Articles by Simple Italian Cooking Blog

An Italian who loves to cook and learn about simple ways to prepare Italian dishes. Owns and manages www.simpleitaliancooking.com.

Product of the Month: Microplane Grater

September 7, 2010 in Italian Kitchenware, Product Reviews by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

This product was pointed out to me by one of our readers as their favorite tool in the kitchen. I actually do not own one – and now wish I did and probably will very soon. I’ll explain why.

A microplane is a type of grater. They are made of stainless steel and have “micro” fine holes for grating a variety of foods from Italian cheeses to lemon peels and whole nutmeg.

Some microplanes are designed for coarser grating, so not all of them are the same.

When you use it for cheese, the cheese will be extremely fine and delicate, meaning it will also melt quickly. If serving a pasta meal, I would suggest letting everyone grate their own cheese, or have a bowl filled with the cheese so everyone can spoon out the amount they want.

In Cleveland, OH, there is a store called Gallucci’s. My husband’s family goes their each week to get fresh Italian goodies.

Last year we went and now I’m a complete fan of their grated Romano cheese. Why? Because it is grated so fine, and I haven’t been able to find anything like it around where I live.

The best part of these graters – they are quite affordable ranging from $3.00 to $35.00. Here is a Microplane which is one of the favorites over at Amazon. In fact, at the time of this post, it was considered the best selling and had over 300 reviews!

Microplaners can make excellent gifts because they can be used for a variety of cuisines – not just Italian. That means anyone who cooks can use one.

So whether sprinkling cheese over your clams and linguine, salad, or other pasta recipes, or perhaps grating some lemon zest for a nice dressing – I’m sure you will find many uses for it in your kitchen!

Sincerely,

Liz

www.simpleitaliancooking.com
Easy Italian Recipes

New Easy Recipe:Pasta with Ricotta

September 2, 2010 in Recipes, pasta by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

Here is an easy recipe I came up with today. I needed something quick (I was very hungry), and fast (I had lots of work to do).

This took less than 15 minutes from start to finish.

1. Start by filling your pot up with water and bring to a boil and start cooking your pasta. Use short tubular pasta if you can, or a fettuccine.

2. Meanwhile, in a frying pan, heat 2 1/2 Tablespoons of olive oil along with 2 or 3 Tablespoons of butter. Note: I did not measure, but these are all approximate.

3. Once melted add in about 1 cup of ricotta cheese and 1/4 cup of grated romano cheese and mix well.

4. Heat over low/medium heat until it is well blended.

5. When the pasta is done, spoon out the pasta and put into the frying pan.

Why spoon the pasta out without draining? Because you want a little extra pasta water to transfer over into the frying pan. This keeps the pasta from drying out. You might want to keep the extra pasta water set aside incase you need to add more in.

6. Now mix it all together and serve. The sauce will not be like an Alfredo, because it has more of a cheese texture.

A few modifications can be made: If I had some zucchini I would have cooked some up and added those in as well. That is similar to a recipe from Mario Batali I once read in a newspaper – but not exactly the same.

Pasta with Ricotta

Anyhow, you can use any vegetable. I was tempted to try some cherry tomatoes, but didn’t have any. So I sprinkled on some dried basil (yes I have no more fresh basil in my garden). I can’t say the basil added all that much – perhaps parsley would have been good too. Options are many obviously.

This recipe is so easy, I hope you try it. It was a perfect way to use up my extra ricotta from my unsuccessful calzones from the other day!

I’ve included a picture of the image of my wonderful lunch for the day – all under 15 minutes! The only thing I didn’t make was a nice salad on the side.

Visit my recipe page for more easy Italian recipes.

Liz

www.simpleitaliancooking.com

What is Italian Sausage?

September 2, 2010 in Food, Meats by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | 2 comments

Italian sausage is different than regular sausage because it uses Italian seasonings. There is no one set way to make Italian sausage, and no one ingredient list which you much must use. If you make your own sausage at home you can add whatever ingredients that you like in order give it an Italian flair.

