Weekend Guests -Life's Colorful Stroll

You can't hide behind the wine... or the fork.

Our world is made up of a bunch small moments.  Each strung together to make up a life.  And when those small moments are fulfilling and memorable, then that string makes up a beautiful life.  Mine is a long string of glistening pearls. Moments upon moments that bring me joy and memories that squarely plant a smile on both my face and heart. 

Last fall I added to that string when we hosted our friends from Miami who have a passion for photography. (Well, Marta has more than passion.  It's her profession. Check out her work here .)

They wanted to enjoy the cool fall weather and snap shots of the changing of the seasons. Which, of course,  is a big deal to them being from a one season city. It ended up being a spectacular weekend as the weather was cool but pleasant, the leaves were all starting to turn and gave way to a rainbow explosion.  The bursts of colors were emblematic of our feelings of spending time together.  Bright and cheerful with the crisp air breathing life into our souls.  

On weekends like these, entertaining takes a more relaxed vibe. We keep the food simple so we can spend quality time together. Plus with all the other activities going on who wants to spend oodles of time in the kitchen.  Simple entertaining doesn’t have to mean boring. It just means easy preparation, few ingredients with big flavors.  

Day One - An evening at home with cocktails, snacks & poached salmon

Since I was working in the city, the first night’s meal was prepared by my hubby who made an easy poached salmon with vegetables.  While we waited for the meal to be ready we downed the 'way to easy to drink' Citrus Martinis while snacking on some cheese, olives, marinated garlic cloves and the famous crowd pleasing nut, Marcona almonds (all of which I brought home with me from Despaña.)

Citrus cilantro jalapeño Martinis.  Refreshing and the perfect drink to get the evening started.

I also roasted up some tomatoes ahead of time.  These are the easiest 'must have' staple in your fridge.  Since they are made with enough oil to keep them cured for awhile, they are a savior to pull out in a pinch.  Which is what I did, and then served it on crusty bread.  Our friend, Illy's, reaction to the simplicity but deliciousness of this bite... Priceless.

Oven roasted tomatoes

The OMG moment of food ectasty 

After the snacks and the drinks came the easy 'meal in bowl' dish; Poached Salmon   

Ingredients

(serves 4)
1.5 lb Salmon
1/2 yellow onion, cut in quarters
2-3 carrots, cut in 1" pieces
2-3 ribs of celery, cut in 1" pieces
4-5 new potatoes, cut into small chunks
Oil, salt, pepper

Directions: 

Sauté for 2-3 minutes only all the vegetables in a large, deep pan using oil and seasoning with salt and pepper.  Then place the seasoned salmon on top of all the vegetables and fill the pan with water to cover the fish.  Place a cover on the pan and cook over a low heat to a simmer until the fish has turned a pale pink.  Should take about 12-18 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.  You can leave the vegetables whole or blend them up to create a puree.

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Day Two - Fahnestock State Park followed by cauliflower soup, snap peas, salad, scallops
The following day we drove up to Clarence Fahnestock State Park wandering around, climbing up rocks and snapping off photographs as if film were free. Oh, that's right, we had digital cameras.  Snap a 1000 and deal with it later! 

Things are looking up for me.  Photo credit: Marta Neira

Quite honestly, as eye catching as some of the photos are, they never seem to capture the true beauty of nature in its most vibrant state.

JC taking a test digital photo before using his film camera.

The stillness of water reveals stark reflections 

Reflections of a vibrant kind

After being out in the chill of the day, we needed a little warmth.  What better answers that call than soup.  That night's no fuss easy line up:

• Cauliflower Soup
• Sauteed Snap Peas
• Leafy Green Salad with Apples
• Grilled Scallops

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Day Three - Stone Barns followed by pizza, shrimp & salad
We drove Marta and Illy to one of our favorite local treasures; Stone Barns at Rockefeller State Perserve   I think you can tell by those smiles that we had a good time.  We hiked around for a leisurely 5 mile trek capturing even more photos of fall’s abundance. Crayola crayons, eat your heart out.

Illy's gentle essence

Marta's soulful smile

JC with one of his vintage cameras. Photo credit: Marta Neira

Marta & Illy admiring the cows at Stone Barns

On our familiar path at Rockefeller Park

Oodles of color and lushness.

Upon returning for our final evening together, we felt like keeping it cozy with comfort food. I made an array of pizzas as appetizers followed by a quick sauté of shrimp and a salad.  Since we had been out on photography adventures all weekend, there was no time to make homemade dough. Store bought version does the trick and works like a charm.  

