Yesterday I had the pleasure of demonstrating the following recipes at D.A.Niels on Berry St. I topped a sample of the squash with a sautéed pickerel cheek, the drunken figs were prepared with Pellee Island Semi-Sweet Merlot and I iced the biscotti with Nocella and icing sugar. Thanks to everyone who came out.
1. Pickerel cheeks with Chermoula (Morocco meets Manitoba)
1 head garlic, peeled (or 3-5 large cloves)
¼ tsp cayenne
1 heaping tbs cumin
½ bunch parsley
1 whole bunch cilantro
juice of one lemon
2 tbs vinegar
1 generous tbs olive oil
salt, to taste
1 lb pickerel cheeks
Blend all of the first ingredients in a food processor and place in glass bowl. Mix in the pickerel cheeks and let marinate for at least 30 minutes. Sauté a minute per side. Serve immediately.
This is a classic Moroccan flavouring for fish but also goes well with vegetables.
2. Sautéed Squash with Pear
1 small squash or pumpkin (size of a small cabbage)- NOT Spaghetti Squash
1 ripe pear
1 tbs. butter
drizzle olive oil
freshly grated nutmeg
1 oz Frangelico
salt and pepper
Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Save seeds on paper towel to dry for planting in Spring. I used a small version of the bumpy salmon coloured squash in the top photo.
Cut seeded squash into four pieces to make peeling easier. Peel and slice into wedges. Heat a sauté pan to medium heat. Melt butter with a drizzle of olive oil. Place squash slices in pan and slowly cook for ~20 minutes or until soft and beginning to brown on both sides. Add chopped pear, salt and pepper. Turn heat to medium high after pear has softened and add the Frangelico. Allow the liquid to cook down a bit.
Can be prepared in advance and warmed up. A nice side dish for a wide range of holiday feasting.
Enjoy!
3. Gingerbread Biscotti
2/3 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 tsp Frangelico (or try kirsch, or coffee liquors)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch sea salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 325ºF. Mix butter sugar and molasses until smooth. Add one egg at a time and mix. Add vanilla and liquor and mix until smooth. Combine dry ingredients and mix slowly into the wet ingredients until fully incorporated. Turn out dough onto floured surface and form into a large log. Divide dough into three pieces and flatten out each piece into rectangles onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Take out of oven and cut into biscotti pieces. Turn cookies and bake for 5-7 minutes at 300ºF. When cooled, drizzle melted chocolate or make a simple icing of icing sugar and liquor.
Enjoy!
4. Drunken Figs
1 package of dried figs
red wine such as Lambrusco works great as it is a sweet wine to begin with, but merlot, shiraz, zinfandel or pinot noir would work great too!
Place dried figs in a glass bowl, cover with wine. Place in fridge. DONE
Enjoy on their own, with ice cream, pound or angel food cake, etc.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Foody Series - Sizzle of Sicily with the Assiniboine Park Conservancy and the MLCC
Last night, back by popular demand, I had the pleasure of presenting these Sicilian recipes as part of the programming for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy in partnership with the MLCC. Education Coordinator for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy was Bonnie Tulloch with beverage pairings by MLCC Product Consultant, Jason Lavack.
The evening started with a reception beverage of Bolla - Proseco ($18.99) which, also paired nicely with the first course:
1. Insalata all'Eoliana
(Aeolian summer salad)
Paired with Poggio al Tufo - Vermentinio ($17.09)
Ingredients (serves 4)
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tropea or other red onion
a small handful of capers
8 slices of lightly toasted bread
1 clove of garlic (crushed or chopped very finely)
8 anchovy fillets chopped into largish pieces
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
While toasting the bread (thick slices), halve the cherry tomatoes, crush or finely chop the garlic and chop the anchovy fillets into large pieces. Cut the onion into thin rings and then place all the ingredients together in a bowl. Add some olive oil, season with salt and pepper and mix well.
When the bread is toasted put onto 4 plates, dribble with olive oil, add a few spoonfuls of salad on top and serve.
