Goddess Marcella Hazan

 

I met Marcella Hazan through a book club, remember those? Four books for a $1? Then more formally at an estate sale.   Apparently the recently deceased had never opened the pages of Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.  I paid a quarter, and went off, pleased with myself.

Gentle reader, her recipes are timeless, explicit, and surprising.  Last night in her honor I made her mixed salad.

To start, I sliced half a red onion, and let it soak in cold water.  She does require lettuce that I don't know where to buy: lamb's ears, chicory or escarole.  I settled for what was on hand: arugula and romaine.  Per her directions, I diced half a red pepper, substituted a diced celery rib for celery heart, grated a hearty peeled carrot, and diced a tomato.  She also asks for half a fennel bulb and an artichoke heart, but I wasn't up to a shopping trip.  I made do. I added half an avocado that was wandering about. I drained the red onion.

In a salad bowl I mixed it all the vegetables together, then salted them well.  I shook some red wine vinegar over it, then added a glug or so of olive oil. I mixed again.

So fresh, so delightful, or, as she says: "There is just enough, so that what is missing from one mouthful of salad is suddenly and delightfully present in the next."

Been Fishin'

 
Yah, I've been neglectful.  What happened? It was hot, and I didn't feel up to cooking.  I was out of town and didn't have to cook, the academic year began, etc. etc. etc.

But here I am. I picked the fish up at Trader Joe's, it'a  very mild white fish, boneless, skinless, ready to go for those of you who prefer minimal fuss and a little extra packaging.  The cashier asked me how I made these and after I explained, a switch was pulled.  My next post, it said, in flashing neon lights.

Quick and Easy:
Defrost one pound according to packaging.
Saute a sliced white onion in a tablespoon of oil.  When soft, to your desired golden brownness, add a minced garlic, and one or two diced tomatoes, a tablespoon of capers.  Stir.  Cover and simmer gently, until the tomatoes break down.  Lay the filets on top, cover, and steam for 8 minutes until cooked through.

Serve on top of steamed rice, or rice pilaf.

Quicker and Easier:
Sprinkle defrosted filets with salt, pepper, tarragon (and/or basil and thyme, if you like)
Dredge in flour.  (Don't worry if it gets lumpy or pasty, butter is our salvation).  Lay filets on a clean plate. Melt on medium high a tablespoon of butter on a skillet large enough to hold all of the fish. When the  butter bubbles down, add fish.  After four minutes,  turn the filets.  Add more butter if it's all been absorbed.  Lower heat and cook for another four minutes--or until cooked through.

Serve with sauteed spinach and risotto, or potato salad. Yum, yum.

Cleaning out My Wallet

Cleaning out my wallet I came across two Metro Cards.  Flipping them over I found that they're good till July/2014.  And beneath that I read:





Voyager

I have become an orchid
washed in on the salt white beach.
Memory,
what can I make of it now
that might please you--
this life, already wasted
and still strewn with
 miracles?

                                         --Mary Ruefle

Do You Eat Tomatoes for Breakfast?

In a recent conversation with writing buddies and their wonderful crop of home-grown tomatoes, someone thought eating tomatoes in the morning was a bit challenging.  I must confess to finding cereal a crime against humanity. 

I do enjoy tomatoes in the morning, whether cooked down, with onions and chiles in Mexican eggs, or sizzled in bacon fat the English way.  

Actually, I can eat home-grown tomatoes any time of the day or night, sliced and salted.  And I did.  So lucky to have talented gardeners as buddies.

The BEST darn kebobs

Marcella Hazan is a goddess.  I run to her to Classic Italian to make minestrone, ragu, tomato sauces. She does everything!  One of my favorite recipes is her take on skewered swordfish.

Cube 2lbs of swordfish (1 by 2" chunks, approximately)
Cut approximately the same number of rectangles of red, yellow, or orange bell peppers.


Place the above in a container or baggy, with a tablespoon of bread crumbs.  Add juice of half a lemon, 1/3 cup olive oil, salt, and mix.  Marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes on the counter, longer in the fridge.

To skewer:

You will need a similar amount of finely sliced, half moon lemons. If you can, use meyer lemons.
And half inch chunks of tomato.

The pattern should be:
Fish, lemon, tomato, pepper, fish, lemon, etc.

Grill four minutes a side, eight in total.  The fish should be moist, not dry and tough.

Serve with an easy pilaf!  More grilled vegetables! Rose wine!

Current Summer Addictions

Sliced peaches, bananas, a sprinkling of blueberries on zero percent Greek yogurt, with a healthy shower of brown sugar.

Pancakes, with diced bananas and blue berries scattered into the batter before flipping.  A drizzle of maple syrup and a dollop of Greek yogurt on the side (for protein, cuts back the hunger pangs caused by all those deliciously empty carbs).

Twitter.

Follow up to the Bresson Quote

The visible is risible.

Answered Prayers

Some of you already know that I asked for a goddess, and what a goddess I got! But as a follow up, I wanted to share with you that this goddess delivered!  Because, soon afterward I had the house to myself.  Completely.  Husband out of town on extended business trip, kids out of the house to babysit a new dog.   How do you spell heaven? Me?
e m p t y  h o u s e.

To celebrate, I made myself a dish that no one appreciates with the same amount of enthusiasm: Marcella Hazan's zucchini risotto. A perfect way of using those bushels of zucchini I know you dedicated gardeners out there are growing.

Peel 1 1/2 pounds zucchini, slice into 1/2 inch discs.
In skillet, heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil.  Add half a cup coarsely chopped onions.  Cover and let sweat a bit, as long as you can bear, ten minutes or so, stirring occasionally.  This is to bring out their inherent sweetness.  Raise the heat, and scatter your zucchini, stir to coat with oil and distribute into one layer.  Add a clove or two peeled garlic, to saute with the zucchini (remove if they get too brown). The goal with the zucchini is to saute til nicely browned on both sides, 20 minutes or so.  I have actually rarely achieved this, so do you best.  Sprinkle salt after 10 minutes.

In saute pan, heat another 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, and a 2 tablespoons butter.  Add the zucchini, onions and garlic, (drained of fat, best as possible, from skillet); add 1 1/3 cup arborio rice, stir to coat.
Now comes the fun part.  Using heated chicken broth, add half a cup at a time, until the rice has absorbed it. Keep adding broth, keep cooking rice, until the rice is ALMOST as your desired consistency (it will cook a wee bit more under its own heat).  Add another tablespoon butter, and 3 tablespoons high quality parmesan cheese.

Pour pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc.  Serve yourself a heaping bowlful.
That's what I did, and I raised my glass to Pele.