Any time you make sausage you will need to have sausage casing, ground meat, a mechanism to stuff the sausage, string, and seasonings such as fennel, salt and pepper, red pepper etc.

Some people stuff the casings by hand or by using stuffing tube. It usually takes more than one person to do this task. It is not easy work and will take awhile. I will not get into

Italian Sausage

specifics at this time, for a few reasons. One is that there is so much to say – it would be too much for a simple post. I like talking to people who actually stuff their own sausage because they will tell you like it is. And it isn’t always as easy as the cookbooks make it sound.

If you are using an electric meat grinder to mix all your ingredients it will generally come – or should come with a sausage attachment. In fact, this is one common reason why people like to own their own meat grinder – to make sausage!

If you own a Kitchen Aid stand mixer you can actually purchase special sausage stuffer attachment kits made specifically for the Kitchen Aid. Some users have found the sausage attachment to be good for novices who are new to the sausage making world, while others have found the attachments to be messy, time consuming, and not of durable quality.

Let’s talk a bit about the casings. It is commonly assumed the casings are made of pork. However, lamb can often be used and I believe there are some synthetic casings as well that you can purchase. Since I tend to avoid pork products, and lamb is acceptable for me.

There are many cookbooks available which give various recipes and how to techniques for making your own sausage. If you are an enthusiast, I would take a look at Amazon and see what they offer.

Major Advantage for Making Homemade Sausage

One of the advantages to making your own sausage is you have total control over the quality of the ingredients which you put in. Where I live, it is hard to find a lot of organic meat products. Much less organic sausage that does not use pork. So being able to purchase your own organic meat, grind it in your own meat grinder, purchase your own casings, and season it with your own seasonings without any artificial additives-this is what I’d call real sausage. This is how it was done in the past and this is how it should be done today.

When making your own sausage make sure to give my sausage and peppers recipe a try. It’s easy and tastes great!

If you have your own sausage making techniques or advice, feel free to post them here – I’d love to hear.

Sincerely,

Liz
www.simpleItaliancooking.com
Easy Italian Recipes

Homemade Calzones – What Went Wrong?

August 30, 2010 in cooking, tips by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

A calzone is basically a pizza folded in half stuffed with cheeses and other goodies. The ingredients used for fillings can be just as varied as the toppings for a pizza.

I’ve been reading about calzones because I’ve lately been into making my own pizza dough.

My husband loves calzones and I would love to be able to make them for him. I tried it this past weekend and my results looked very promising.

The dough looked good and the filling looked good. I did a ricotta and spinach filling.

We baked the calzones and were excited to bite into them.

The problem – they had no flavor. My ricotta spinach pizza recipe has more flavor than this.

I’m asking for help here from those who may know a thing or two about calzones. What did I do wrong?

My Own Conclusions:

1. Dough – Regular basic pizza dough should not be used – no matter who says it can. The dough has to be a really good dough – I don’t have such a recipe yet. I don’t think it matters how the dough is made. I used a bread machine, but a food processor like the Cuisinart food and dough mixer would work just as well – or simply make it by hand.

2. Fillings – It’s not the same as pizzas. Use a mix of cheeses including mozzarella. The ricotta and spinach just didn’t carry much weight. Perhaps I needed more garlic, salt – tomatoes?

3. Baking – Should I have used an egg wash? I had spread one calzone with olive oil on top, and the other I baked without olive oil on top. The difference to me – none.

Is a calzone really as simple as making a homemade pizza and folding it over some fillings? Based on my experience – No it isn’t.

Liz

SimpleItalianCooking.com

This week’s recipe – Ciabatta Bread Pizza Recipe

August 20, 2010 in Pizza by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

This week I featured an easy pizza recipe which actually does not use pizza dough. Instead it uses ciabatta bread (ciabatta bread pizza recipe)!

Of course you can do a variety of toppings, but this one is simple and uses basic ingredients most of us have on hand anyway.

