Good To See You! Come On In!

Summertime often means unexpected guests and impromptu get togethers.  And at our place it rarely happens on the days the fridge is full of food!  No worries.  Every good cook is part Iron Chef after all.  And isn't half the fun testing our creative abilities under pressure?  Here are a few quick and easy ideas that help me cope with unexpected company. 


1.  Skewers. They're great for all things sweet or savoury and can help build a village if you have them on hand. Skewers have stopped me from nagging kids to eat all your fruit, helped me calm them down when they've gone wild with nothing to do, (let's make a few snacks) and whispered new ideas in my ear when my brain was numb.  Every summer kitchen needs them and kids who are old enough to handle a skewer safely can help prepare a platter or two.

Use whatever fruit you have on hand to make fruit kabobs.  Some fruits will need a little lemon juice to keep them from browning. Strawberries and grapes work well together as does watermelon with mango.

If you're short on fruit or prefer to go savoury, try loading skewers with coloured tortellini and whatever veggies you have on hand.   Just mix the freshly cooked pasta in a bowl with salt, minced garlic and basil.  Marinate for a few hours if you have time.  If you don't, they'll still taste great. I've used cherry tomatoes and cheese here but they work well with olives and marinated artichoke hearts, too.  

 2.  Salads. They're simple and always welcome. Fresh greens topped with sliced tomato, boiled eggs or leftover chicken just needs a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of your favorite vinegar.  Garnish with olives, capers, shredded carrot...whatever you've got going on in your pantry or fridge.  To quote singing chef Pasquale Carpino: "In music there is an infinity-- an endless number of combinations of notes and harmonies which will produce original and lovely melodies.  So it is with cooking.  The chef is like a composer, creating new recipes and adapting old ones to express the individuality that is found in each of us."

3.  Grilled vegetables. Keep a stash of them ready to go.  I grill a few zucchini and two or three eggplants almost every week this time of year.  Brush slices with a little olive oil, minced garlic and freshly ground pepper.  Refrigerate when cool.  Mix with peperoncino if you like, and use for sandwiches, dinners or quick snacks between meals. 

Zucchini shrink as they cook and when they do, I squeeze them closer together adding more slices to the grill until it's fully loaded.  Sprinkle with salt only after they're cooked to keep them from drying out.

The only thing better than a grilled zucchini sandwich is a grilled eggplant sandwich.  They're both great with hot pickled peppers, roasted red peppers, fresh tomato, goat cheese or ricotta salata.  Add fresh arugula or a couple of forkfuls of cooked rapini and your taste buds will journey back to nonno's garden of 40 years ago.




Top your grilled eggplant with diced tomato, red onion and parsley.  Drizzle more olive oil on top.

4.  Dress up your potatoes. Gnocchi season has shut down in my kitchen, but potatoes are my lifesavers any time of year.  They are soooo versatile. Best served hot from the grill, they can't really be prepared in advance, but this delicious spice mixture (see recipe below) can easily be prepared ahead of time.  Created by my grilling-obsessed husband, this mix will yield potatoes so delicious, they'll be dancing the Tarantella in your mouth.  

Mr. BBQ's Homemade Spice Mix                                    

In a medium-sized bowl, add 2 tablespoons each of: basil, thyme, chili, cumin, Cajun paprika, and regular paprika.  Add 1 teaspoon of black pepper.  Mix thoroughly.  Transfer to a glass jar and close tightly.  Store in pantry away from heat.

We used New Ontario potatoes--  a very dry variety and probably perfect for making gnocchi.  In a medium sized bowl, mix sliced potatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, olive oil and a dusting of spice.  Transfer to a foil pie plate and cover with foil as well. Transfer to the grill and cook for 25 to 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Ten minutes before the potatoes are done, remove foil cover, spray a little more olive oil on top and add another light dusting of your spice mix.  If you prefer to use whole potatoes, just wash, dry, (leave skins on) and rub the mixture onto each one before wrapping individually in foil.  Cook on a 400-degree grill for 40 to 45 minutes.  Delizioso.
            

5. The only beverages I stack up on in the cantina are water and wine.  You can't go wrong with either one.  If you have limes and lemons to dress up the water, it's always nice.  If you know about company ahead of time, fill a decanter with peaches, add red wine and refrigerate.  A three-day soak gives the wine a fruity flavor and brings me back to the summer days when I would stare at the beautiful colors in my parents' glasses...and couldn't wait for dinner to be done so I could go back outside to play with my friends.  I wish you molti felici backyard gatherings this summer!  Thanks so much for reading my stories--  mille grazie-- and for all the comments you've shared with me.

