Campanelle con Brevi Ragu Costola

"Campanelle con Brevi Ragu Costola" .. or "Campanelle Pasta with Short Rib Ragu". 

Campanelle or "bellflowers" pasta is one of my favorite sauce grabbing pastas. It's flower/bell like shape guzzles ragu and creates an explosion of flavor in every bite! Add braised short ribs and you have a near perfect combination.

This isn't a "classic" Italian preparation, it comes from my upcoming cookbout. But for incredible tastes, you should try this recipe idea.

Ingredients include classic Italian flavors of carrot, celery, onion, garlic, parsley, red wine and stock. I tempered the Ragu with butter and cream, then combined it with my "house-made" Campanelle to finish this tasty dish!

I hope you enjoy this rustic full-bodied dish. I know I did!

Good Eating!

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2009 "Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico"

Thursday I had the honor to attend a wine tasting at the Columbus Italian Club. We tasted a number of wines and I thought I would share my experiences with you.

Today, it's the 2009 "Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico". The wine shows excellent weight and depth to match its expressive dark red fruit. 

I would describe it as ruby red with deep intensity and hue. Fruity, fine and elegant aromas dominated by wild berries accompanied by various spicy notes. Fruity on the palate with good tannins, but not over powering. 

This red evokes tar, black cherry, woodlands and tobacco flavors. They're all held together by those dense, fine tannins. Oak spice emerges on the taut and lingering finish. 

This wine is probably one you want to cellar for any length of time, but will drink beautifully for at least a handful of years. Hints of earthiness and tar add to an impression of gravitas in this vintage. 

All in all, I enjoyed Felsina's version of one of my favorite varietals.

A solid 7 out of 10!

*under $20

Stracotto di Manzo alla Fiorentina

"Stracotto di Manzo alla Fiorentina" .. Red Wine Braised Beef in the style Florence. Braising is one of my favorite methods of beef preparation. It’s a very easy way to cook and yields deep, rich flavor that fills the kitchen with glorious aroma.

This dish is a major part of my “Super Tuscan” repertoire and basically the Italian version of pot roast which uses Chianti as the primary braising liquid. I served this dish with "Creamy Polenta" topped with the sauce.

As a bonus, any leftovers can be used with pasta for an entirely different Super Tuscan dish!

Buon Appetito!

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Fall Cider Sangria

Nothing says autumn more than Apple Cider and nothings says "Thirsty Thursday" more than my "Fall Cider Sangria"!

This playful take on sangria is sure to become one of your party staples. It is super easy, fruity and flat out delicious .. Hey, why wait for the guests?

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Leftover Lasagna

"Leftover Lasagna" .. I was posed a question Monday evening, what I did with "leftovers" from dinner service. Well, hopefully there aren't any, but on occasion I find I'm in the mood for something special off the menu and I bring it home.

Such was the case with Monday's "Tagliatelle alla Bolognese"! I re-purposed it in the simplest of manners and turning it into "Leftover Lasagna"!

I prepared the "Tagliatelle alla Bolognese" in the traditional way, except even more al dente than usual. I then ladled a layer of sauce in a baking dish, placed a layer of the tagliatelle, then a layer of seasoned ricotta cheese, more sauce, more tagliatelle, more ricotta and finally, a layer of Bolognese with hand-shredded mozzarella on top. 

Bake for an hour with foil cover and another 45 minutes after cover is removed.

Re-purposing food is economical, ethically efficient and down right tasty!

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Tagliatelle alla Bolognese

"Tagliatelle alla Bolognese" .. This rich sauce, known in Italian as "Ragù alla Bolognese", is a meat-based sauce originating from Bologna, Italy. In Italian cuisine, it is customarily used to dress "Tagliatelle" pasta and to prepare "Lasagne alla Bolognese".

In the absence of Tagliatelle, it can also be used with other broad, flat pasta shapes, such as Pappardelle or Fettuccine, or with short tube shapes, such as Rigatoni or Penne. Genuine Ragù alla Bolognese is a slowly cooked sauce, and its preparation involves several techniques, including sweating, sautéing and braising. Ingredients include a characteristic "soffritto" of onion, celery and carrot, different types of minced or finely chopped meat (generally beef, and sometimes pork), wine, milk and a small amount of tomato concentrate.

