Story last updated at
9:27 PM on
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Homer chef brings home tastes of Italy
Editor’s Note: Teri Robl was one of the members of the Kenai Peninsula Community Chorus to tour Italy March 2-13. When she wasn’t singing, she was taking in the sights and tastes of Italy with 100 of her peninsula friends.
Photo provided
Teri Robl enjoys the sights at a produce stand in Florence. It is located near the duomo where Michaelangelo is buried
The first day in Rome we found ourselves at a small trattoria around the corner from our hotel. The owner, clad in his white baking uniform and apron, worked alone, maintaining a big smile and courteous responses in Italian when a large group of us converged on his wonderful little establishment. He had the most tempting showcase of marinated and roasted vegetables, colorful and tasty pizzas in square baking pans, bruschetta topped with spiced olive oil and ripe, red tomatoes, calzones baked with cheese in a warm golden crust, calamari in a perfectly herbed and spiced sauce and other savory goodies.
Outdoors, on a warm but windy day, we sat at tables covered in red and white checked tablecloths and dined on our first real feast of Italian food. Spring birds sang, clothes hung from balconies of pastel-colored apartments and the trees that lined the side streets blossomed with white and pink flowers whose blossoms scented the air with a delicate fragrance. The city streets were all paved in rustic, well-worn cobblestones.
Yes, this is the Italy I had hoped to experience!
I enjoyed many perfect moments drinking the best cappuccinos, which were always served in china cups. The espresso was rich, smooth and dark; the cream was expertly frothed; the balance of espresso to cream was perfect. Everyone drank cappuccinos all the time. The best one I had cost $1 euro. The most expensive was $5, in a little café where a waiter served it to me at an outdoor table on a narrow Italian side street.
I gazed upon red geraniums growing in pots on balconies from apartments that lined the street. I could imagine how beautiful it would be in the summer, when everything was in bloom and green, plants hanging from the upper stories. It was beautiful now though, in early spring, to this Alaska traveler.
I threw open the shutters on the hotel window in the morning to look out and see the most beautiful and quaint apartments and townhouses, painted in a rainbow of colors — pink, blue, yellow and green — and adorned with working shutters and balconies of sensually curved wrought iron railings.
The rosemary that was in my dinner at the lovely hotel we stayed at in Montecatini was grown in huge planter pots outside our favorite hotel. I ran my fingers through that rosemary and inhaled the sharp, musky green fragrance of my favorite herb.
As we wound our way through the small narrow streets of Italy we found many specialty shops. One store sold beautiful journals, stationery, wrapping paper and address books. A dark little narrow shop was filled with wines, oils and balsamic vinegar. Small, custom shops sold fine, soft leather goods. A dusty, disorganized, overstocked bookstore had beautiful postcards and a really dear clerk. We bought postcards and walked outside onto a piazza square to see incredible statues.
Colorful Murano glass items were displayed in beautifully lit shops where you barter with the owner to get a better price. A small grocery tucked on a Venezian side street sold everything from every shape of pasta you could imagine, to fine liquors and wines. Huge hunks of many different kinds of cheese and large sausages hanging from strings from the ceiling were the first things you saw when you walked in. Two Italian men were having a lively conversation, which sounded more like an argument, and stopped mid-sentence when my friend paid the proprietor for her purchases and told him we were from Alaska.
Shopkeepers that sold gelato presented their colorful and many flavors of Italian ice cream in the windows that lined the streets. My favorite was a meringue gelato that tasted like a cold, smooth, rich and creamy cone full of perfect meringue. The mango and coconut gelato came in a close second, and the chocolate gelato with dark sweet cherries laced with amaretto liqueur was hard to surpass.
It would be worth going back just to eat gelato. I think this was the best thing to ever pass my lips.
The bakeries were full of artful, perfectly shaped, sweet treats to tempt you if you stepped inside. Patrons were lined up at the counter experiencing a little taste of heaven in Italy, with a sweet pastry treat and cappuccino. The espresso machines were always busy everywhere I went.
Italy begins each meal with a pasta dish. Here are a few pasta dishes courtesy of some of my favorite Italian chefs.
