Melanzane alla Parmigiana un sogno vegetariano

An Italian friend tells me that eggplant parmigiana originates in Naples (where it's known as parmigiana di melanzane), and that it's impossible to find the genuine article outside that city. That may be true, but according to my aunts from Sicily that they used to make the best melanzane alla parmigiana ever, they swore that the Parmigiana originates in Sicily.The more important now is that It's not at all difficult to make an excellent parmigiana at home, and while the result might lack the authentic flavor of Italy, it should certainly please your family and dinner guests. The secret is as usually on the quality of ingredients.

Ingredients/ Ingredienti

• 2 large or 8 small eggplants /2 grandi o 8 piccole melanzane
• Salt/ Sale
• A little flour/ Un po di farina
• Olive oil for frying/ Olio per friggerle
• 3 cups (12 fl oz, 360 ml) tomato sauce; or (500 g) can of tomatoes
• 3 tazze di sugo di pomodoro o 500 grammi di salsa
• 7 oz (200 g) mozzarella cheese, cut into thin slices
• 7 once o 200 grammi di mozzarella tagliata a fettine
• 1 cup (4oz, 100 g) parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1 tazza 0 4 once, 100 grammi di parmigiano finemente grattato
• A few leaves of fresh basil (optional)
• Alcune foglie di basilico
• Salt and pepper for seasoning
• Sale e pepe

Method/ Metodo

Oven: Pre-heat to 375F, 190C./ orno a 375F, o 190C

Start by salting and pressing the eggplant. You need to do this several hours before you start the main part of the preparation. Cut the eggplant into ¼-inch (½ cm) slices, and arrange these on a large plate. Sprinkle with a generous amount of salt. Place another plate on top, and then place something heavy on top of that (I use three or four heavy books).

When you are ready to start cooking, wash the eggplant thoroughly and dry with a paper towel. Coat each slice with a little flour, and fry it for a few minutes in the heated olive oil.

Next, arrange half the slices of eggplant at the bottom of an oven-proof dish. Pour on half the tomato sauce along with the basil, then add a layer of half of each of the cheeses. Repeat the process with another layer of eggplant, tomato and cheese, ending with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Cook in the oven for about 45 minutes, removing the lid about ten minutes before serving.

Alcuni consigliano di mettere le melanzane sotto sale per qualche ora, poi di risciacquarle, ma ora con le nuove melanzane coltivate queste operazioni sono inutili. E’ importante scegliere bene le melanzane. Lavate e asciugate le melanzane, privatele del gambo. Sbucciatele e tagliatele in fette sottili nel verso della lunghezza e friggetele subito nell’olio inarinandole. Ungete di burro una teglia, e quando tutte le melanzane saranno fritte, incominciate col disporle uno strato nella teglia. Condite questo strato con sugo d’umido o anche con una buona salsa di pomodoro, parmigiano grattato, nel quale avrete mescolato qualche foglia di basilico fresco tagliuzzata, e qualche fettina di mozzarella. Continuate cosi a disporre le melanzane a strati. Finche ne avrete, e ultimatelo col sugo.

Mettere al forno per circa 45 minuti.

SAPER SCEGLIERE

When buying eggplant, look for vegetables that are uniformly smooth and colored, without bruises. Squeeze the eggplant gently with a finger and then let go: The eggplant will reform smoothly again if it is fresh. The eggplant should feel heavy. Store eggplant in the refrigerator on a middle shelf, not in the crisper drawer. Our receipt call for salting the slices of eggplant before cooking to leech it of bitter juices. Modern eggplant cultivation has removed its bitterness so it's not absolutely necessary to do this. On the other hand, I salt eggplant out of habit.

Pinzimonio

In the last Italian cooking class at Chicca we tasted three different kinds of extra-virgin olive oil. One from Tuscany, one from Umbria and one from Sicily. We used the Pinzimonio. The name Pinzimonio is a combination of the word pinze, or tweezer and matrimonio, or mariage, refering to how to pinch the vegetable two fingers and merry it to the seasoned oil. ( molto romantico )

We cut the carrots, celery, fannel and radish in the shape of matchsticks and we dip it in extra-vergin oil seassoned with salt and pepper. Everybody agreed that the best combination was with the Sicilian extra-virgin oil. After some reasech I found out that the extra-virgin oil from Sicily is used the most with salad dressing, fresh vegetables and filled vegetables.

