Have a great Sunday

 

As time goes by

 The question is where does it go. I'm always looking for photos to post and keep on finding all sort ov so called vintage shots. Thanks to Kodachrome, the colors held up. This shot from June of 1971 was taken at a stopover at Anchorage Alaska's airport. It seems like yesterday.

 

Enjoy your weekend

 

Pasta with kohlrabi

 This is a super Sicilian comfort food. A cold wheatear or fall and winter dish. It was popular during Lent when people were still following the old customs. In Sicily, in most areas the growing season all year round. A real cucina povera dish but very healthy and delicious

Remove the leaves from the bulbs and save the tender ones. Cut them in thin strips. Peel the bulb carefully like you would an apple. Slice it in half and then cut into thin slices. Boil salted pasta water and add the bulbs and leaves. A few minutes after the water resumes boiling, add the pasta. Any kind will do. You may break up spaghetti or linguine for this step. In a large skillet add a few tablespoons of good EVO. As the oil heats up over low flame, add a couple of cloves of minced garlic, some peperoncino and a tablespoon of tomato paste. Add a tad of wine to melt the paste. Make sure that nothing burns. At this point the pasta should be ready for the next step. Reserve some cooking water and drain. Add the pasta and the kohlrabi to the mixture in the skillet. Make sure that the pasta is very al dente because it will finish cooking in the skillet. Add some pasta water and stir and aerate well. Add more cooking water if things dry up. This will form the cremina. Serve in pasta bowls. Finish the dish with some olive oil and, if you want,sprinkle with black pepper. Healthy and full of anti oxidants and fiber.

Buon appetito 

Keep enjoying the fall; winter will be here soon..

 

Thoughts on cooking wine

 Please never use so called cooking wines. If wine is needed use a good wine, not necessarily a very expensive one but one that you would gladly drink. This is because once the alcohol evaporates, the flavor of the wine remains. This can make or break your dish.

Rutini with sausages and broccoli

 A very simple, delicious and filling dish. it's in itself a well balanced meal.

Take a 18 inch long piece of thin Italian style sausage and cut the casing and remove the meat. Cut up broccoli florets small.

In a non stick skillet large enough to hold the pasts, put two tablespoons of good extra virgin olive oil. Add one or two anchovy fillets and in low heat make them liquify. Add two cloves of garlic and a little peperoncino. When the garlic turns brown but is not burned, it has finished flavoring the oil and may me removed. Cut up the sausage meat and place it in the skillet. At this point heat a pot of salted water for the rotini. Once the sausage is brown, add some good white wine and allow the alcohol to evaporate. Add the broccoli and add a ladle of the hot water, cover and cook while stirring. As soon as the water boil put in the rotini and cook then super al dente. Put more pasta water in the skillet, reserve some more water and drain. Add the pasta to the sausage, broccoli mixture in the skillet. Stir and try to flip the pasta from back to front.  The pasta finishes cooking in the mixture. The idea is to create that cremina that Italian are so fond of. Add some of the water if needed. The pasta must not become a soup but it needs some water. Add some more EVO and a dash of black pepper. Turn off the heat. Wait 30 seconds and add some grated parmigiano that will melt into the mixture. If the cheese is added while the heat is on, it will stick to the bottom and burn.

Once on the plate add a dash of  EVO. Since it's uncooked, the oil will release a great aroma.

Buon appetito.

Look ma, no Photoshop

 Shot back in 1972 when Agrigento's Valley of the Temples was open country and accessible day and night, I used Kodachrome X with a speed of 64 and my Canon FT with a 59 mm F 1:4 FD lens. Just out of the camera and no manipulation. In those days shepherds would bring their flocks to graze near the temples. Today it has bee made into a archeological park that requires a paid tickets for access and it' totally overran with tourists that come in cars and buses. The monuments have undergone protective restorations and the site is one of UNESCO's list of treasures of human heritage. Nevertheless it's worth seeing. What always amazes me is how these monuments survives without attention for over two thousand years. In other words they where not knocked down to build parking lots or condos. 

Saltinbocca alla Romana

 Saltinbocca literally means jump in the mouth. Perhaps because of their flavor. Nevertheless, this is a very simple recipe that results in a wonderful secondo or second course. The ingredients are thinly sliced veal cutlets or, in his case, very thin top round. Flatten the pieces with a mallet of the side of a large kitchen knife. Put some flour on a flat dish. Take the slices and over each place a slice of prosciutto di Parma and a large leaf of salvia. sage and place a toothpick through to hold all in place. Coat with flour. 

In a large flat skillet over medium heat place about one table spoon of butter (preferably Irish butter) and a little extra virgin olive oil. The olive oil will prevent the butter from burning. Place the slices with the sage facing down in the skillet and after 30 seconds or so flip them and give an additional 30 seconds. This time is especially important if using top round because you do not want the meat to get dry and tough. Take them off and place on serving dishes, usually two per person. Put a little more butter in the skillet and let it melt. Place some over the slices and you are done. Semplice, facile, veloce e delizioso. Simple, easy, fast and delicious. You may use whateever contorno, side dish you desire.

BTW, it's only fair that the Italian terms are italicized.

Buon appetito

Have a wonderful week. Stay safe