2. Caponatina di Melanzane(A very popular dish for antipasto.)
Paired with Cusumano - Nero d'Avola ($16.99) and Rocca Delle Macie - Vernaccia ($14.13)
(Sicilian eggplant relish)
This is one of Sicily’s most popular and versatile eggplant dishes. You can eat it with bread, as part of an antipasto, or as a side dish with hot or cold meats or fish. This is the original recipe from Palermo. A caponatina is a “small” caponata.
Ingredients (Serves 4-6)
600g meaty eggplants
Salt
6-8 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 celery hearts (inner heads only), cut into little chunks
5 - 7 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 cup pitted green olives
1/4 cup salted capers, rinsed
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 ripe but firm pears, cored, peeled and sliced
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1-2 tbs white sugar
50ml white wine vinegar
Ideally you want the pale violet type of eggplant, without too many seeds. Cut the eggplants into cubes the size of a walnut. Immerse in salted water for 1 hour, then drain, squeezing the water out. Pat the eggplants cubes dry.
Heat about 6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a sauté pan and fry the eggplant cubes until golden. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Adding more oil to the pan if necessary, fry the onion until soft, then fry all the other ingredients, apart from the sugar and vinegar. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
Add the eggplant to the mixture with the sugar and wine vinegar. Taste for salt and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Caponata can be eaten warm but it is also delicious cold.
3. Spaghetti con i piselli e mentuccia
(Spaghetti with peas and fresh mint)
Paired with Perone - an Italian beer ($2.14)
Ingredients (serves 4)
600g spaghetti, broken into 5cm-long pieces
400g fresh or frozen peas
2 cloves of garlic
1 small onion
1 glass of dry white wine
1 small chilli pepper
1 handful of fresh mint
2 tsps white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Procedure
Finely chop the onion, the garlic and the chilli pepper. Soften the onions in some olive oil and add the garlic and chilli. Add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Then add the peas and mix well.
In the meantime, heat some water for the pasta. When boiling, add salt and break the spaghetti into it. Add some of the pasta water to the peas, just enough to cover them. Season with salt and pepper and leave them to cook slowly, making sure there is always a couple of cm of liquid.
Chop the mint finely and place in a glass. Add the vinegar and the sugar and mix well and then stir into the peas.
When the spaghetti is cooked, add to the peas and mix well, making sure there is still plenty of liquid. Serve with a little grated Parmesan cheese.
Finished with a very light and simple dessert;
Stuffed Grilled Figs
Beautifully paired with Masi - Recioto ($49.83)
1 lb fresh figs
parmesan reggiano
balsamic reduction
To make the Balsamic Reduction:
Heat a saucepan over high heat. Add a cup of balsamic vinegar to the pan and reduce liquid by half. Take pan off of heat immediately.
To make the stuffed figs:
While the balsamic is reducing, heat your broiler on high. Cut the figs in half lengthwise, (but do not cut all the way through). Stuff with Parmesan cheese, cheddar is also good (you can also then wrap the figs with prosciutto), place under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes or until cheese is browned. Serve with balsamic reduction drizzled over top.
The evening started with a reception beverage of Bolla - Proseco ($18.99) which, also paired nicely with the first course:
1. Insalata all'Eoliana
(Aeolian summer salad)
Paired with Poggio al Tufo - Vermentinio ($17.09)
Ingredients (serves 4)
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tropea or other red onion
a small handful of capers
8 slices of lightly toasted bread
1 clove of garlic (crushed or chopped very finely)
8 anchovy fillets chopped into largish pieces
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
While toasting the bread (thick slices), halve the cherry tomatoes, crush or finely chop the garlic and chop the anchovy fillets into large pieces. Cut the onion into thin rings and then place all the ingredients together in a bowl. Add some olive oil, season with salt and pepper and mix well.
When the bread is toasted put onto 4 plates, dribble with olive oil, add a few spoonfuls of salad on top and serve.