Keeping it warm by the stove

Spreading roasted garlic mash on the dough

I add oil to a bowl, plop the dough inside, cover with a towel and don't let the dough rise too much.  Then I stretch it out with my hands into whatever shape it feels like making and add various toppings.  Here's a few we served that night.

Hot off the stone

Roasted tomato, roasted garlic, basil & Parmesan cheese pizza

Fresh tomato slices, goat & Parmesan cheese pizza

Roasted red pepper & goat cheese pizza

After that yummy goodness, some greens and a protein were all that was needed. 

• Sautéed jumbo shrimp (with garlic, scallions)
• Boston salad with celery, fennel, scallion
   

Similar to my Graped up Bibb Salad

Jumbo shrimp with garlic & scallions

There was nothing extraordinary about any of these dishes other than good ingredients made with absolute love.  There was, however, moments of extraordinary all weekend long.  Hosting weekend guests doesn't have to turn your life upside down.  And even if it does, you will always land right side up.

Take a colorful stroll, breathe in the crisp Fall season, spend time with people you love, then return home to a warm meal. Fill your life with special moments and string together your own pearl necklace. 
 

A colorful stoll

The girls.  Photo Credit: JuanCarlos Casas

Fabulous Flatbreads

Who doesn't love pizza? Who, I ask? What's better than that thin, crispy, yet somehow doughy flat wonder. My husband loves when I make pizza, but he also loves when I use pizza dough to make flatbreads. So in this post I am sharing how I take that perfect pizza dough and let it shine all on its own.  Yeah, you heard me right.  No fancy toppings needed here.  Just fire up the oven, hotter than hell and crisp that yeasty baby up.  This is one of the simplest ways to make a WOW at any party or in the hearts and stomachs of loved ones. I have a long list of stomachs who crave and howl for these.   And you will, too.

In the past, on occasion I have made my own dough.  And if you have the time, by all means knock yourself out and make it from scratch.   I will admit there is a certain marvel of watching flour, yeast and water bring on their magic.  But this is one of those moments when I shout out, "why reinvent the wheel?"  I say, let someone else do all the making and waiting, while I do the all the buying of their pizza dough. Find a good source for dough, then bring it home and still achieve something homemade. Now that is magic equal to yeast rising.

Resting, Growing, Waiting to be grilled to perfection.  Fresh oregano, chopped and ready to go.

I drizzle some oil on top of the dough, cover it with dish towels and let the dough rise a bit. (I try to leave it near the hot stove to help it along.) Once risen, move onto shaping.  Instead of rolling it out, I prefer to stretch it and let it make its own odd shapes.  I just feel this method makes it more rustic.  You can certainly rock the rolling pin if you are in need of perfectly formed breads.

I keep the next step simple.  It's all about the dough but I do like to enhance it slightly by sprinkling salt, pepper and depending on my mood, fresh or dried herbs or crushed garlic and followed by a drizzle of olive oil.   I use a pizza paddle sprinkled with cornmeal to deliver my Picasso shaped dough onto the stone.

I literally almost never make a perfect round circle. 

All the while the pizza stone has been readying itself in a piping hot 500 degree oven.  Once the doughs are ready for cooking I turn the oven to broil.   These bad boys cook in a heartbeat so don't you darn step away or it will go up in flames.  JuanCarlos likes his flatbreads super toasty... shall we say almost burnt, so I always make a few that way.  (And yes, maybe a few more than I would like, as I don't always heed my own warning about walking away from the oven.)

You can make these ahead of time, stack them up and cover with foil.  Then pop them back in a 250-300 degree oven for a few minutes to warm just before serving.  These flew out of the bread basket this past weekend.  (Truth be told, I didn't cut up all the ones I made to serve to our guests. I kept a few for JC to eat this week because he loves them so much. And I love him.  That's how to 2stir life with love.)

Stack 'em up because they are sure to disappear.  You might want more than one stack because after they are gone you will have wished you had.

The perfect bite.  Alone and unadulterated or used to scoop something up.

If you don't have a pizza stone, you can also achieve the similiar results using a cast iron pan.  I have even thrown these on the BBQ, but you need to make sure the grates are oiled or the dough will stick.  Give it a try.

Pizza Rustica - An Italian Easter Tradition

"Tradition!  Tradition! "  As Zero Mostel so famously belted out in Fiddler on the Roof, it is what grounds us to our own history.  I love family traditions. They fill me with memories and smiles, good times and laughter of being together as a family.   And for me, a big part of that was being in the kitchen with any one of the 3 incredible women who inspired my love of cooking and baking.  My Italian grandmothers and mother: Powerhouses in the Kitchen. As a little girl I would watch them and help whenever and wherever I could.  I studied, learned and committed most of what they did to memory. Thankfully, some recipes, like this one, Pizza Rustica were written down, so I can keep the tradition going.  Today's recipe is brought to you by these two amazing woman, my grandmothers.  