This recipe was given to us from my sister in law. When he told her I was doing this month on pizzas she gave us this recipe. I hope you try it!

Since I provide the full detailed recipe on my website, I won’t repeat myself in detail. Here is the basic idea:

Brush the ciabatta bread (sliced lengthwise) with some olive oil. Add some garlic or garlic salt. (I rubbed the bread with the garlic).

Drain and rinse a can of diced tomatoes. Make sure to drain well.

Add some dried oregano, grated Romano on top, along with a dash of black pepper. (I skipped the black pepper).

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes or longer until done.

A few things I learned from making this:

1. The ciabatta bread stays soft on the inside. I thought baking it would make it hard from outside in. Not the case. It was crisp on the outside and perfectly soft inside.

2. You can prebake the bread a bit, if concerned it will be too soft or soggy. I did not find this a problem as long as the tomatoes were drained enough. But you can prebake them for about 10 minutes if you desire.

3. Giving specific measurements simply cannot be done for this type of recipe. You have to judge based on the size of your bread loaf. No measurements were given to me and it turned out just fine.

Ciabatta Pizza

4. Some stores sell ciabatta bread in small square single sandwich type sizes. You can use those too, but they will not require as long to bake due to they are thinner.

5. A good extra virgin olive oil is key. Remember, much of Italian cooking is based on quality ingredients. The second time I made this I had run out of extra virgin olive oil, so I had to resort to the bland pure olive oil. Yes, there was a big difference! Use extra virgin if at all possible.

6. What I liked about this recipe is that it didn’t use a regular pizza sauce. You got the pizza flavor thanks to the oregano. The tomatoes did not taste like yucky canned diced tomatoes at all.

I hope you try the recipe, it was so good and easy to make!

Liz

http://www.simpleitaliancooking.com/recipes/ciabatta-bread-pizza-recipe.htm

Tips for Handling Raw Ground Beef

August 13, 2010 in Food, Meats by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

The importance of handling meat, in this case ground beef, cannot be stressed enough. Without proper handling a person can expose themselves to all sorts of bacteria – some fatal.

How Long to Keep Raw Ground Beef?

Use or freeze raw beef within 2 days from when you purchase the meat. Bacteria such as salmonella and E-Coli will grow and spread in the beef – especially when it is not stored in the proper temperatures.

Bacteria cannot grow when meats are frozen.

These bacteria will cause illness in a human, sometimes death. It cannot be seen on the meat, so just checking it for oddities or giving a smell test will NOT help you determine if there is this type of bacteria.

According to the FSIS website, bacteria quickly grows between 40 and 140 degrees F. Therefore, make sure to store your ground beef at temperatures less than 40 degrees f.

Unless it is frozen, do not leave it in your refrigerator for 2 days max and only thaw your beef in the refrigerator, not on a kitchen counter where it is exposed to the “danger zone” of room temperatures.

Freezing the ground beef will stop any spread of bacteria as noted above. Use the frozen beef within 4 months to ensure maximum freshness, however there is no limit to how long beef can be stored in a freezer.

Grinding Beef Spreads Bacteria Faster

Healthy Meat

Whether grinding your own meat at home, or if your butcher does it for you, it is important to realize that this will cause bacteria to grow even faster. To eliminate the threat of bacteria in your ground beef, make sure it is thoroughly cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

When purchasing ground beef, look for good red color – even purplish red. If it has a lot of grayish brown around the meat this could be a sign that is spoiling.

Some meats will have some gray coloring because it is oxygen which helps bring about the red color, so some areas of meat which do not receive much oxygen will have some gray.

3 Ways to Thaw Ground Beef

1. Thaw in the refrigerator.

This slows down the growth of bacteria. Make sure the meat is properly covered and not placed where the juices or meat will touch any other item.

Placing the wrapped package of meat in a glass container or pan is a good choice because you will not need to worry about leakage. Never let it be sitting fully exposed without being wrapped.