2. Caponatina di Melanzane(A very popular dish for antipasto.)
Paired with Cusumano - Nero d'Avola ($16.99) and Rocca Delle Macie - Vernaccia ($14.13)
(Sicilian eggplant relish)
This is one of Sicily’s most popular and versatile eggplant dishes. You can eat it with bread, as part of an antipasto, or as a side dish with hot or cold meats or fish. This is the original recipe from Palermo. A caponatina is a “small” caponata.
Ingredients (Serves 4-6)
600g meaty eggplants
Salt
6-8 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 celery hearts (inner heads only), cut into little chunks
5 - 7 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 cup pitted green olives
1/4 cup salted capers, rinsed
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 ripe but firm pears, cored, peeled and sliced
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1-2 tbs white sugar
50ml white wine vinegar
Ideally you want the pale violet type of eggplant, without too many seeds. Cut the eggplants into cubes the size of a walnut. Immerse in salted water for 1 hour, then drain, squeezing the water out. Pat the eggplants cubes dry.
Heat about 6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a sauté pan and fry the eggplant cubes until golden. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Adding more oil to the pan if necessary, fry the onion until soft, then fry all the other ingredients, apart from the sugar and vinegar. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
Add the eggplant to the mixture with the sugar and wine vinegar. Taste for salt and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Caponata can be eaten warm but it is also delicious cold.
3. Spaghetti con i piselli e mentuccia
(Spaghetti with peas and fresh mint)
Paired with Perone - an Italian beer ($2.14)
Ingredients (serves 4)
600g spaghetti, broken into 5cm-long pieces
400g fresh or frozen peas
2 cloves of garlic
1 small onion
1 glass of dry white wine
1 small chilli pepper
1 handful of fresh mint
2 tsps white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Procedure
Finely chop the onion, the garlic and the chilli pepper. Soften the onions in some olive oil and add the garlic and chilli. Add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Then add the peas and mix well.
In the meantime, heat some water for the pasta. When boiling, add salt and break the spaghetti into it. Add some of the pasta water to the peas, just enough to cover them. Season with salt and pepper and leave them to cook slowly, making sure there is always a couple of cm of liquid.
Chop the mint finely and place in a glass. Add the vinegar and the sugar and mix well and then stir into the peas.
When the spaghetti is cooked, add to the peas and mix well, making sure there is still plenty of liquid. Serve with a little grated Parmesan cheese.
Finished with a very light and simple dessert;
Stuffed Grilled Figs
Beautifully paired with Masi - Recioto ($49.83)
1 lb fresh figs
parmesan reggiano
balsamic reduction
To make the Balsamic Reduction:
Heat a saucepan over high heat. Add a cup of balsamic vinegar to the pan and reduce liquid by half. Take pan off of heat immediately.
To make the stuffed figs:
While the balsamic is reducing, heat your broiler on high. Cut the figs in half lengthwise, (but do not cut all the way through). Stuff with Parmesan cheese, cheddar is also good (you can also then wrap the figs with prosciutto), place under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes or until cheese is browned. Serve with balsamic reduction drizzled over top.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
This Saturday on the Weekend Morning Show - Dracula's Eyes and Blood salad (Beets and eggs) and Manitoba Meets Morocco Pickerel
This morning I had the pleasure of presenting the following recipes on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with Kerän Sanders. They are both quick and easy to prepare to get out and enjoy Halloween activities.
Dracula – Eyes and blood Salad (Eggs and beets)
Ingredients
* 1 pound trimmed beets (without tops), unpeeled
* 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
* 1 dozen quails eggs, boiled (or regular eggs, hard boiled)
* 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
* 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup distilled vinegar
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2 red onions, thinly sliced
* Chopped fresh tarragon, for garnish and dollop sour cream
Directions
In a pot, combine the beets with the red wine vinegar and enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain the beets and let them cool. (The beets may be cooked 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.) Peel the beets and cut them into 1-inch wedges.
In a small saucepan, combine zest, orange juice, sugar, and vinegar and boil the mixture until it is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Let the mixture cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together the orange mixture, oil, and salt and pepper to form a smooth dressing. Add the beet slices, boiled eggs, and onion and mix until well combined. Let stand at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to 6 hours, to let the flavors come together. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the sour cream and tarragon.
