The Recipe

Source: La France Gastronomique by Anne Willan

2 lb boned pork loin
salt and pepper
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
8 fl oz/1 cup full-bodied white wine
1 lb tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 lb leeks
1 tbsp. chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cut the pork into six thick steaks, discarding any string, and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole with the garlic. Add the pork steaks and brown them thoroughly, allowing 4-5 minutes on each side. Add the wine and tomatoes, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, trim the leeks, leaving some green top. Split them, wash them very well and slice them.

Take the pork steaks from the casserole, add the leeks with salt and pepper and stir to mix. Cover the casserole and cook gently for 5 minutes. Put the pork on top of the leeks, cover and cook in the oven for 40-50 minutes until the pork is very tender. The ragout can be kept for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat it gently on top of the stove and serve it in the casserole, sprinkled with chopped parsley.

The Recipe

4 pounds beef short ribs (about 8 ribs)
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
Some dried Arbol and Guajillo chiles. The Arbol add heat and the Guajillo add a deep earthy flavor. The number of each you use depends on how spicy you like it. The chiles are the main flavoring for this soup though, so don’t go light.
A few tomatoes, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
3 or 4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cloves
Some corn on the cob, each one cut into 3 pieces
A few potatoes, cut into chunks
A handful or two of string beans, trimmed and cut into 2 or 3 pieces
One or two zucchini, cut into 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ strips. Or roughly cut into chunks.
One bunch of cilantro

For serving:
Tortillas, grilled or heated in oven
Lime wedges
Sliced Radishes
Chopped onion
Chopped cilantro, optional

Simmer the short ribs in water to cover with the onion, carrot, and celery.

While the ribs are cooking, make the salsa roja. Place the dried chiles in hot water for a few minutes, to reconstitute them a little. Remove from water and place in a blender with the tomatoes, the chopped 1/2 onion, the garlic, and the two cloves. Blend until smooth.

After the ribs have cooked for about two hours, add the salsa roja to the pot with the ribs.

Simmer for another 1/2 hour or so, then add the corn and the potatoes to the pot. When they’re about half cooked, add the string beans. Then after a little bit, add the zucchini and cilantro. It doesn’t matter so much when you add each vegetable, as long as none of them overcook.

Taste the stew, and adjust seasoning. If it’s not spicy enough, soak and puree more dried chiles, and stir it in. If the stew tastes bland, add salt. If it’s spicy enough but not balanced, add some lime juice; the citric acid will lift the flavors.

To serve, ladle the stew into bowls. Serve the tortillas on side plates with a couple lime wedges, some chopped onion, and radish slices, and maybe some chopped cilantro.

The best way to eat mole is to cut off some short rib meat with a spoon, wrap it in a tortilla with some onion and radish, and dip the whole in the soup to moisten it with the fiery flavor.

Enjoy!

The Recipes

The recipe for the fritters is from A Taste of Southern Italy by Marlena de Blasi:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
12 ounces beer
2 pounds baccala or stoccafisso – prepared
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
2 large egg whites
4 to 6 cups peanut oil
2 lemons

Place the flour in a medium bowl and stir in enough beer to form a batter the consistency of heavy cream. Cover the batter and set aside.

Place the prepared baccala in a large bowl and, with two forks, finely shred the fish. Stir in the cream, blending the elements until thick.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff but not dry peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the creamed baccala.

In a large, deep sauté pan or a deep fryer, heat the peanut oil over a medium flame. With your hands, form ovals of the baccala mixture, about 3 inches or 2 inches, then quickly dip them in the beer batter. Fry the fritters in the very hot oil. Cook the fritters until deeply golden before turning them, then cook the other side, and remove them with a slotted spoon to absorbent paper towels. Present the fritters as fast as you can, with wedges of lemon and cold white wine.

The sauce recipe is from Cucina del Sole: A Celebration of Southern Italian Cooking by Nancy Harmon Jenkins:

10 canned plum tomatoes, preferably imported San Marzano tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons golden raisins, plumped in hot water and drained
½ cup pitted black olives, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons capers, preferably salt-packed, rinsed, drained, and chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Drain the tomatoes, reserving about ¼ cup of their juice in case you need to add it to the sauce later. Chop the tomatoes coarsely and set aside.