Brave mi complimento con voi senza saperlo avete scelto l'olio giusto per il giusto condimento.

The quality of oil depends on the type of pressing and the quality of extra-virgin olive oil is the finest grade. It is the resolt of the first pressing. In Italy they use the cold pressing above 60 degrees (F) because the heat destroy the antioxidants. A good extra-virgin olive oil has to have acid below 4%. The color goes from bright green to gloden - green.

San Marzano

Fumata bianca, White smoke emerged for the cooking class. Every Tuesday at 7:00 PM in a little village called New York a NYU professor and his wife a speech therapist, an advertising agent a professional fashion photographer and such and such meet at Chicca restaurant to share the one thing they have in common. Their passions of food, Italian language , and cooking. If you like to be part of these group join our Tuesday night class.

Last week we discussed why we should use San Marzano tomatoes for make a special tomato sauce.

San Marzano come from a small town of the same name near Naples, and were first grown in volcanic soil in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. Compared to the Roma Tomatoes with which most people are familiar, Marzano tomatoes are thinner and pointier in shape. The flesh is much thicker with fewer seeds, and the taste is much stronger, more sweet and less acidic.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil / ¼ di tazza di olio
• 1 can of pomodori San Marzano / 1 scatola di pomodori San Marzano
• 1 onions, minced / 1 cippola tagliata
• 1 cloves garlic, minced/ 1 spicchio d’aglio schiacciato
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; add tomatoes, onions, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.

2. Mix ingredients well; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve.

Procedimento

1. mettere una padella a fuoco medio e aggiungere la cipolla e l’aglio. Fare rosolore il tutto e aggiungere la scatola di pomodori San Marzano. Lasciare cuocere a fuoco lento per circa 30 minuti.

tips:

Never cut the garlic in little pieces but smack it

l'aglio non si taglia ma si schiaccia

After you have saute it put it away and use the oil to saute the onions

Dopo averlo fritto si toglie e si usa l'olio per friggere la cipolla

METTERE LE MANI IN PASTA

METTERE LE MANI IN PASTA

In Italian “Mettere le mani in pasta “ is an expression that means to get involve in something, but in reality it means that you put your hands in the dough. Oh, how much my sisters and I loved spends Sunday mornings at my grandma’s house and gets dirty making the dough. We made our famous tagliatelle al ragu di carne with homemade pasta and then spent the rest of the morning preparing it all into a Sunday supper. My goal on Tuesday night at my Italian cooking class is to re-create the same ambience and learn how to make dough without recipe book. We don’t have to be intimated by rolling dough and stirring a ragu’. La chiave, e’ smplice, the key is simplicity: the impeccable ingredients: flour, water and, eggs. Then mettiamo le mani in pasta.

Ingredients

1 lb “O” flour, home made pasta is traditionally made with fine Type “O” pasta flour in Italy. This light white flour is high in protein and can also be used for pizza and bread making.

Pinch of salt, 1 cup of cold water 1 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil 1 egg

1 Libra di farina tipo “0”, un pizzico di sale, 1 tazza di acqua fredda , 1 cucchiaio di olio extra-vergine di oliva , 1 uovo.

Recipe

Sit the flour and salt onto a wood cutting board. Shape into a mound and make a well in the center. Carefully pour the egg, water and oil into the well. Stir with the fork to incorporate the flour, a little at a time, into the water and oil until you have dough. Knead the dough pressing down on it with your palms until it is very firm. Cut the rolled-out pasta pasta sfoglia into narrow strips.

Mettere la farina e in sale nel centro su una tavoletta di legno. Ammucchiatela per poi aggiungere l’uovo nel centro. Iniziare ad aggiungere l’acuqua fino a creare la pasta per poi massaggiarla con le palme delle mani fino a che diventa una palla manleabile. Stenderla sulla tavoletta di legno con il mattarello per poi tagliare la sfoglia di pasta a striscioline possibilmente uguali

Modi di dire

L’acqua quardata non bolle mai

Don’t look at the simmer water, it will never boil.

