Continuing the special holiday wild theme (which has featured oysters, smoked bluefish, Scottish hare, and squid ink pasta for starters), on Saturday night we enjoyed smoked eel, seen here in a prominent role within a pasta dish which also included salted anchovies.  The recipe is an adaptation of the one found on this site, although I was unable to find spaghettini this time, and none of my usual sources had any fresh long red peppers.  Also, the last time I cooked this dish, because I had no chives, I had substituted chopped scissored scallion tops and chopped parsley;  I think I prefer the scallion/parsley version, unless it just that the chives were a bit too distant from their origins.

• garlic from S.&S.O. Farm, sliced and heated in a pan along with crushed dried pepperoncini, where they were followed by pieces of boned smoked eel from P.E.&D.D. Seafood and some savory pangrattato (here, homemade breadcrumbs toasted with olive oil in which S.&S.O. Farm garlic and anchovies from Buon Italia had been heated for a short while), the mix then tossed, some pasta water added, and served in bowls, where it was finished with scissored chives from Eataly
• the wine was an Italian white, le Salse Verdicchio di Matelica 2013

Wild.

• smoked bluefish fillet from Pura Vida in Cold Spring (north of New York City), skinned, chopped, and mixed with a little chopped shallot from Keith’s Farm, plus a tablespoon of lemon juice, four ounces of cream cheese from Murray’s Bagels (on 8th Avenue), and a generous amount of scissored fresh chives from Eataly, served with thin toasted slices of fourth-day Antica Classica from Eataly
• the wine was a Canadian white, Henry of Pelham Riesling 2013

 

Still wilder.  The treatment of the hare was a more rustic version of the recipe, “Pappardelle alla Lepre”, in the Rogers Gray Italian Country Cook Book.

• one small Scottish wild hare (the FDA does not allow us to buy any form of game bagged inside the US, but apparently trusts the Scots) purchased through Fossil Farms, briefly marinated with cognac, then braised with onion, carrot, celery, garlic, canned San Marzano tomatoes (drained), half a bottle of a good red wine, several cloves, and half of a cinnamon stick
• the egg noodles were Pappardelle Antica Madia, from Eataly
• golden-beet tops from Eataly, wilted with olive oil
• the wine was a great Italian red, Conti ‘il Rosso della Donne ‘Boca’ 2008

 

We’ve been enjoying this recipe for so many years that I’m no longer certain of its origins, although I suspect it started with, Mario Batalli, even if the details may have been altered.  The original specified fresh pasta, but I’ve never hesitated to use dried, especially if it is of the highest quality.

It may seem to be an unlikely combination of ingredients, but it’s definitely an inspired one.

• a thick piece of pancetta from Buon Italia, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes, sautéed in a large pan until browned, the fat rendered, the pancetta removed and replaced by a small amount of butter and some parsnips from Norwich Meadows Farm, peeled, halved and cut into half-moons, also sautéed, then seasoned, followed by parsley from Stokes Farm, chopped, the pancetta which had been removed earlier now returned to the mix, along with boiled and drained dried pasta of Cuttle Fish Spaccatelli from Spoglini (purchased at the New Amsterdam Market), everything finally tossed together with the addition of some of the pasta cooking water, placed in bowls, and finished with grated Parmesan cheese from Buon Italia
• the wine was an Austrian white (in a nod to sone of the more Germanic elements of the entreé), Huber Grüner Veltliner ‘Terrassen’ 2013 from Traisental

This is warm meal preparation reduced to almost a bare minimum.  The recipe comes from Mark Bitman’s list, Summer Express: 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less”,   but the catalog is not just for summer.

We’ve enjoyed this fragrant dish many times.  It’s delicious, the ingredients can always be kept on hand (and I do) for ’emergencies’, making a last-minute trip to the market unnecessary, and it really does take only ten minutes, unless you slow-heat it as I did this time, which I really recommend.

The only thing I added to Bittman’s formula was the parlsey, from Stokes Farm, chopped and sprinkled on top of the bowl.