Combine the olive oil and garlic in a saucepan over low heat. Cook the garlic until it is soft but not brown. Add the tomatoes, increasing the heat to moderate. Cook the tomatoes for about 15 minutes. Use the back of a fork to crush them as they cook down, adding a little of the reserved juice if necessary. The sauce, however, should be very thick.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium-low heat until they are golden, stirring constantly. Pine nuts burn quickly, so be attentive. Stir the toasted pine nuts into the sauce and add the drained raisins, olives, and capers. Add salt if necessary and pepper to taste. Serve the sauce warm or at room temperature.

The Recipe

Source: The Lutèce Cookbook by André Soltner

1/2 cup olive oil
3 medium onions, peeled and sliced
2 pounds tomatoes–the tomatoes must be ripe
1 bouquet garni
3 garlic cloves, peeled, green germs removed, and chopped fine
salt
pepper, fresh ground
2 pounds small eggplants, unpeeled
3 garlic cloves, peeled, green germs removed, and cut into thin slivers

In a skillet, heat half the oil. Gently saute the onions until they are soft. Do not brown.

Cut a conical plug from the stem end of each tomato and discard. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 10 seconds, drain them under cold water, and peel off the skins. Cut the tomatoes in half, squeeze out and discard the juices and seeds, and chop the pulp fine.

Add the tomatoes to the onions. Add the bouquet garni, the chopped garlic (but not the garlic that is cut in thin slivers), salt, and pepper. Bring the skillet to the boil, and cook gently for 15 minutes.

Slice the eggplant, from end to end, in 3/4-inch-thick slices. Stick the thin slivers of garlic into the surfaces of the slices of eggplant.

Preheat the oven to 300.

Oil an ovenproof gratin dish with some of the olive oil. Salt the gratin dish. Arrange the slices of eggplant in the dish and cover them with the tomato-and-onion mixture. Sprinkle the remaining olive oil over the top.

Put the gratin dish in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Serve hot.

The Recipe

Source: The Silver Spoon

5 eggplants, thickly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 pound 2 ounces ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprig, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 eggs
juice of 1 lemon, strained
salt and pepper

Place the eggplant slices in a colander, sprinkle with salt and let drain for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, ,melt the butter with the oil in a pan, add the onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Rinse the eggplants, pat dry and add to the pan, then add the tomatoes, parsley and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until the eggplants are tender. Remove the pan from the heat. Beat the eggs with the lemon juice and pour over the eggplant mixture. Stir rapidly so that the egg does not scramble but coats the mixture like a cream. Transfer the fricassée to a warm serving dish and serve immediately.

The Recipe

Source: Cucina del Sole: A Celebration of Southern Italian Cooking by Nancy Harmon Jenkins

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons, if necessary
1 ¼ to 1 ½ pounds refreshed salt cod or fresh fish
all-purpose flour for dredging fresh fish
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 tablespoon tomato concentrate, extract, or paste
3 sweet red peppers, roasted and peeled
½ small fresh hot green or red chili, roasted and peeled
2 tablespoons golden raisins, soaked in hot water to plump
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons pine nuts
½ cup minced flat-leaf parsley

In a medium skillet, heat ½ cup of the olive oil over medium heat until it has reached frying temperature (360 F).

While the oil is heating, cut the fish into 1-inch pieces. Pat refreshed salt cod dry with paper towels. If you’re using fresh fish, pat it dry, then dredge it lightly in flour, spread on a plate. (Do the drying and dredging right before you’re ready to fry; otherwise the coating will get gummy.)

When the oil is hot, add the fish pieces to the pan a few at a time and fry briskly until golden on all sides, transferring the finished pieces to a rack spread with paper towels to drain.

When all the fish pieces are done, lower the heat to low. Discard the oil, wipe the pan out, and add 2 tablespoons of fresh olive oil. Add the sliced onions and cook gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft. Add the tomatoes, raise the heat slightly, and cook vigorously. As the tomatoes yield their liquid, stir in the tablespoon of concentrate. Continue to cook the tomatoes until they have disintegrated into a chunky sauce.

While the tomatoes are cooking, slice the peeled peppers into long 1/2-inch-thick strips. Chop the chili coarsely. Drain the soaking raisins.

Lower the heat under the tomato sauce again, then taste and add salt and pepper, keeping in mind that the salt cod my be very salty. Stir in the peppers, raisins, and pine nuts. Finally, fold in the pieces of fried fish. Cook the fish in the sauce over low heat for about 10 minutes to meld the flavors together, then serve immediately, garnished with the minced parsley.

The Recipe

Source: Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck

12 to 15 baby zucchini, approximately 1 pound
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 branches basil leaves, removed from stems and cut into fine julienne
3 ripe medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, diced, and drained
salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 medium onion, minced (optional)

Cut the zucchini into 1/4-inch slices or 1/4-inch cubes.