Trofimena Carmela Annunziata
aka - Mildred Majewski, mom's mom
Photo Credit: Paul Majewski

Carmela Marie Giovanna
aka - Mildred Perri, dad's mom

The 3 Powerhouses of the Kitchen - Literally making Pizza Rustica.  That's my gorgeous Mom. I can't believe I found this photo!!!  A treasure.

For the past few years, I have been making Pizza Rustica for Easter.  What is that, you ask? Well, pizza, in Italian, simply means pie.  Rustica means rustic. Duh! So this is a rustic pie packed with cheeses and meats served typically at Easter to break Lent.  For those who might not know, Lent is that period of time prior to Easter when Catholics are supposed to abstain from eating meat (which I do daily anyway, so no sacrifice for me, hehe). Thus, this 'more torte than' pie celebrates the return to eating meat. It was a definite tradition in our home growing up and one I'm trying to keep afloat. 

It is rich. It is dense. It is a delicious and decadent pie. One that my parents, in particular my dad, absolutely love.  Nothing brings me more joy than making traditional recipes for them and seeing their happiness.  I relive the moments of my childhood. This recipe is not difficult to make, just a little time consuming.  You may see versions where the filling combines all the ingredients together. That is the easy way out.  But my grandmas patiently and lovingly created layers. So that’s what I do.  Plus, I think it looks beautiful that way.  (Funny thing is my mom and I were in heated debate about this methodology.  She swears her mom used the layering method, of which I have no doubt.  But claims my dad's mom mixed it all together.  I remember them both layering it, so that's that. Take the time to layer it and do it the pretty way.) 

I like to think of this as a three part recipe.  1- Make the dough.  2- Make the filling. 3- Then layer the meats and cheeses.    Here we go.

Ingredients

Dough
2 lb. Flour (approx. 6 cups)
2 tsp. Baking powder
1 c. milk
1 c. oil
5 eggs
dash of salt & pepper

Combine all the above ingredients in a big bowl. I add the eggs last. Once all the dough comes together, knead on a board until dough is smooth.  Divide dough into two sections (2/3 and 1/3).  Roll out the 2/3 portion and place the dough into a 9" x 3.25" liter spring pan. (Because the pie is so dense and heavy, I suggest using a spring pan so you can remove it.  If you don't have one or don't mind serving it from the baking pan, then just us the largest pan you have. My grandmothers like making this in a deep pan, but you can make it in a long rectangle. You will just have less layers.)

Combining into a ball.

Kneading until smooth

Roll it out to size.  If the dough breaks, just patch it.

Now onto the filling.

Filling
½ - ¾  lb. Prosciutto, sliced thin
½  lb. Genoa salami (sliced thin)
½  lb. Soppressata (sliced thin)
1 whole Basket cheese (farm fresh cow's milk cheese made & left in the basket)
3 lbs. Ricotta cheese (whole milk)
6 eggs
fresh parsley, chopped (optional, another debate. sometimes it was added, sometimes not)
Salt

Cheesy deliciousness

In a separate bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, basket cheese and parsley with the eggs and season with salt.  

You have to crack some eggs in this recipe

Get all the meats items ready for assembly.  Begin the layering by first adding a layer of the cheese mixture, spreading evenly to cover the bottom. You want about 1/2" of the cheese mixture. Then add a layer of the prosciutto, followed by another layer of the cheese mixture. Next layer the salami, repeat the cheese layer. Then a layer of soppressata, and repeat the process until you fill up the pan.

First layer of goodness going down.

Layering up and up, overlap the meat so there is a good amount.

I use an offset spatula to spread the mixture around.  It makes it a lot easier.

Roll out the remainder of the dough a little larger than the top of the pan.  Place over the top of the pan. Trim the excess but leave enough to seal. Then using two fingers, pinch to crimp and seal the top.

Since the dough is quite pliable, it's much easier if you roll it onto the rolling pin and they roll it onto the top.

Trim the excess

Using two index fingers, pinch the dough together to create a seal AND a pretty border.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until golden brown.  Let rest and cool before lifting it up through the springform pan.

This monster of a "pie" feeds an army, so we usually serve it as an appetizer with very few, or light apps to accompany it.  Like olives, or fennel with olive oil and course salt.

Our line up of apps one year.  Roasted red peppers, burrata with fresh tomatoes/basil, fennel with coarse salt/pepper/oil and the of course, the towering Pizza Rustica.