• Mark’s instructions for his number 40:  “Put a large can of chickpeas and their liquid in a medium saucepan. Add some sherry, along with olive oil, plenty of minced garlic, smoked pimentón (I used dulce) and chopped Spanish chorizo. Heat through.”   Note: I used chorizo from Millbrook Farm, and it was wonderful.
• the wine was a Portuguese red, Casa de Santa Eufemia Perene Tinto Douro 2012

[only a little bit of] assembly is required

This entrée, as with others involving the assembly of similar well-made filled pastas (as, Agnolotti, pansotti, tortelli or tortelloni, to name a few) purchased commercially, is so easy to put together that it’s downright embarrassing, especially since it, and others like it, can be incredibly delicious – and also incredibly quick.   Because it takes so little time, it’s best to turn on the heat under the pasta water as soon as you’ve even thought of making this dinner, then pour a glass of wine and bring out the breadsticks, because it will only take five minutes or so to prepare the rest of the ingredients.

These meals are also almost impossibly pretty, something I think is important in presenting a meal.

Note:   Last night we had already sat down and begun eating before I realized I hadn’t shaved some good Parmesan cheese over the pasta after it had been placed in the bowls (it had been a while since I had served mushroom-filled pasta, and I may just have been out of practice).  I didn’t go back to the kitchen, but I promised myself I’d remember the next time; I believe Parmesan cheese tends to appear on Italian dishes more often than it really should, but this is one of those ‘should’ times.

• torn leaves of a head of radicchio from Eataly, warmed in a broad sauce pan with olive oil and a small chopped shallot (Keith’s Farm) it had softened, and joined by toasted pine nuts just as a package of Rana mushroom-filled ravioli from Eataly had finished boiling in a large pot of water for two minutes, been drained and moved into the pan, where everything was stirred together with some of the reserved pasta water,  the mixed pasta and sauce placed in shallow bowls and sprinkled with lovage from Two Guys from Woodbridge, chopped
• the wine was an Italian red, Tenuta Rapitlà Nero d’Avola Campo Reale 2013

 

This meal and the first evening of winter made a perfect pairing, although there wasn’t any snow, and the temperature never got anywhere near freezing (I think).  The recipe is from the first of the terrific Gray and Rogers cookbooks, “Rogers Gray Italian Country Cook Book“.

I just now noticed that the recipe appears all over the internet, in most cases without crediting Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray.  This site furnishes both the recipe and a proper attribution, but I heartily recommend buying all three of their books; I refer to each of them regularly, and find some of the simple recipes indispensable.

• lamb shank from 3-Corner Field Farm, braised with red onions from Norwich Meadows Farm, chopped garlic from Migliorelli Farm, chopped fresh rosemary from Phillips Farm, and a significant amount of both balsamic vinegar and a decent red wine
• coarse polenta, stirred with milk and water, finished with butter and Gorgonzola cheese from Eataly
• brussels sprouts taken home on a stem from Oak River Plantation, roasted in the oven with olive oil, salt, and pepper
• the wine was a superb California red,  Mazzocco Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 from Dry Creek Valley

I love flounder anyway, but I have no idea why Barry and I both found this fillet even more delicious than usual.  I’d even say it was the best I have ever had.  It was serious, with an intense flavor which included a hint of shellfish.   Flounder is normally a delicate fish, easily filleted and easily prepared, but I now have serious respect for the flavor alone.

The fillet I bought from the fisherman that afternoon weighed in at slightly over one pound.  That in itself was unusual for our table, but was it the reason it tasted so grown-up?  Or was it the fact that I sautéed it in both butter and, my usual choice, olive oil?  Maybe it was that tiny bit of Chianti white oak-aged vinegar.  Wait, I just did a web search, and found suggestions that Winter Flounder itself, a local species, is particularly desirable for its flavor.

I used a recipe I found on the LA Times site, and made only a few adjustments.

•  Long Island flounder fillet from P.E.&D.D. Seafood, divided into two parts, seasoned, cooked in a pan over high heat for a few minutes, turning once, then placed on plates, a couple of spoons of ‘tomato butter’ [see below] placed on top.
• tomato butter made by cooking in butter a tiny amount of shallot from Keith’s Farm, then letting the flavored butter cool slightly before being poured over fresh large cherry tomatoes, ‘Cocktail Tomatoes’ from Maine via Whole Foods, chopped, which had been combined  with torn basil, seasoned with salt, pepper, and drops of red wine vinegar
• cavalo nero (Racinato kale) from Keith’s Farm, braised with garlic, finished with salt, pepper, and a bit of olive oil
• the wine was a California white, Rock.Face Chenin Blanc Clarksburg 2012

if it’s art, is it a grid?