Have Sausage, Will Prosper

Try this version of sausage and peppers this BBQ season.

If you ever Google the word frugal and click on Images you might get a picture of my nonna talking with your nonna.  What would they be saying?  I imagine it would be something like this:

(My nonna:) "Take these pepper seeds.  I share them with you.  We grew the best red peppers last year!"

(Your nonna:) "Here are some of our tomato seeds.  I can't believe how big our tomatoes were last year.  And so sweet-- incredible!"

And isn't that the way it was?  They did everything from scratch.  Saved every piece of string and paper bag.  Traded seeds, biscotti,  ciambella, fagiolini and more.  Every day was an occasion, every season marked by a special dish.  They made do with what they had and helped others if they could spare a little.  And they could always spare a little. 


It was the spirit of nonna that helped me create this recipe last summer.  I had planned to make shish kabob for a pot-luck gathering of my usual friends.  I knew I had several packages of veal in the freezer, some of it in the form of stewing cubes.  Nessun problema, right?  Except when I went to the freezer round mid-day, I found myself staring at one package of stewing veal, two roasts, and two packages of sausage. 

Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Add salt and pepper. 

Yes... this is me. More often than I care to admit,  I still come home with two or three items missing from my grocery list.  Overestimating whatever I thought I had in the freezer is just a part of it.  After more than two decades of grocery shopping and rough-ideas meal planning... regardless of whether or not company's coming... I'm pretty sure this habit is just about impossible to break.  It used to upset me.  Now I just sigh and mutter to myself: here we go again.  I wonder if this will be the time I finally make a mess of things.

I stared at the insides of my freezer.  My thoughts went something like this:  Hmmm...this freezer could use a little defrosting...O Dio mio, I'm in trouble now.  I'm thinking about defrosting when I've got serious issues going on here.  This is a disaster.  And then: what would nonna do?  Start some yeast for pizza dough...no, I don't have time...and my from-scratch pizza is the worst pizza in the family.  That won't do.  And finally, there it was. The answer to my question.  Nonna would have no choice. She would have to figure out a way to make the best of what she had.  She had no car, many mouths to feed and a budget.  I had promised BBQ tonight and I had to deliver.

And so, sausage kabobs it would be. Here's how to make them:


Soak your skewers a minimum of  two hours before grill time to avoid blackening.  An overnight soak produces skewers that are so water-logged, they'll be happy to be on the grill.  And they'll look good, too.

Besides skewers and sausage, you'll need:  
Assorted peppers
Red onion
Mushrooms
Olive oil and balsamic vinegar


When cutting your meat, sausage or veggies, keep in mind that all pieces need to be sized equally for even cooking.  I estimate between 3 and 5 kabobs per person when served with potatoes, a green salad and a little dolcetto afterward.


Cut sausage into 1 1/2" to 2" pieces and set aside.  Wash and blanche mushrooms.  A one-minute blanche will keep them tender and tastier.  Set them aside to cool in their own bowl.   Cut up peppers and onions.  Toss in a bowl, along with the cooled-down mushrooms, a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper.   

When loading up your skewers, push veggies snug against the sausage to keep pork from falling out of its casing.  Sear for two minutes on each side at 400 degrees.  Cook for another 12 minutes at 300 degrees turning only twice per side.  Serve with grilled potatoes, rice or bread and a green salad or a platter of tomatoes and sottaceti (pickled vegetables). 


Our pot-luck evening was fun.  My friends were surprised at this new twist on a traditional shish kabob.  Mostly I heard:  "I've never seen this before!"  What could I say?  "It was nonna's idea."

Serve with fresh tomatoes, hot peppers, pickled eggplant, olives and capers or whatever you like best.

Happy Canada Day!

This is the week to reminisce about our roots and be thankful for all we have here.  While many of us will sing or hear our national anthem on Friday, there's another song I think of at this time of year called Che Sara by I Ricchi e Poveri.  Do you remember that tune from the early 70s?  It's a song about someone who decides to leave their hilltop village because it's almost lifeless. Their friends have all moved away and, as they decide to follow the same path, they wonder what the future holds for them.  Many artists have released this beautiful, very moving song over the years and I've provided a link here if you want to hear Patrizio Buanne's version. 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=beto8VDWgN0
Sponsored by his Zia who had emigrated to Canada in 1928, my dad sailed for Halifax from Sicily in 1951.  He took the Nea Hellas-- a Greek-owned passenger steam ship, leaving his hometown of Trapani where he owned and managed a movie theater after the war.  No one had money to go to the movies anymore, and there were no jobs to be found.  The rebuilding of Europe was moving at a snail's pace, so he took what little money he had and bought a one-way ticket to Canada.  Final destination?  Toronto.  His first job assignment would be to remove tins of baked bread from ovens in a downtown bread factory.