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the zucchini, garlic, basil, and tomatoes. Over high heat, cook until the zucchini is tender.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or cold.

If using the onion, saute briefly in the hot olive oil before adding the remaining ingredients.

The Recipe

Source: From Biba’s Italian Kitchen by Biba Caggiano

For the spinach tagliatelle:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 extra-large eggs
2 tablespoons cooked, finely chopped fresh or frozen spinach, squeezed of all moisture

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
1/3 cup minced carrot
1/3 cup minced celery
1/4 pound prosciutto, cut into a 1/8-inch slice and then cut into thin strips
3 cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, with their juices, put through a food mill to remove the seeds
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Prepare the spinach dough as instructed on pages 48-49, using the flour and the eggs in this recipe.

Roll out the dough and cut it into tagliatelle as instructed on page 50.

Prepare the sauce: Heat the butter and oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring, until vegetables are lightly golden and soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the prosciutto and cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring a few times. Add the tomatoes and the cream and season with salt and just a touch of pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, until sauce has a medium-thick consistency, 10 to 15 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the tagliatelle. Cook, uncovered, over high heat until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite.

Drain the pasta and place it in a large, heated, serving bowl. Add the sauce and about 1/4 cup of the Parmigiano, and mix well. Serve at once with additional Parmigiano.

The Recipe

Source: A Ligurian Kitchen: Recipes And Tales from the Italian Riviera by Laura Giannatempo

For the pesto (my recipe):

Bunch of basil
tbsp of pine nuts
tbsp of walnuts (optional)
freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and/or Pecorino cheese
Good extra-virgin olive oil

For the minestrone:

10 cups (2 ½ quarts) cold water
2 teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning
1 small carrot, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 small Italian eggplant, cut 1/2-inch dice
½ large onion, chopped
1 small Savoy cabbage, cut in 1/4-inch strips
1 Yukon gold potato, cut in 1/2-inch dice
4 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1 small Parmigiano-Reggiano rind
2 zucchini, cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 medium leek, cut in 1/2-inch dice
3 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 cup dried cannellini or borlotti beans, presoaked (or use canned beans)
1 cup coarsely chopped spinach leaves
3 tablespoons fruity extra-virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

Make the pesto:

See my quick recipe here

Make the minestrone:

Bring the water to a boil in large pot, add 2 teaspoons of salt, and reduce to a slow simmer.

Add the carrot and eggplant, and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add the onion, cabbage, potato, green beans, and the Parmigiano rind and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Add the zucchini, leeks, tomatoes, beans (only if the beans were dried and presoaked; hold them if they were canned), and a pinch of salt and continue simmering, uncovered, for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Add the spinach and beans (if canned) and simmer for another 5 minutes. At this point the vegetables should be very soft and the liquid should have reduced a bit.

Remove the rind, stir in the olive oil, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and let the minestrone cool off the heat. Serve the minestrone warm, at room temperature, or cold, topped with a generous dollop of pesto. (Use any leftover pesto to make pasta or for another batch of minestrone).

The recipe

Source: Cucina del Sole: A Celebration of Southern Italian Cooking by Nancy Harmon Jenkins

1 ½ pounds broccoli rabe (rapini), or 1 pound cauliflower or broccoli
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little more oil if using cheese
1 dried red chili, crumbled
sea salt
15 to 20 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
15 to 20 black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup grated hard aged cheese: pecorino, caciocavallo, or parmigiano reggiano (optional)

Rinse and trim the broccoli rabe and discard any yellow or wilted leaves. Cut into 2-inch lengths. If you’re using broccoli or cauliflower, rinse and cut into florets.

Combine the onion with the olive oil in a pan that will not suffer when put under the broiler. Set over medium-low heat. As the onions start to sizzle, add the chili and salt to taste. Stir in the vegetable pieces, halved tomatoes, and black olives. Add about ¼ cup boiling water, then cover the pan, lower the heat, and cook for about 10 minutes. Check the vegetables for tenderness, piercing the thick parts with the point of a knife. If they need to cook a little longer, you may wish to add a little more boiling water to keep the vegetables from scorching.

Meanwhile, if you’re using the cheese topping, turn the broiler on to high. When the vegetables are done, sprinkle the cheese over the top, dribble on a little more olive oil, and run under the broiler just long enough to melt the cheese. Remove and serve immediately.