Atlas pasta machine by Marcato $75 www.surlatable.com

Do follow up a dream (Seguire un desiderio )

In Italy we have an expression: Segui il tuo sogno nel cassetto (follow your dream inside the drawer). It means follow your dream. Il mio sogno nel cassetto it was created as a space to share my passion for cooking, eating, and speaking the language of love.
My outrageous goal is to be able to pass on to you the kind of conversation that would come up over a dinner party in Italy and love the way it makes you feel.
Feeel comfort to say simple expression such "Un amaro per favore" or referring our next appointment as "Alla prossima ragazzi" .
Mirco can't wait to show you not only how to make fresh Tagliatelle all uovo but also how to color them red, green or black and of course much more....
I would like to start Italian cooking class with fun e divertimento as my intention. The time we will spend together, you will feel like you have ran off to Italy. See you all in my class.

Il bel far Niente (The beauty of doing nothing)

August is over and with it " Il bel far niente " The beauty of doing nothing goes away with it, at least for Italians. August is the month of vacation. During my bel far niente I got the time to go to see Eat Pray Love. Even though I enjoyed the book more than the movie I was still very happy to se my hometown, Rome. The great fountains, the beautiful people, and the amazing food. Elizabeth Gilbert wants to learn not the language but how the Italians speak, how they enjoy life and food.
" The first meal I ate in Rome was Spaghetti alla Carbonara.. after I tried the veal." She did not mention which veal but I am pretty sure that it was Saltimbocca alla Romana. She ended with Tiramisu for desset. It sounded so delicious and I am very proud that everything she ate while she was in Rome is in our menu. As an Italian I can easily relate to Elizabeth Gilbert in her food/cultural journey, and as a restaurateur I have been dreaming about creating a class where the combination of fabulous elements of Italian cuisine is connected with Italian language. www.chiccanyc.com is the website for the Italian cooking classes.
From the menu of Chicca I introduce to you the Spaghetti alla carbonara:

Ingredients Ingredienti
1 pound spaghetti 1 pound di Spaghetti
2 Tbs butter 2 cucchiai di burro
3 Tbs extra-vergin oil 3 cucchiai di olio extra vergine
4 ounces di pancetta 4 once di pancetta
1/3 cup dry white wine 1/3 bicchiere di vino bianco secco
2 eggs 2 uova
4 Tbs pecorino cheese, freshly grated 4 cucchiai di pecorino grattugiato fresco
1 Tbs of flat-leaf parsley 1 cucchiaio prezzemolo tagliato
1/4 cup onion finely diced 1/4 di cipolla tagliata a pezzettini
Salt Sale
Ground black pepper Pepe nero machinato

Direction Procedimento

Bring 4 quart to boil in a large pot. Portare ad ebolizione una pentola piena di
add the salt acqua e aggiungere un pugno di sale grosso.
Put the butter and olive oil in a
skillet over a medium heat Mettere in una padella olio e burro a fuoco
medio.
When the butter is melted add the Quando il burro si e' sciolto aggiungere la
and onion and pancetta. la pancietta e la cipolla.
Cook the onion and pancietta is Fate rosolare la pancetta e la cipolla.
browned.
Add the wine until it has reduced Aggiungere il vino fino che si reduce della
by half and remove from the heat. meta e poi spegnete il fuoco.
When the water is boiling add the Quando l'acqua e' in ebolizione buttere la
pasta and let them cook for about pasta e fatela cucinare per circa 7 minuti.
7 minutes.
In a mixing bowl beat the eggs with In un recipiente sbattere le uova con il
cheese parsley, a pinch of salt and pecorino, prezzemolo e pepe.
black pepper.
When the pasta is cooked return the Scolare la pasta al dente e versatela sulla
skillet with the pancetta and onion padella dove avete soffritto la pancetta e
to a high heat. Drain the pasta on la cipolla e accendere il fuoco.
it, and add the bowl with the eggs Versate il recipiente con le ouva e il peco-
and cheese mixture. rino nella padella e amalgamate il tutto
Toss well, until the pasta is coated da formare una salsa cremosa e filante.
with the egg and cheese.
Serve immediately. Servite la pasta al momento.

Carbonara prende il nome da Carbone per il colore nero del pepe.
Carbonare get the name from Carbone (coal )The color of Black pepper.