Pickerel grilled with Chermoula (Morocco meets Manitoba)
1 head garlic, peeled
1 tsp cayenne (use less if you want a milder taste)
1 heaping tbs cumin
½ bunch parsley
1 whole bunch cilantro
juice of one lemon
2 tbs vinegar
1 generous tbs olive oil
salt, to taste
2-4 pickerel fillets (Fresh caught season until the end of October!)
Blend all of the first ingredients in a food processor. Spoon over fish fillets and broil for 4-6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet.
This is a classic Moroccan flavouring for fish but also goes well with vegetables.
Dracula – Eyes and blood Salad (Eggs and beets)
Ingredients
* 1 pound trimmed beets (without tops), unpeeled
* 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
* 1 dozen quails eggs, boiled (or regular eggs, hard boiled)
* 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
* 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup distilled vinegar
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2 red onions, thinly sliced
* Chopped fresh tarragon, for garnish and dollop sour cream
Directions
In a pot, combine the beets with the red wine vinegar and enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain the beets and let them cool. (The beets may be cooked 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.) Peel the beets and cut them into 1-inch wedges.
In a small saucepan, combine zest, orange juice, sugar, and vinegar and boil the mixture until it is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Let the mixture cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together the orange mixture, oil, and salt and pepper to form a smooth dressing. Add the beet slices, boiled eggs, and onion and mix until well combined. Let stand at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to 6 hours, to let the flavors come together. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the sour cream and tarragon.
Pickerel grilled with Chermoula (Morocco meets Manitoba)
1 head garlic, peeled
1 tsp cayenne (use less if you want a milder taste)
1 heaping tbs cumin
½ bunch parsley
1 whole bunch cilantro
juice of one lemon
2 tbs vinegar
1 generous tbs olive oil
salt, to taste
2-4 pickerel fillets (Fresh caught season until the end of October!)
Blend all of the first ingredients in a food processor. Spoon over fish fillets and broil for 4-6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet.
This is a classic Moroccan flavouring for fish but also goes well with vegetables.
Saturday, October 08, 2011
This Saturday on the Weekend Morning Show - Sautéed Squash with Pear and Stuffed Fresh Figs
(photo by Karen)
This morning on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Kerän Sanders, I had the pleasure of presenting the following two dishes as ideas for your Thanksgiving and holiday cooking.
1. Sautéed Squash with Pear
1 small squash or pumpkin (size of a small cabbage)- NOT Spaghetti Squash
1 ripe pear
1 tbs. butter
drizzle olive oil
freshly grated nutmeg
1 oz Frangelico
salt and pepper
Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Save seeds on paper towel to dry for planting in Spring. I used a small version of the bumpy salmon coloured squash in the top photo.
Cut seeded squash into four pieces to make peeling easier. Peel and slice into wedges. Heat a sauté pan to medium heat. Melt butter with a drizzle of olive oil. Place squash slices in pan and slowly cook for ~20 minutes or until soft and beginning to brown on both sides. Add chopped pear, salt and pepper. Turn heat to medium high after pear has softened and add the Frangelico. Allow the liquid to cook down a bit.
Can be prepared in advance and warmed up. A nice side dish for a wide range of holiday feasting.
Enjoy!
2. Stuffed Grilled Figs
1 lb fresh figs
parmesan reggiano
balsamic reduction
To make the Balsamic Reduction:
Heat a saucepan over high heat. Add a cup of balsamic vinegar to the pan and reduce liquid by half. Take pan off of heat immediately.
To make the stuffed figs:
While the balsamic is reducing, heat your broiler on high. Cut the figs in half lengthwise, (but do not cut all the way through). Stuff with Parmesan cheese, cheddar is also good (you can also then wrap the figs with prosciutto), place under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes or until cheese is browned. Serve with balsamic reduction drizzled over top.
Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
The Sizzle of Sicily with the Assiniboine Park Conservancy and the MLCC
Last night I had the distinct pleasure of presenting Sicilian fare at the Madison Square Liquor Commission as part of the Assiniboine Park Conservancy programming. The stories of the regional flora were presented by Assiniboine Park Conservancy Education Coordinator, Bonnie Tulloch and the excellent beverage pairings were presented by MLCC Product Consultant, Karen Simard.