Layers of rich deliciousness.

Serve up a slice. Yes, an Italian Easter Family Tradition... but delicious anytime.

Recipe Print Friendly Version

Food photos in this post credited to: www.asithappens.me

The Great Tomato Caper

The amazing tomato: Courtesy of www.asithappens.me

A great ripe tomato can be like eating candy.  With tomato season in full, glorious swing, I say buy 'em up, slice 'em up, and even cook 'em up.  Funny thing about tomatoes, for me though, is that I rarely put them in leafy salads.  I know what you are thinking, lettuce and tomatoes are like oil and vinegar, bread and butter, peanut butter and jelly.  They just go together. Yet, I like tomatoes to shine on their own or used in savory dishes.  Here are a few ways I like serving this juicy red ‘fruit’.  But first a few more beauty shots...

Naturally, fresh tomatoes, basil, oil are a given.  Serve it with burrata and crusty bread and Wow!

But if you want to use them cooked, I have found two roasting methods that truly bring out their best. 
Version One: slow oven roasted with a drizzle of oil.  Version Two: oil roasted, which has these babies swimming in a bath of olive oil.   Either way, they are a sweeter version of the natural selves.

You can use almost any type of tomato that suits your fancy.  If using grape or cherry tomatoes, I definitely leave them whole.  For larger tomatoes like plum or roma tomatoes you can either cut them in half or just score out the core and leave them in their nature beauty.

Slow oven roasted

Line up your ‘maters in a roasted tin (using a size that is commensurate with the amount of tomatoes you have).  Drizzle olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan, add tomatoes, salt, pepper and toss til they are coated.  You can also add whole, unpeeled cloves of garlic to the pan.  Place in a 325 degree oven and roasted for 45-50 minutes until they blister and get almost caramelized. 

Farm fresh grape tomatoes nestled up against some garlic all sliding in olive oil

Once they are done, use them for just about anything.  Here are my favorite uses.

Pizza topping

Toss with pasta.  You can even add ricotta cheese to this and put it over the top lusciousness.

Smash a few onto warm crusty bread

A couple of other uses, although I could go on forever...

• Mash up the roasted garlic adding some of the juices, then slather on roasted chicken and top with the tomatoes.
• Oven roast or pan sear a whole fish and add the tomatoes to finish
• Add the tomatoes to rice (future post Rice with Oven Roasted Tomatoes & Zucchini) 

Oil Roasted

I saw a recipe for oil roasted tomatoes in Saveur magazine years ago and have been making it ever since. For this version, leave the tomatoes whole.  Stand them up in the pan with the stem facing up.  Pour, and I mean pour a generous amount of olive oil enough to come up 1/3 of the tomato.  Add several sprigs of thyme and whole cloves of garlic with the skins. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and course ground pepper. Roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes are super tender and the oil is bubbling.  Let cool.

Remove the tomatoes and use as you see fit.  For the liquid gold you just created, pour that tomato/garlic/thyme infused oil into a bottle and use at will.  This oil is wonderful for pasta or rice.  Use it to sauté vegetables, or use it to create a garlic mash with those candy like cloves you fetch out of the oil.

I like to serve these tomatoes as a warm appetizer accompanied with fresh ricotta cheese that is sprinkled with coarse sea salt and coarse ground pepper and drizzled with olive oil.  I mash up the garlic cloves and place them in a small bowl and allow my guests to smear some on warm toasted bread, then some ricotta and topped with a jewel like tomato.

This rustic, comfort food has just the right amount of class for any dinner party.

Clearly, we have cracked this tomato caper and shown just a few ways to let this fruit shine, other than in your salad. And the best part of roasting tomatoes and keeping them in the oil, they are preserved for weeks on end. So cook up batches while the getting is good, and keep on hand all summer long. 

Harry's Pizzeria - Serving Up So Much More

A funny thing happened on our way to Chile. Our flight from NY to Miami had equipment issues. After much debate, delay, and finally a change of planes, our stop-over arrival was well past take off of our connecting flight.  So, we got sidelined with a pit stop in our old stomping grounds - Miami.  Perfect, since my hubby, Juan Carlos, and I have an apartment in the steamy, sunny city.  

Without a car and in the pouring rain, we "Uber-ed" ourselves out for a bite to eat at Harry's Pizzeria in the Design District, one of several successful eating establishments from chef, Michael Schwartz.  (There is a second Harry's location in Coconut Grove which we also visited)

The best way to cook almost anything, and Chef Michael does just that!

Harry's Design District location

With its wood burning oven, Harry's is a quaint little spot for the obvious main item; PIZZA.  