The earliest documented recipe of an Italian meat-based sauce served with pasta comes from Imola, near Bologna in 1891. Pellegrino Artusi, an Italian businessman and writer, first published a recipe for a meat sauce characterized as being "Bolognese". While many traditional variations do exist, in 1982 the Italian Academy of Cuisine registered a recipe for authentic "Ragù alla Bolognese" with the Bologna Chamber of Commerce.

Grab a bit of authentic culinary history and give this recipe idea a shot!

Buon Appetito!

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Zuppa di Fagioli Cannellini

Zuppa di Fagioli Cannellini .. or .. White Bean (Cannellini) Soup. 

A dietary staple in Italian cuisine, Cannellini Beans bring tremendous flavor to this soup. Make it a day ahead of time, it will taste even better when you're ready to eat it. However, it never lasts that long!

Ingredients include, cannellini beans, pancetta, chicken stock, mirepoix (carrots, celery, onion), garlic, bay leaves and of course olive oil.

It's a great idea to make a huge batch, cool fall weather is coming and what better than to pack a thermos and take along during those fall hikes or bike rides?

Buon Appetito!

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Melanzana e Pomodoro Strata

"Melanzana e Pomodoro Strata" or Eggplant and Tomato Napoleon. This tasty dish is one of my featured recipes utilizing both young Eggplant and Heirloom Tomatoes along with Mia Piccola Cucina's Signature Marinara, Basil, my Roasted Red Pepper Caponata and Bocconcini Mozzarella which is hand shredded into chunks.

The eggplant is fried with a bread crumb coating, and layered with the tomatoes, caponata and marinara. A tasty dish for sure.

Enjoy!

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Autumn Sangria

"Autumn Sangria" .. With fall only a few short days away, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to celebrate this "Thirsty Thursday" with my "Autumn Sangria" recipe.

Chock full of classic fall flavors, this sangria with have you begging for more of those warm days and cool nights as well as a perfect drink for fall time patio parties!

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Pan-Seared Ribeye

"Pan-Seared Ribeye" .. I come from the "less is more" school of thought when it comes to steaks. My favorite isn't Filet, it's a simple Ribeye. One that's a minimum 1 1/2 inches thick .. but ribeye none the less.

I don't go crazy with elaborate sauces, nor do I have any secrets other than these. Begin with a "room temperature" Steak. Season with salt, but wait on the pepper until the pan sear is done. Finally, getting my "cast iron pan" screaming hot and placing the steak on it with very little oil. I then leave it be. Usually around 3-4 minutes. I flip it and leave it alone once again.

After these motions, I'll stick it in a preheated 350 for 5-6 minutes until it's a beautiful medium rare. This is where the black pepper comes it. 

The key is simplicity and a good quality steak! I prefer buying steaks that have been dry-aged a minimum of 18 days. Longer is better with 28 days not unusual for me.

Here's to good eating!

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Grilled Sriracha Shrimp on a Late Summer Salad

"Grilled Sriracha Shrimp" on a Late Summer Salad .. In the mood for a spicy and sweet late summer salad? Then this recipe idea is right up your alley.

Marinate fresh shrimp in Srirachi, white wine and garlic. Grill for a few minutes each side, (You can pan sear them as well). Build a salad using greens such as Romaine, Red Romaine, Red Bok Choy, Baby Spinach, Baby Arugula, Red Butter Lettuce and Mizuna. Dice a fresh Avocado, add several Grape Tomatoes, fresh Cilantro and a sprinkle of toasted Almonds.

I used my "signature" Asian dressing on this salad which includes Rice Wine Vinegar, Sesame Oil, Dijon Mustard and Honey plus a few more "secret" ingredients to finish this dish. 

The result was a sweet, spicy and savory salad that is a perfect treat for the end of summer.

Good Eating!

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Brussel Sprout & Tomato Frittata

"Brussel Sprout & Tomato Frittata" .. Ever have one of those calls from your visiting sister saying, "Hey what are doing this morning? How about whipping up Cheryl and I some breakfast before I head back to Cali", quizzed Suzie, my LA sibling?

Ahhh the life of a chef. So I trolled through the fridge and came up with a smokey, cheesy, vegetabley (is that a word?) Frittata that hit the spot! 