My mom left her hometown of Sora (53 miles south of Rome) and sailed on the Conte Biancamano in 1953. Half her family had left two years before; the rest would follow two years afterward.  The bombing that had taken place in and around Rome had devastated much of central Italy. My mother's family lost almost everything they had. They were one of many who decided to start a new life overseas. She found work quickly as one of hundreds of seamstress workers in Toronto's garment district.  She was only 16.


Like millions of other immigrants around the world, my parents brought their culture with them and adopted some of the new.  Those of us who are children of immigrants shared in their often painful struggle, understand why outrageous humor is often necessary to survive it, and rejoice in their resilient spirits.


We have much to celebrate!  In honor of Canada Day, I have made a red-and-white Tiramisu. Mine is a low-fat version as I've learned a bit about this dessert over the years!  Many of the traditional Tiramisu recipes are heavy with mascarpone making one wonder if they shouldn't really be called Tiramigiu (meaning you get a slice of drag-me-down dessert instead of an end of the meal pick-me-up). 

When I first started making Tiramisu,  I followed the full-mascarpone version.  Eventually I cut the fat by half; then by a third, and finally I eliminated the mascarpone altogether.  I find the lower-fat version tastes just as good, but you may not agree.  If that's the case, you may want to alter it further or go back to using mascarpone.  There is no question about it-- it tastes buonissimo!  To give your taste buds a maximum treat, this dessert needs to refrigerate for 24 hours before serving. Here is what you'll need to make it:


One 300g container of extra-smooth ricotta
One 650g container of vanilla yogurt
One 5.3 oz package of lady finger biscuits
One 8 oz package of whipping cream
A full square of semi-sweet baker's chocolate
A little strong coffee (about 4 oz)
A dash of rum (about 1/2 tbsp)
Slivered almonds and fresh raspberries

Brew your coffee and let cool slightly.  In the meantime,  mix ricotta and yogurt together in a large bowl.  After they're fully blended, pour one-third of this mixture into a second bowl.  Melt chocolate and add to this second container.

Pour your coffee into a third container and mix with rum.  Dip both sides of your lady fingers into the mixture.  This is a quick dip; don't let them soak.  Place your dipped lady fingers at the bottom of your container.  (I cut mine to fit my glass bowl but you may not need to do this if your serving bowl has a wider base.)  Add some of the white ricotta-yogurt mix on top, followed by a handful of slivered almonds and some berries.  Keep working in layers in this way, reserving the chocolate mixture for the middle of your dessert.  Next, whip up your cream. Add sugar to taste.  Top your Tiramisu with whipped cream and finish with berries. If you prefer, add more slivered almonds as well.  Serves 6 to 8. 

Accompany this sweet treat with strong espresso or iced caffelatte... depending on the temperature of the day.  This summer is turning out to be much cooler than usual so who knows what highs or lows we can expect by Friday?  Buon Divertimento!  Happy celebrating!  Hook up your music; I hope you have a great time.  Here's the second part of my playlist; some of my all-time favourites  and what we'll be listening to this Canada Day.


Italian-Canadian Summer Playlist (Part 2)
1.  Che Sara-  I Ricchi e Poveri
2.  Heart of Gold-  Neil Young
3.  Gigi l'Amoroso-  Dalida
4.  I Get By with a Little Help from My Friends-  The Beatles
5.  O Sole Mio-  Luciano Pavarotti
6.  I'll be There-  Michael Jackson
7.  Mambo Italiano-  Rosemary Clooney
8. I Believe in You-  Amanda Marshall
9. Arrivederci Roma-  Robertino Loretti
10.  Share the Land-  the Guess Who
If you have any immigrant stories to share, check out the Italian-Canadian Museum.  Here is the link: www.italiancanadianmuseum.com  Let's safeguard this piece of history for our families.


As a final note, I just learned that I Ricchi e Poveri will be performing a the CHIN international picnic this coming weekend!  Check performance times at: www.scotiabankchinpicnic.com  Guess where I'll be on Saturday night?!

Party of One, Here I Come

 Breakfast is fresh fruit, cottage cheese topped with walnuts and real maple syrup, and cardamom tea.