It is most common to thaw the meat over night. This is the only method that allows for the meat to be refrozen.

2. Thaw in the microwave.

This process is truly the fastest way, however you have to be careful you do not overcook the meat. Cook the meat quickly after thawing – again to prevent the rapid growth of bacteria. Do not refreeze.

3. Thaw in cold water.

Place the meat within an airtight plastic bag and place in a bowl of very cold water. Make sure the meat is fully submerged. To keep the water cold, change it out every 30 minutes. Like thawing in the microwave, cook the meat immediately and do not refreeze.

What should be the internal temperature of ground beef?

The internal temperature should be 160 degrees minimum. However, when reheating fully cooked frozen ground beef (such as in casseroles, lasagna, or meatballs), the internal temp should be 165 degrees F.

Liz
www.simpleitaliancooking.com
Easy Italian Recipes

Using a Bread Machine to Make Your Pizza

August 9, 2010 in Pizza by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

This week I tried something new. I followed the advice from a contributor in an earlier post here, where he mentioned using the pizza dough setting on a bread machine.

Hmm… sounded interesting and so since this month is devoted to pizza recipes, I figured why not give it a shot.

I won’t repeat the recipe, you can get it from the previous pizza dough recipe post, but it was easy! I simply put the ingredients in the bowl, selected the setting and away we went. 55 minutes later, my dough was mixed and had risen.

It was a little wet but that was easily resolved by patting it with some flour.

Next, I divided the dough in two parts and rolled it out and grilled each pizza. One for my husband and one for me. I grilled each one for about 4 minutes over medium high heat. Turned it over and cooked for another minute or so.

I added the toppings and waited for the cheese to melt.

My mother asked me how long it takes and I have to say what everyone hates to hear…”It depends”. But it is true. It depends on the type of grill, and how high the heat is.

I actually made pizza twice this week this way and each time it took a different length of time to cook. The first time, I did it over low heat on the grill. It took at least 10 minutes longer, but I felt I had more control over the heating process.

When I did it again a few days later, I turned the heat up to medium high. This was fine too, but left me less time to run in and out of the house getting whatever I needed. I know… get everything you need up front and this isn’t an issue. Who are we kidding – it rarely ever works out that way.

So the second pizza had a harder crust but was still really good.

There are other ways to make pizza dough if you do not have a bread machine . You can use a food processor, such as the one I wrote about in this review on the Cuisinart Food Processor. The processor has to have a dough setting and not all of them do. You can also use a stand mixer like a KitchenAid which has a dough blade attachment.

Or you can just use your hands. However, automation will always save you time.

So there you have it – I’ve tested it and can now consider this method tried and true!

If you’re in the market for a bread machine check out Amazon as they have great prices and a good selection of machines.

Liz
SimpleItalianCooking.com

How to Use Zucchini and Tomatoes in a Simple Italian Recipe

August 7, 2010 in zucchini by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

Two wonderful vegetables which go well together are zucchini and tomatoes. You can use them in pasta recipes, in lasagnas, or even fry them in a pan of oil.

Today I tried a new recipe courtesy of my sister in law and after testing it, I decided it will make its way into my virtual recipe box which is available for anyone to see.

Instructions:

Ok, so to get started, peel the zucchini and cut off the ends.
Slice lengthwise.
Place a layer of tomatoes on top of the zucchini as shown. You do not want the tomatoes to be too thick. I’d say about 1/8th or 1/4 inch should be fine. I’d recommend using Roma tomatoes and if your zucchini are pretty small and narrow, try grape or cherry tomatoes.
Sprinkle plain bread crumbs on top of the tomatoes.
zucchini-tomato bake
Next, sprinkle a nice layer of Romano cheese.
Drizzle olive oil over top with a dash of kosher salt.
Next, place in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F. for 35 minutes.
The zucchini will still be firm, but not raw. Serve warm.