Lasagna of Roasted Butternut Squash
Courtesy Michael Chiarello
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
For the squash:
2 large butternut squash, about 3 to 5 pounds
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon Fennel and Cinnamon Spice Blend, recipe follows
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups ricotta cheese (or a 15-ounce container)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 large eggs
1 pound dried lasagna sheets (about 24 sheets), each 61/2by 3 inches
Extra-virgin olive oil
For the sauce:
2 quarts whole milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sage, minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
To assemble the lasagna:
Butter, for dish
1 pound mozzarella, grated
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Using a vegetable peeler, remove the squash’s hard shell. Trim about 1/2-inch off the top
and bottom ends so you can set each section of the squash flat on a cutting board. Cut
the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop the seeds out with a spoon, and coarsely chop the
squash into 1/2-inch chunks. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a bowl, toss the
squash with the oil, sage, spice blend, and 1 teaspoon salt and fresh ground pepper.
Spread the squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast the squash in the oven
until very soft and beginning to brown, 40 to 50 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove
the squash from the oven and puree in a food processor with fresh nutmeg.
In a large bowl, mix the squash puree, ricotta, Parmesan, eggs, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2teaspoon pepper. Cover and refrigerate the mixture until ready to use.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the lasagna sheets until al dente. Drain
the sheets and spread them on a baking sheet. Drizzle them lightly with oil and set aside.
Prepare the sauce: In a large saucepan, bring the milk to a slow simmer over medium heat.
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the sage and garlic to the butter,
cook for 30 seconds, then add the flour and stir. Add about 3 cups of the milk, and whisk
vigorously to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil, while whisking continuously.
Add the remaining milk and whisk again. Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Adjust the heat to low to maintain a slow simmer, and cook until the sauce coats the back
of a spoon, about 5 minutes, whisking frequently. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Makes about 8 cups.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spoon a ladle of bechamel (the white sauce) into
the dish and spread to coat the bottom. Place a single layer of lasagna sheets on top
of the bechamel. Spread some of the squash mixture evenly over the lasagna sheets and
sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese and 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan
on top.
Repeat this step until all ingredients are used, starting with 2 to 3 ladles of bechamel
for each layer. Keep building the layers until the pan is full to about
G-inch from the top. Finish with cheese and sauce directly over the noodles. Bake in
the middle of the oven for about 1 hour. Remove the cover, and continue cooking for
another 15 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Allow lasagna to rest before slicing. Serve warm.
Fennel and Cinnamon Spice Blend
3 tablespoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Salt
Grind fennel with mortar and pestle. Add the cinnamon and salt and continue grinding. Or grind in spice grinder for a rough grind.
Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Courtesy of Barefoot Contessa Family Style Ina Garten
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
1/2 pound fusilli (spirals) pasta
Kosher salt
Olive oil
1 pound ripe tomatoes, medium-diced
I cup good black olives, such as kalamata, pitted and diced
1 pound fresh mozzarella, medium-diced
6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
For the dressing:
5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1 garlic clove, diced
1 teaspoon capers, drained
2 teaspoons kosher salt
I teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup packed basil leaves, julienned
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking together. Boil for 12 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, salt and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth. Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan and basil, and toss well.
Pizza di Spaghetti Recipe
Courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Yield: 4 servings
2 large eggs
G cup whole milk
1/2cup grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnishing
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups leftover spaghetti with olives and tomato sauce (See recipe on page 21)
G cup extra-virgin olive oil
In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Add leftover spaghetti and combine well.
In a large 10-inch, nonstick skillet, heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add spaghetti and egg mixture,spreading evenly and pressing down in pan. Cook until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Carefully invert onto plate, add a little more oil to the pan, and slide mixure back into skillet and cook the other side for 6 minutes. Turn out onto serving platter and cut into wedges and serve warm.
Spaghetti with Olives and Tomato Sauce
1 pound dried spaghetti
G cup olive oil
1G cups mixed olives, pitted and halved
1/2tablespoon red pepper flakes, plus more if desired
3 cups tomato sauce, recipe follows
1/2cup grated Parmesan
1/2cup basil leaves, shredded
In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil. When water comes to a boil, add pasta, stirring constantly for the first minute to help prevent spaghetti from sticking together. Cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes.
In a large saute pan, heat oil. When almost smoking, add olives and red pepper flakes. Saute for 3 minutes over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and carefully pour in tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
Drain pasta in a colander, reserving G cup pasta water. Add pasta to the sauce and toss to coat completely. Add pasta water if you need to thin out the sauce a bit. Plate pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and basil.
Simple Tomato Sauce
1/2cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional
In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
Add 1/2the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.
I hope you enjoyed a little armchair tour of Italy with me. Next time, I will share my Lake Como Cooking Class experience with you.
Until next time: Have fun in the kitchen! Ciao!
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