Sometimes you don’t miss tomato, even when it’s about pizza.  In fact, until I thought of writing this post, I don’t think it occurred to me that one of our favorite pizzas is never kissed by the red fruit of the nightshade.

Pizza is our usual go-to, emergency, fast food alternative whenever there’s absolutely no time to cook, meaning when there’s a performance, protest, or other event which lasts until late in the evening.  Rocco’s Pizza Joint, which is only a few blocks from us, has a ‘Broccoli Rabe & Sausage Pizza Pie’, and it is often our preference these days – when we can get it. It’s a rarity on our table because Rocco’s usually closes before we have a chance to order, but I think that means it’s appreciated even more when we are able to enjoy it.

It may be at least as rare on other tables as well, and not just because rapini, or broccoli di rapa, may not be to everyone’s taste: Our particular favorite pie doesn’t actually show up on the shop’s site.  It can be found on Seamless.com however.

One of the charms of ‘pizza night’ for us is the opportunity it gives, not only to pick out a wine appropriate to each of the pie’s variants, but for a low-key, unhurried appreciation of the wine and the pairing.  Also, pizza leftovers are always a good thing, and there are always leftovers, sometimes with the wine as well.

One more note.  I will never confuse Rocco’s product with my own white pizza outing some five years back, either for convenience or taste.  Mine wasn’t delivered, and since it took longer, it was no solution for a late supper.  I humbly confess however that if I can remember it correctly, I preferred my ramps and guanciale version, with a crust I had rolled out from dough bought at Whole Foods.  It was beginner’s luck, plus, really, ‘ramps and guanciale”?  How can you go wrong?

• Rocco’s Broccoli Rabe & Sausage [white] Pizza, seen here as a rectangular pie in its box, lying on top of the covered burners of our range; later there would be chile flakes
• the wine was an Italian red, Mirafiore Dolcetto d’Alba 2011

I thought I was going to be eating as a bachelor earlier this week, so I had expected to only have some leftover linguine with clam sauce from two nights earlier (sans the clams themselves, which had disappeared in the first round.  Then Barry IM-ed me that he would be home earlier than planned, and would join me for dinner.  Anticipating such a possibility, or the need for improvisation on some other night, I fortunately had fixings on hand for a decent first course.

• Colameco’s prosciutto from whole Foods, drizzled with good olive oil
• radicchio from Eataly, dressed with the same oil, a light drizzle of balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper
• slices of Rustica Classica from Eataly

• leftover linguine alle Vongole in Bianco (now bereft of the clams), gently oven-heated in a cazuela, then drizzled with olive oil and dusted with fresh chopped parsley (both after this picture was shot)
• the wine was an Italian (Südtirol) white, St. Michael Eppan Alto Adige Pinot Grigio 2013

I knew it had to be quick, because we were going to be at an Ensemble Pi concert that night;  my instructions were to pick up something at the Greenmarket that did not involve much time to prepare when we got back from NoHo, probably a bit after ten o’clock.   The next day’s schedule included an early rise for at least once of us;  that meant that the night before would be what Barry and I call a ‘school night’, meaning  getting to bed at a decent hour, or at least what we have come to call a decent hour.

I think I heard the words, ‘scallops’ and ‘tuna’ just as I stepped out of the apartment, but when I arrived below 17th Street around noon it was the tuna that attracted my attention first, although for no particular reason, as I love both dishes.

• tuna steak from Blue Moon Fish, rubbed with a mixture of fennel seed and dried peperoncini, ground together, seasoned with salt, and pepper, then pan-grilled for only a minute or so on each side, finished with a good squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil
• two kinds of kale, green and purple, from Tamarack Hollow Farm, braised with olive oil and a clove of garlic from S.S.&S.O. Farms which had been split and heated in the oil until starting to color, the vegetable then seasoned with salt and pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil
• the wine was a northern Italian (south Tirol) white, J. Hofstätter Pinot Grigio Südtirol-Alto Adige 2013