in Los Angeles but that I haven't had in years. Just the soffritto with a little tomato and cream. It turned out great too.

Do you have any tips on cutting fish though? I found it difficult to do the mahi-mahi without losing some flesh. In both cases I left out the skin but tried to keep the 'grey' part of the Salmon since I believe it's supposed to be nutritious. My knives are pretty good so I think maybe it's more technique?

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Seppia
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Location: South Florida

Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

I’ll try post pictures of this next time I cut some swordfish, but in general the best way is to cut a relatively thin (half an inch or a little more) slice of fish, in a way that you have the skin be on the thin side.
Basically you cut in a way that is perpendicular to the muscle fibers.
In this way using a very sharp and pointed knife you just have to slowly slowly eliminate a small “string” of skin.
If you buy frozen, it’s even easier to do when the fish is still partially frozen and hence a bit harder.
I also like to keep the grey part of the meat.
Not sure I was very clear sorry

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Seppia
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Location: South Florida

Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

There was a sale on kale yesterday so I picked up a big bag and cooked it in an experimental way.
Turned out very good, will definitely do it again.

Boil some water and add salt

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Then dump the kale and boil for 15 minutes.
Careful: a lot of kale goes into not a lot of cooked kale, so plan accordingly.
I made about 2/3 of a pound, and the final dish picture is all of it.

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Drain the kale and throw in icy water to cool down

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When cold, drain again

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Meanwhile, prepare soffritto with garlic and hot red pepper.
I had some leftover lard so I used it too for added flavor.
Let go on mid for 15 minutes

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Squeeze the kale to take out all excess water

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Sauté in the pan for 5-10 mine and voila

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Seppia
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Location: South Florida

Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

So a week or two ago I made meatballs, but somehow never posted the recipe even if I took the pics.

I’m working too much as always probably.

By weight you will need, raw ingredients:
2/3 ground meat
1/3 eggplants

The meat should be mixed. I like 1/3 sausage, 2/3 mixed pork/beef (short rib being my favorite).

You will also need a couple eggs, some Parmesan and some flour (either wheat or corn, I used corn).


First peel the eggplants

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Slice them thin and add salt, let rest for a couple hours

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Adding the salt will take out the water, that is usually kinda bitter, keeping the eggplants sweeter

After the two hours have passed, rinse the eggplants to take out the excess salt, chop them.
Prepare a garlic soffritto

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Add the eggplants

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Cover with foil and let soften on low flame

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Once soft, open and let the water evaporate

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Set aside and let cool.

Get to the meat, mix the ground and the sausages (without the skin)

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Once the eggplants are cold enough to manipulate, mix the meat, the eggplants, The Parmesan and the eggs

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Crush with your hands until it becomes an uniform mix

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Prepare a plate with a lot of flour

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Heat some 50/50 mix butter/extra virgin olive oil

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Roll up the meatballs, cover in flour

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Cook for as long as needed

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Enjoy!

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Last edited by Seppia on Tue Apr 10, 2018 5:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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jennypenny
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by jennypenny »

Love the pic!!

I’m definitely trying these. We love eggplant.

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Seppia
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Location: South Florida

Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

I may have sneaked in a couple drinks while preparing the meatballs, hence the weird pic
:)

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jennypenny
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by jennypenny »

Every great recipe starts "First, pour a glass of wine." :D

BRUTE
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by BRUTE »

SLAYER :D

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