mean greens: broccolini

broccolini, aka "baby broccoli", is yet another godless creation of the japanese; it has similar dimensions to broccoli rabe, and the crisp toothiness of asparagus. in all other respects it is very much like american broccoli, save for a slightly sweeter finish and a good deal more whimsy.

while steaming or blanching are both perfectly acceptable and healthy ways of preparing this mean green, roasting the broccolini in the oven will result in delicious, golden brown florets with a sweet, nutty aroma.

roasted brocholini

2 bunches fresh broccolini, trimmed
3 shallots, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly slice
1 TBS moroccan-style spice rub (OPTIONAL; recipe follows)*
olive oil, as needed
salt and pepper, to taste
freshly squeezed lemon, to taste

-- preheat oven to 425.

1. rinse the broccolini under cold, running water; pat dry. trim off the tough ends.

2. arrange broccolini on a half sheet tray lined with parchment or tin foil. scatter sliced shallots and garlic over greens, drizzle liberally with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and any additional spices. roast 15-20 minutes until the tops start to brown and the stems are knife-tender.

-- DON'T OVERCROWD; the broccolini will steam rather than roast, preventing caramelization and leave you with a soggy batch of greens.



-- transfer to a serving plate and top with the crispy garlic and caramelized shallots. a shot of fresh lemon juice and a drizzle of extra virgin and you are good to go.



cheap, fast and delicious -- the perfect side dish. i cooked up a batch last week to accompany some curried peas & lentils, baba ganoush and warm pita.


* moroccan-style spice rub

2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp cayenne
pinch of ground cloves

1. combine all ingredients and store in an air-tight container. toss ~1 TBS of spice mix with olive oil and your veggie of choice.

-tite

© 2009 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.blogspot.com/

waste-not, want-not: "noodle caboodle" (w/ lemon-garlic crunch)

noo-dle ca-boo-dle (noun) - the generic term for any make-shift pasta hobbled together by a non-italian;the coalescence of yesterday's pasta and last week's produce, an instant american-italian classic; comfort food borne from the frugalities and hardships of the failed american dream.

i don't throw away leftovers. ever. i can't afford to. i do my best to best utilize whatever i have on hand to the limit.

leftover pasta is a great vehicle for a plethora of make-shift "noodle caboodle" type dishes. this week i have 2 cups of cooked ditalini pasta leftover from a hearty batch of pasta e fagioli. i also have a can of tuna and a can of sweet peas that i stole from my mother's pantry.

let's see if i can make it happen.

"noodle caboodle"
yield ~1 qt

2 cups leftover ditalini pasta (any small pasta will do; elbows?)
1 (6oz) can of solid white albacore tuna, flaked
1/2 cup parsely, chopped
1/2 cup sweet peas (fresh or canned)
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
1 TBS parmesan, grated
1/2 cup olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

1. combine the leftover pasta, flaked tuna, peas, parsley, grated parmesan and chili flakes in a mixing bowl. toss to combine. add the olive oil and lemon juice. toss to combine. season with salt and pepper to taste.



-- top with 1 TBS of the lemon-garlic bread crumbs (recipe follows) and a dash of extra virgin olive oil; serve warm or at room temperature.


lemon-garlic bread crumbs
yield 1 cup

1 TBS butter
1 TBS olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fresh bread crumbs*
1 TBS lemon zest
2 TBS parsely, chopped
1 TBS parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

1. heat butter and olive oil over medium heat.



2. add garlic, saute over medium heat until fragrant and beginning to brown; 1-2 mins.



3. add fresh bread crumbs and toss to evenly distribute fat. saute over medium heat until crisp, shaking the pan often to keep the crumbs from burning; 4-8 minutes depending on personal preference.



4. add lemon zest, parsely and grated parmesan, toss to combine. remove from heat.

* making fresh bread crumbs is easy; cut the crust off of some white bread, place into a blender, food processor or coffee grinder and pulse.



- BONG!!!

© 2009 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.blogspot.com/

Slurpin' USA: Rai Rai Ken

destitute undergrads and desk-bound office drones agree; when it comes to cheap eats on-the-fly, CUP NOODLES reigns supreme. however, if you are longing for a ramen upgrade, perhaps it's time to give the genuine article a slurp.

Rai Rai Ken

214 E 10th Street

New York, NY 10003-7706

Phone: (212) 477-7030

rai rai ken specializes in one thing: RAMEN. the seating is cramped, the service is rushed and the waits are long, but the price is right and the ramen never disappoints. you are best advised to visit on an off day or at an off hour; flocks of hungry NYU students and japanese ex-pats overload the 14-seat venue.