As much as I love pizza, I don't eat it due to having both a wheat and yeast sensitivity. You might ask, "why would you torture yourself with the yummy, yeasty aromas and sights of others enjoying crisp, artisanal pizza?"  The answer; Harry's also offers daily menu specials that are equally amazing.  And on this day, one of the specials was Wood Oven Roasted Tile Fish with Fall Grain Salad.  Voilá, perfect for this rainy day in So. Fla.  Since we were going to take an overnight flight later on we wanted to fill our bellies with good food, real food... Real good food.  Here's what we ordered... And loved every bite.

Polenta Fries with spicy ketchup

Abundant and crunchy.  Soft inside with a serious outer crust. Sprinkled with sea salt enough to enhance the flavor but not too much to be salty. Really the perfect touch.  These fries are hefty but somehow don't overstuff you. The spicy ketchup was just spicy enough.  What a lovely detour from the usual potato version.

(I love making polenta in a variety of ways.  I will definitely be posting on those in the near future. However, I have never tried to make such a hefty polenta chunk.  After partaking of these crunchy fries, I will certainly try to replicate.)  

If you want to try making these, Chef Michael's cookbook shows you how. I have the book and have tried a few other recipes. I think you might enjoy it as well. You can also order an autographed copy.

 

Kale salad with goat cheese

 

 

 

 

Kale Salad

Hearty kale is mellowed by a sunflower dill dressing. Earthy flavor makes an appearance by the way of roasted beets and goat cheese.  Extra sunflower seeds provide a nice textural crunch. (By the way, we took some of this salad home.  The longer is sits the better it gets!)

Oven Roasted Tile Fish with Fall Grain Salad

Oven Roasted Tile Fish with Fall Grain Salad

This fish was outstanding.  Perfectly cooked and seasoned.  Roasted, in a brick wood oven, to a crisp exterior while preserving the delicate white fish interior.  The fall grain salad of rice, farro and bulgar wheat was a nice combo.  It was served with a garlic alioli.  However, both JC and I felt the dish didn't need it.  The fish and salad were perfect as is.

Oven Roasted Tile Fish with replacement Orange & Radish Salad

As I mentioned I avoid wheat, so I asked to replace the fall grain salad with the Orange & Radish Salad.  Since I make salads with ingredients like this all the time,  I'm usually a big fan of strong flavors and this one had that.  For the most part, I enjoyed it but must admit that, for me, it could have had one less ingredient.  That said, I ate it all.

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In March, Juan Carlos and I were in Miami again, and again we wandered over to Harry's. First, we stopped into the one in Coconut Grove on a Sunday night. The place was hopping with people, families... and us!

Harry's Coconut Grove exterior on a Sunday night

Braised Fennel Pizza

JC couldn't resist ordering this earthy pizza.  I tried the topping and must say that braising the fennel brought out the anise flavor and soften the fennel creating a winning complement to the saltiness of the green olive.  

Fennel & Green Olive Pizza coming out of the wood oven

The very next day we went back to Harry's in the Design District for lunch.  This outing offered up:

Yes, that's right we ordered the Kale Salad and Polenta Fries... again to share.  I had the special of the day, Wood Oven Roasted Eggplant.

Kale Salad with Polenta Fries making an encore appearance

Wood Oven Roasted Eggplant

Big, thick slices of eggplant are deeply roasted to deliver a soft inside, almost creamy inside. Served over farro, smothered with stewed tomatoes and crumbles of feta cheese, I loved how comforting this dish felt.

JC and his business associate each had a bowl of the Yellow Jacket Soup special.  A medley of vegetables in a light tomato and fish broth with chunks of Yellow Jacket, a mild white fish.

They shared the Wood Oven Roasted Chicken Wings which were tender and tasty when dunked into the agrodolce & rosemary crema, the hot & cool balancing act of sauces. They finished them all up and moved on to...

Wood Oven Roasted Chicken Wings

Meatball Pizza

The Meatball Pizza with it's perfectly thin, crispy crust covered in caramelized onions, peppers, escarole, cheese and of course, meatballs.  The sweetness of the onions and peppers played nicely off the savory notes of the meatballs and escarole.  

Another delightful, belly filled visit to Harry's. If you ever find yourself "stranded" in Miami on a layover, or just vacationing in the fun, sun city, do yourself a favor and frequent any one of the restaurants from Chef Michael Schwartz.  He and his teams are spot on with their food and flavors.  I highly recommend any of his  eateries.  His approach to food, atmosphere and service are exactly what he professes: Michael's Genuine. 

Although we know Chef Michael, this review was unsolicited.