1. Insalata all'Eoliana
(Aeolian summer salad)
Paired with Santa Margherita Valdobbiandene Prosecco #1146 $17.02
Ingredients (serves 4)
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tropea or other red onion
a small handful of capers
8 slices of lightly toasted bread
1 clove of garlic (crushed or chopped very finely)
8 anchovy fillets chopped into largish pieces
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
While toasting the bread (thick slices), halve the cherry tomatoes, crush or finely chop the garlic and chop the anchovy fillets into large pieces. Cut the onion into thin rings and then place all the ingredients together in a bowl. Add some olive oil, season with salt and pepper and mix well.
When the bread is toasted put onto 4 plates, dribble with olive oil, add a few spoonfuls of salad on top and serve.
2. Caponatina di Melanzane
Paired with Cusumano nero D'avola #143610 $16.99
(Sicilian eggplant relish)
This is one of Sicily’s most popular and versatile eggplant dishes. You can eat it with bread, as part of an antipasto, or as a side dish with hot or cold meats or fish. This is the original recipe from Palermo. A caponatina is a “small” caponata.
Ingredients (Serves 4-6)
600g meaty eggplants
Salt
6-8 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 celery hearts (inner heads only), cut into little chunks
500g ripe tomatoes, chopped
100g pitted green olives
60g salted capers, rinsed
100g slivered almonds
2 ripe but firm pears, cored, peeled and sliced
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
50g caster sugar
50ml white wine vinegar
Ideally you want the pale violet type of eggplant, without too many seeds. Cut the eggplants into cubes the size of a walnut. Immerse in salted water for 1 hour, then drain, squeezing the water out. Pat the eggplants cubes dry.
Heat about 6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a sauté pan and fry the eggplant cubes until golden. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Adding more oil to the pan if necessary, fry the onion until soft, then fry all the other ingredients, apart from the sugar and vinegar. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
Add the eggplant to the mixture with the sugar and wine vinegar. Taste for salt and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Caponata can be eaten warm but it is also delicious cold.
3. Spaghetti con i piselli e mentuccia
(Spaghetti with peas and fresh mint)
Paired with Mezzo Mondo Pino Grigio/Chardonnay #11051 $10.99
Ingredients (serves 4)
600g spaghetti, broken into 5cm-long pieces (optional on breaking pasta)
400g fresh or frozen peas
2 cloves of garlic
1 small onion
1 glass of dry white wine
1 small chili pepper (I used a finely chopped jalapeno chili but you can also use a dried red chili)
1 handful of fresh mint
2 tsps white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Finely chop the onion, the garlic and the chili pepper. Soften the onions in some olive oil and add the garlic and chili. Add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Then add the peas and mix well.
In the meantime, heat some water for the pasta. When boiling, add salt and break the spaghetti into it. Add some of the pasta water to the peas, just enough to cover them. Season with salt and pepper and leave them to cook slowly, making sure there is always a couple of cm of liquid.
Chop the mint finely and place in a glass. Add the vinegar and the sugar and mix well and then stir into the peas.
When the spaghetti is cooked, add to the peas and mix well, making sure there is still plenty of liquid. Serve with a little grated Parmesan cheese.
It's also very tasty served cold on a hot summer's day.
4. Stuffed Grilled Figs
Paired with Chilled Pellegrion Superiore Dolce Marsala #230367 $11.66 and Toschi Nocello Liqueur #10446 $24.54
1 lb fresh figs
parmesan reggiano
balsamic reduction
To make the Balsamic Reduction:
Heat a saucepan over high heat. Add a cup of balsamic vinegar to the pan and reduce liquid by half. Take pan off of heat immediately.
To make the stuffed figs:
While the balsamic is reducing, heat your broiler on high. Cut the figs in half lengthwise, (but do not cut all the way through). Stuff with Parmesan cheese, cheddar is also good (you can also then wrap the figs with prosciutto), place under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes or until cheese is browned. Serve with balsamic reduction drizzled over top.