I blanched a handful of brussels, quartered them and added diced tomatoes, sauted onions and garlic, eggs, sour cream, smoked mozzarella, and grated Bourbon Bellavitano cheese into the batter. Baked it and when they popped in .. Brunch was served!

It's always a pleasure making food for my family! Gotta love Sunday brunch!

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Penne con Olive Nere e Pecorino

"Penne con Olive Nere e Pecorino" .. "Penne Pasta with Black Olives and Pecorino". Are you brave? Can you handle it? Handle the unusual? If so, this dish will have you scrambling for more. "Vorrei più di pasta per favore!" .. "I would like more pasta please!"

This dish combines simple ingredients. But that's where the stickler starts. Garlic .. a good amount of garlic! Anchovy .. Those fragrant tasty little morsels that add so much flavor to Italian cooking, yet strike fear into the hearts of many Americans. Black Pepper .. loads of the bitey stuff. Black Olives .. well that one is a gimme. Black Olives simply ROCK! That salty, fatty flavor we all gobbled up off our fingers at Thangsgiving. Last but not least .. Pecorino Romano .. that funky ewe's milk cheese that yet again frightens the bejesus out of many people.

But if you do feel brave and forgo your fears, you will be greeted with one of the tastiest pasta dishes you will ever have.
Suck it up scaredy cats .. if you try it you WILL love it!

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Asian Crispy Chicken Salad

"Asian Crispy Chicken Salad" .. Need a little light dinner tonight? Try this incredible salad with crunchy chicken, and an assortment of greens.

Crisp Asian Vegetables including Diakon and Napa Cabbage, paired with classic Romaine, Red Cabbage and Carrots. Then topped with chunks of crunchy Chicken Breast and Thighs, Toasted Almonds and Crispy Rice Noodles and tossed in my "Light Asian Vinaigrette". This is my take of a classic Asian Salad.

Enjoy!

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Spicy Shrimp on Warm Avocado

"Spicy Shrimp on Warm Avocado" .. Want a quick and tasty treat? Try this recipe idea and wow your friends and family with this simple appetizer or snack.

Marinate large shrimp (16-20 count) in a mixture on lime juice, chili powder, olive oil and salt & pepper for 30 minutes. Saute until done, a couple minutes on each side. Warm the avocado in the pan when you remove the cooked shrimp. Season the avocado with salt & pepper and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

How easy is that? 

I hope you enjoy you weekend! I know I will mine and good eating!

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Wild Mushroom Soup with Apricot Candied Bacon Grilled Cheese

"Wild Mushroom Soup with Apricot Candied Bacon Grilled Cheese" .. Cool and rainy days call for comfort food and what could be more comforting than a bowl of hearty soup and a grilled cheese sammie?

For my entry into the comfort zone, I took my family's homemade mushroom soup recipe and elevated it by utilizing great components like Wild Ohio Mushrooms (both fresh and dried), Heavy Cream, House-made Chicken Stock, Madeira Wine and a fresh veggies.

My take on the grilled cheese was making Apricot-Candied Bacon and pairing it with "Smoked Mozzarella" and "Mild Cheddar" .. the result was a salty, smoky, sweet and gooey grilled cheese that completed the meal!

Good Eating!

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Sunset Sangria

"Sunset Sangria" .. With the dusk of summer approaching, I thought it was perfect for this week's

"Thirsty Thursday". 

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Trottole all'Amatriciana

"Trottole all'Amatriciana" .. "Spinning Top Pasta" with spicy, porky and tomatoey sauce. What in the world could be better than that?

Trottole is one of the best shapely pasta varieties for snatching up sauces. It's shape grabs robust sauce creations and holds it like a long lost lover. Trottole, which means “spins”, comes from the Campania Region, near Napoli. The fresh dough was rolled up around an umbrella stick! I was a metal rod and wooden dowel!

I chose one of my favorite Italian sauces, all'Amatriciana, to pair with the pasta. It's rich flavor married perfectly with the spinning trottole. 

"Amatriciana" sauce based on Guanciale (cured pork cheek), Pecorino Romano Cheese, and of course Tomatoes. Originating from the town of Amatrice, the Amatriciana is one of the most well-known pasta sauces in Roman and Italian cuisine. It is so popular in Rome, the sauce has been declared as the Lazio Region's "Prodotto Agroalimentare Tradizionale" or a "Traditional Food Product".