These days I'm up earlier than usual.  School is almost out and my anxiety is rising. Heading for the back porch with my breakfast, I spend time just trying to calm myself down.  Summer brings a whole new set of parenting challenges.  But for this very moment I just want to focus on three things I won't be missing this July and August.  Making lunches...making lunches and....making lunches. No sandwich or any other healthy, and hope-they'll-like-it meal packaged in Tupperware can ever replace the taste of a fresh bowl of pasta with chicken, veggies or black beans on top.  I need summer so I can come back from the dead-lunch-ideas nest I've been roosting in since April.  This alone is reason to celebrate.


Looking at my long list of must-do's this morning, my anxiety is getting the best of me.  My party is unraveling.  I think it's because I stopped living in real time somewhere in the 90s.  Somewhere between the rise of Britney Spears and the day skank officially became a word, I entered a time warp. What happened was, I had a heart attack while I was driving my oldest to dance one night. I'm pretty sure it altered my brain permanently.  


That was the night I saw my first three-inches-above-the-lowrise-jeans thong and almost hit the car in front of me.  I felt my foot lose control of the gas pedal.  Next thing I knew, I had to slam on the breaks.  Holy Mother of God, who is walking on the sidewalk over there and is this what Nonna meant when she used to bite her hand and then wave it at us yelling Mannaggia al'America! when we wore tank tops?  Though in that first-thong-view moment I have to admit my silent thoughts went all Tony Soprano on me. WT#!!!

Lunch is anxiety served with a black bean salad that includes celery, green peppers, and lots of balsamic.

How on earth could I raise these kids in an age gone all sexo techno?  I'm not saying I want to go back to the days when we feared our parents and Nonna hovered over us praying  Dio t'aiuta e la Madonna t'accompagna--  may God help you and the Madonna walk beside you--  every time we walked out the door.  But isn't watching pop stars and their wannabes letting it all hang out about as crazy as the days when we had The Strap?


I will take wisdom wherever I can find it.  Life is complicated and who am I to judge?  I found comfort in the words of TV mob boss  Tony Soprano when he told his daughter Meadow:  "It may be 2001 out there but in this house it's still 1956!  Capish?  2001...1956."  


Those words--  and Carmela's long and often lonely hours in the kitchen--   carried me a long way.  My husband (Mr. BBQ) and I decided that for some things, it was going to be 1956 in our family. Which reminds me.  Here's something else I won't miss when school's out:  dropping off my kids  in the morning while listening to don't-hold-back pop stars like Bruno Mars singing about a day of doing nothing while having his hand in his pants.  Really?  Did you know we just had our breakfast?  I don't react. I am, after all, an older mom and there have to be some advantages to having your kids later in life.  I often push the button, though, so Mr. Mars can enjoy his hand in his pants in private.


Here are my three wishes for summer:


~ that children everywhere will be safe no matter where they roam
~ that someone somewhere would market a T-shirt that says: We could learn a lot from the 50s (or something similar) and
~ that this piece of writing can contribute in some small way to the idea of bringing back a portion of the world's lost dignity.  Are you with me on this one?   If so, please share this post with others.


Here's to finding the middle ground!  I think it's somewhere between the 50s and where we are today.  To ease my anxiety this summer, Mr. BBQ and I will be spending a lot of time just hanging out with our kids.  I have a playlist of both Italian and English songs from a time when the world had a lot more class and they'll be playing in our backyard. There are current pop songs with lyrics worth singing, and I've included a couple of those here, too.  


Summer Playlist (Part One)
1.  Come Prima-  Mario Marini
2.  How Fragile We Are-  Isaac Hayes
3.  Ciao, Ciao Bambina-  Domenico Modugno
4.  My Life Story-  Gladys Knight and The Pips
5.  Gloria-  Umberto Tozzi
6. Price Tag-   Jesse J.
7. Rose Rosse-  Massimo Ranieri
8. Sail Away-  Styx
9. Parlami d'Amore Mariu-  Mario Lanza
10. This One's For the Girls-  Martina McBride


Black Bean Salad
Two to three cans of your favorite beans (I use mostly the Black and Red Kidney variety).  Rinse well under cold water and place in large bowl.  Dice and add the following: two to three ribs of, red or green onion to your taste, a large green pepper, some red or orange pepper, and balsamic vinegar to taste.  Refrigerate for an hour before serving so the flavors mix together.  Serve on a bed of mixed greens with cherry tomatoes, your favorite cheese and a few olives on top.  Tastes great with a piece of grilled bread!


What Oldie Goldies are on your summer playlist?