-- no worries; the turn-around is quick, you won't find yourself in line long.

miso ramen --
soy bean based noodle soup topped with bean sprout, cabbage, onion, crispy garlic, chicken, and scallion

the robust, full-bodied broth is a thing of beauty; curiously bold yet refined. a mound of crisp-fried garlic chips bequeath their sharp sweetness to each bite, slicing through the thick broth like little golden razors. the stewed chicken and hearty cabbage warm the body and sooth the soul with their comforting sensibilities. i highly recomend this dish as a starter RAMEN for any first timers.

shio ramen --
house special seafood based noodle soup topped with bamboo shoot, boiled egg, roast pork, spinach, fish cake, dry seaweed, and scallion

light and refreshing if not a tad bit salty. the freshly wilted spinach pair well with the pickled bamboo shoots while the unctuous slices of slow-roasted pork shoulder and hard boiled egg are welcome countermeasures to the piquant brothiness of the dish as a whole. the generous portion of fresh, yet playfully chewy noodles guarantee slurps-a-plenty.

i asked for mine with xtra fish cakes :-)

kimchi --
chinese cabbage, radish, garlic, ginger, scallion, red pepper, salt, sugar, anchovy sauce

i can't say for sure if it's house made or not, but it certainly tastes unique. less tang than most; a bit on the sweet side. garnished with a heap of fresh scallion - it's not the best kimchi i've ever had, but i order it every time.

© 2009 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.blogspot.com/

BASIC training

any tri-state greaseball worth their salt prides themselves on being able to cook a great red sauce.

- "just like my grandmother's", they say.

i've sampled enough over the years to know that for the most part, they're right. an authentic red sauce is more than just the sum of its parts; you can taste beyond the garlic, onions, tomatoes and meats - you can taste the generations that have stood behind the recipe.

each individual has a unique red sauce that is the result of years of tradition and culinary superstition; it is the modern day family crest. many family recipes involve slow cooking various cuts of meat in a vat of well-seasoned tomato sauce until fork tender. a robust red sauced cooked in such a manner is referred to as a ragu, which in italian means "sauce." when you are eating sunday diner at 2pm with all of your zip relatives, odds are this is what you are having.

but what if you don't have 5 hours to kill making a "sunday sauce"? what if you only have 30 minutes? you need a sauce that comes together quick, tastes great and freezes well.

my friends, you need: BASIC.

Basic Tomato Sauce

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, minced
1 medium carrot, grated (optional)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup red or marsala wine (optional)
2 (28oz can) whole peeled tomatoes and their juices

salt and pepper, to taste

1. empty the canned tomatoes into the work bowl of a food processor or blender. PULSE until well incorporated; about 5-6 one-second pulses should do the trick. if you just turn the processor up to full speed the tomatoes will aerate and become pink; we want deep red tomato sauce - use the pulses!



2. saute onions and grated carrot over medium high heat until well caramelized; about 10-12 minutes.



3. add the garlic, sriracha hot sauce, or crushed red pepper flakes. cook until fragrant; 1-2 minutes.



4. add the wine. cook over high heat until almost dry.




5. add tomato puree, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. add sugar, season and simmer, uncovered, for 23-35 minutes. DONE. either use it right away or cool it in an ice bath and keep refrigerated for up to one week, FREEZE indefinitely.





- versatile and delicious, this is a great workhorse sauce; use it whenever a basic tomato sauce is needed:

add some tomato paste and toss with pasta
add some stew meat and work on that signature ragu of yours
add some chicken breasts and fresh mozzarella, bake up some CHICKEN PARMIGIANA.

i picked up on this recipe while working at Lupa Osteria Romana. we would make a large batch 2-3x/week and use it for everything. red onions and marsala wine add a nice tang to it.


© 2008 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.blogspot.com/

serendipity 3 - where diets go to die

my mother took me to serendipity once when i was a child. it was summertime, probably a weekend. we had just seen pauly shore's smash hit, "The Son-in-Law"; a movie so bad the only way to salvage the night was to overindulge at an ice cream shop of wonka-esqe proportions.

i can't remember what i had that night, and for the longest time i couldn't remember serendipity's exact name or location either. 15 years later, i'm zipping across 60th street on my bike, when i spy a rather thick crowd of out-of-towners and yuppies.