I hope you enjoy my take on this unusual pasta dish.

Buon Apetitio! 

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"City Chicken" with Farro Risotto

"City Chicken" on Farro Risotto .. I thought I would take a step back in time to my youth when my Mom and later me, would make "City Chicken" at least once every couple weeks. I simply crave this dish. 

The pork is threaded "drumstick" style on wooden skewers and either breaded and fried like "chicken" OR in a more German style, braised in a rich "Mushroom" gravy. Either way you go, this is a great dish.

The first references to city chicken appeared in newspapers and cookbooks just prior to and during the Depression Era in cities such as Akron and Pittsburgh. As the recipe gained favor, it popped up throughout the Steel Belt and later Rust Belt of the eastern Great Lakes region of Ohio and Michigan as well as the northeastern Appalachian regions of Pennsylvania and Upstate New York,

As mentioned above, city chicken is typically meat scraps to fashion a makeshift drumstick from them. It was a definitely a working class food item. During the Depression, cooks used pork because it was then cheaper than chicken in many parts of the country, especially in those markets far from rural poultry farms, hence the name.

I paired my dish with another classic .. or should I say "ancient" grain .. Farro. The grain was a popular food source in ancient Roman times and before as a main grain staple.

I hope you enjoy this "elder" statesman of a dish. It holds a lot of family history in each bite.

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Piccata di Pollo

"Piccata di Pollo" .. This is one of my all-time favorite Italian Chicken dishes. 

Originally a Veal dish, "piccata" or "to prick" is the term Italians use to explain the sharp bite of the lemon flavor this dish has. My recipe goes a stepfurther incorporating "Caper" for that added briny flavor so appetizing in many dishes.

I begin by pounding my boneless, skinless chicken breasts to 1/2-in thickness. It's a good way to vent on a rainy day! Next dredge the chicken in AP flour lightly tapping all the extra flour from the meat. Here's a great tip. Only flour enough chicken that will fit into your saute pan. If you flour an entire batch, it will get gummy and that's not good eating!

Heat a pat of butter along with some Olive Oil and brown each side. Keep them warm in the oven and finish the batches. The "Piccata" sauce consists of Garlic, White Wine, Capers, Lemon Juice and Zest along with Parsley and Parmigiano Reggiano to finish.

Give this recipe idea a try and look for it and more in my upcoming cookbook "Mia Piccola Cucina"!

"Mangia Mangia"

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Spaghetti al Pesto Genovese

"Spaghetti al Pesto Genovese" .. Pesto originated in Genoa in the Liguria region of northern Italy in the mid 1800's and traditionally consists of crushed garlic, basil, and European pine nuts blended with olive oil and Parmigiano Reggiano. 

Of course I love updating classics and my take on this sauce combines flavors from all across Italy. First, I rendered Pancetta just for the fat. Added my pasta water to it, which was the beginning of my sauce.

I then pounded fresh Basil, Parsley, Onion, Toasted Almonds, Anchovy, Olives, Parmigiano Reggiano and Salt & Pepper in my mortar and ground everything into a dense paste before drizzling in Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

If you want to enhance a traditional "Pesto", I wholeheartedly suggest trying my take on this classic from Genoa!

Ciao

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Tagliatelle con Radicchio e Sopressata

"Tagliatelle con Radicchio e Sopressata" .. I wanted to travel north to Italian province of Trentino tonight. Utilizing many regional flavors, but also a few twists of my own.

A big twist included bringing Sopressata from southern Italy, in particular the Basilicata region and incorporating their treasured salami into this northern inspired dish.

Ingredients include my house made Tagliatelle, Olive Oil, Onion, Radicchio, Heavy Cream, White Wine and my favorite Italian Cheese .. Grana Padano.

This is not your average Italian pasta dish. It is influenced heavily by German and Austrian cooking styles! I know this will be one of your favorite pasta dishes once you try it!

Buon Appetito!

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Summer Fruit & Honey Sangria

"Summer Fruit & Honey" Sangria .. You simply have to try this recipe on facebook.com/TheBaldChefCooks

Bourbon BBQ Ribs

I'm Back! To celebrate my return and the end of summer, I thought I would tease you with my Bourbon BBQ Ribs! 

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