When I made this today, I enjoyed them as they were, however my husband preferred his with some extra cheese added on. So I suggest to make it available.

In regards to serving sizes, I’d suggest 1 small zucchini per person. For medium zucchini sizes perhaps 1 per 2 people. It really depends on who you are serving and if they like this type of recipe, and of course if it is just a side dish.

I used this recipe as a side dish to my chickpea soup recipe.

Enjoy!

Liz
Easy Italian Recipes

New Recipe: Ricotta Spinach Pizza

August 3, 2010 in Pizza by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

This month we are focusing on pizzas. I’ve been looking forward to this and was supposed to do this last month, but forgot until my brother told me he was disappointed I hadn’t done it yet!

Well, I’m starting off this week with an easy and different type of pizza. It is called ricotta spinach pizza. At least that is the name I gave it.

It is very simple to make, and a great way to use up any extra ricotta which is left over from a previous meal such as a lasagna or pasta bake.

I do not tend to make my own pizza dough at the moment, due to kitchen space and time, so I frequently buy a premade crust that works rather well.

I won’t give you the full recipe details in this post because I have the full recipe and directions here for you to read and print out.

There are a few things to remember when making this type of pizza:

1. Strain the spinach really well. I use frozen spinach so I let it thaw and then squeeze as much water out as possible. We don’t want a soggy pizza. I use a thicker crust for this pizza rather than a thin one.

2. If making your own pizza dough by hand or with a dough mixer, you might want to try and experiment by turning this into a calzone. I don’t know what the time would be for cooking one (something I haven’t delved into yet). However, when I first tried this pizza, I had to say, it reminded me of a calzone more so than a pizza. Perhaps it was the ricotta.

3. Rub the bottom of the dough with olive oil. Just a few drops on the bottom. Why you ask? Because it helps make the dough crispier on the bottom, especially when you cook it directly on the racks.

4. I found when I added a pinch of salt to the top of the pizza the flavors really bounced a lot more. Is that a cooking term – bounced?

That’s it. I hope you try the recipe. It is very tasty and makes for a perfect lunch or snack!

Enjoy!

Liz
www.SimpleItalianCooking.com
Easy Italian Recipes

What is Prosciutto?

July 31, 2010 in Food, Meats by Simple Italian Cooking Blog | No comments

Prosciutto is a meat which comes from pig. Therefore it is ham. But it is different than ham.

Prosciutto is ham that has been cured. You can eat it cooked, or raw. What we often think of when speaking of this type of Italian food is the uncooked kind.

Prosciutto - credit - Jibbit at flickr

Is it safe to eat raw?

However, do you wonder if indeed the ham is safe to eat if it is raw? It is safe if it has been cured. Curing meat means it is washed and salted down then left to dry or “cure” for up to 2 years.

It is hung in a cool area and in Italy it is common to see a slab of ham hanging from the ceiling.

But what also gives the prosciutto it’s distinctiveness is how thinly it is sliced. It is sliced in paper thin strips. You cannot cut it this thin with a knife – well, I guess you could try, but it’s typically sliced at a deli where they have a professional meat slicer.

If you have a food slicer at home, you can use that to slice the cured meat as well. Keep in mind, prosciutto must be cured. Taking a basic slab of ham from the store and slicing it paper thin will NOT produce prosciutto!

What is it used for?

Prosciutto is frequently used in antipasto dishes, or even wrapped around other foods such as vegetables or cheeses.

You can choose to buy pre-sliced prosciutto from a deli or super market, but try to look for ones which are from Italy. They truly have the best.

What does it taste like?

Not all prosciutto tastes the same, so if you have a specific brand or style you like stick with it. The reason has to do with what the pigs are fed. Since pigs are not picky eaters they will eat just about anything in their way. Therefore some farmers will make sure their pigs are only able to feed on specific foods like grains or grass. Other farmers are more lax and let the pigs eat junk like other animal by products. Naturally, all these factors can influence how the meat of the pig will taste. Not always pretty – but it is reality.