"go fuck yourselves!", i growl from my bike.

i always like to let tourists and the upwardly mobile know exactly where i stand. then i noticed the awning:

serendipity 3
225 East 60th Street
between 2nd and 3rd Avenues
New York, NY 10022

-serendipity! so, we meet again...

a few weeks later i came back to join the throngs of yuppies and tourists with some out-of-towners of my own, sandy's mother and sister. it was a rainy sunday in late november and we still had to wait 30 minutes for a table. apparently, only one person per party is allowed to wait indoors during peak hours - just thought i'd mention it...


the inside is just as i had remembered it; wall-to-wall schmaltz with enough tinsel to choke a reindeer. the foyer is an impulse buy extravaganza; mini jesus statues, hand bags, rubber stamps, and many more spencer's gifts type items. the bi-level dining room is chock full of tacky christmas lights and gaudy chandeliers - incredibly cozy or ostentatious, depending on your mood.


the menu is vast:

buffalo wings, soups, burgers, salads, seafood, pastas and dim sum, all grace the bill, however, most people come for the desserts. a $1,000 ice cream sundae?!? pretty tempting, but i rather be able to pay my rent. sandy and i decide to split an "outrageous banana split" instead.

5 scoops of ice cream:

chocolate
vanilla
mint
strawberry
peanut butter

3 types of syrup:

chocolate
butterscotch
caramel

2 frozen bananas, wet nuts, whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles and a cherry on top!



it was as good as it looks. the flavors were well balanced and the harmony between hot, cold, gooey and creamy was heavenly. a deluge of goodness overflowed beyond the confines of the goblet and pooled in the plate below - my favorite part.

all done!

© 2008 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.blogspot.com/

an eclectic thanksgiving

this was my first year taking on thanksgiving; the bird, the sides the whole shebang. needless to say, my mind was a bit scattered and i wasn't able to photo-document the event as attentively as i would have liked to. in fact, aside from the turkey salad i made from the leftovers, i failed to capture any evidence of the incredibly moist, perfectly roasted 12 pound turkey that graced our table – you’ll just have to take my word for it.

it was dinner for 6 but there was enough food for 12. italian antipasto and pastry desserts, the bird, all the conventional trimmings and various pies – yes, it certainly was an eclectic thanksgiving.

some shots of the eats i was able to capture:

prosciutto wrapped honeydew wedges


fresh mozzarella, beefsteak tomatoes, basil olive oil

robiola cheese, sharp provolone; orange blossom honey dip

tangled roasted red peppers, breadcrumbs, parsley, olive oil and fresh lemon

corn pudding: creamed corn, serrano peppers, onion and chipotle powder

roasted autumn vegetables: carrots, apples, brussel’s sprouts, sunchokes and rutabaga; cracked almonds, baby frissee and truffle oil

sweet potato casserole, decadent pecan crust

creamed spinach gratin: dijon mustard, parmesan and gruyere cheeses, bread crumbs and a dash of curry powder

classic stuffing; turkey bacon, apples, and chestnuts; maple syrup glaze

curried turkey salad; cashews, apple, red onion and shaved carrot



© 2008 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.blogspot.com/

roz-a-roni, the middle eastern treat?

the good people of lebanon have been enjoying "rice-a-roni" long before it was the san fransisco treat. lebanese rice pilaf is an incredibly versatile dish that lends itself to many different interpretations. the recipe that follows will get you familiar with the basics. -master that then try using different seasonings, cooking liquids, and rice/pasta combinations.

Lebanese Rice Pilaf (Rice-a-Roni)
yield 2.5 qts

35 ounces chicken stock
1 TBS goya adobo seasoning
1 tsp old bay seasoning
1 TBS canola oil
1 bay leaf

2 TBS butter (or vegetable oil)
2 cups long grain rice
1 cup uncooked vermicelli, broken into 1/2 inch pieces *
2 cloves garlic, minced

1. combine chicken stock, adobo, old bay, canola oil, and the bay leaf in a sauce pot and bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer and keep screaming HOT but do not cook it down!!!



2. melt butter in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. add dry rice and pasta, saute until lightly toasted; about 3-5 minutes. DO NOT BURN. add garlic and saute until fragrant; about 1 minute.



3. bring the stock back up to a boil and immediately add it to the rice/pasta. stir once, cover, and reduce to a bare simmer. cook UNDISTERBED for 20 minutes, kill the heat and let rest for 10 more minutes -- UNDISTURBED !!! **



4. uncover and fluff with a fork and serve with lamb, chicken, stews or veggies.


* orzo is a great substitution for the vermicelli; it's already bite-sized and everything. most types of long, thin pasta can be used successfully, i've had good results with both linguine and spaghetti.

** add 1 cup of thawed veggies to the pilaf as it rests; the residual steam will heat them through. peas and carrots are a good start.

© 2008 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.blogspot.com/