1. Insalata all'Eoliana
(Aeolian summer salad)
Paired with Santa Margherita Valdobbiandene Prosecco #1146 $17.02
Ingredients (serves 4)
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tropea or other red onion
a small handful of capers
8 slices of lightly toasted bread
1 clove of garlic (crushed or chopped very finely)
8 anchovy fillets chopped into largish pieces
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
While toasting the bread (thick slices), halve the cherry tomatoes, crush or finely chop the garlic and chop the anchovy fillets into large pieces. Cut the onion into thin rings and then place all the ingredients together in a bowl. Add some olive oil, season with salt and pepper and mix well.
When the bread is toasted put onto 4 plates, dribble with olive oil, add a few spoonfuls of salad on top and serve.
2. Caponatina di Melanzane
Paired with Cusumano nero D'avola #143610 $16.99
(Sicilian eggplant relish)
This is one of Sicily’s most popular and versatile eggplant dishes. You can eat it with bread, as part of an antipasto, or as a side dish with hot or cold meats or fish. This is the original recipe from Palermo. A caponatina is a “small” caponata.
Ingredients (Serves 4-6)
600g meaty eggplants
Salt
6-8 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 celery hearts (inner heads only), cut into little chunks
500g ripe tomatoes, chopped
100g pitted green olives
60g salted capers, rinsed
100g slivered almonds
2 ripe but firm pears, cored, peeled and sliced
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
50g caster sugar
50ml white wine vinegar
Ideally you want the pale violet type of eggplant, without too many seeds. Cut the eggplants into cubes the size of a walnut. Immerse in salted water for 1 hour, then drain, squeezing the water out. Pat the eggplants cubes dry.
Heat about 6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a sauté pan and fry the eggplant cubes until golden. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Adding more oil to the pan if necessary, fry the onion until soft, then fry all the other ingredients, apart from the sugar and vinegar. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
Add the eggplant to the mixture with the sugar and wine vinegar. Taste for salt and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Caponata can be eaten warm but it is also delicious cold.
3. Spaghetti con i piselli e mentuccia
(Spaghetti with peas and fresh mint)
Paired with Mezzo Mondo Pino Grigio/Chardonnay #11051 $10.99
Ingredients (serves 4)
600g spaghetti, broken into 5cm-long pieces (optional on breaking pasta)
400g fresh or frozen peas
2 cloves of garlic
1 small onion
1 glass of dry white wine
1 small chili pepper (I used a finely chopped jalapeno chili but you can also use a dried red chili)
1 handful of fresh mint
2 tsps white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Finely chop the onion, the garlic and the chili pepper. Soften the onions in some olive oil and add the garlic and chili. Add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Then add the peas and mix well.
In the meantime, heat some water for the pasta. When boiling, add salt and break the spaghetti into it. Add some of the pasta water to the peas, just enough to cover them. Season with salt and pepper and leave them to cook slowly, making sure there is always a couple of cm of liquid.
Chop the mint finely and place in a glass. Add the vinegar and the sugar and mix well and then stir into the peas.
When the spaghetti is cooked, add to the peas and mix well, making sure there is still plenty of liquid. Serve with a little grated Parmesan cheese.
It's also very tasty served cold on a hot summer's day.
4. Stuffed Grilled Figs
Paired with Chilled Pellegrion Superiore Dolce Marsala #230367 $11.66 and Toschi Nocello Liqueur #10446 $24.54
1 lb fresh figs
parmesan reggiano
balsamic reduction
To make the Balsamic Reduction:
Heat a saucepan over high heat. Add a cup of balsamic vinegar to the pan and reduce liquid by half. Take pan off of heat immediately.
To make the stuffed figs:
While the balsamic is reducing, heat your broiler on high. Cut the figs in half lengthwise, (but do not cut all the way through). Stuff with Parmesan cheese, cheddar is also good (you can also then wrap the figs with prosciutto), place under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes or until cheese is browned. Serve with balsamic reduction drizzled over top.
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