Cauliflower Salad with Red Pepper, Olives and Anchovies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I first sampled this salad in the Italian kitchen of my childhood. Mrs. S. made it for her family, but only during the Christmas holiday. The dish originated in Sicily and it was called insalata di rinforzo. She called it reinforced salad because its ingredients were refreshed every day until the feast of the Epiphany was celebrated. At that point, it would miraculously disappear from her table and not be seen again until the following Christmas. I had really fond memories of the salad which looked like an element of giardiniera, but tasted nothing like its acrid pickled cousin. I had for years tried to duplicate it, but was never able to get it quite right. While searching for recipes that could be used to represent the work of Marcella Hazan, I stumbled on her recipe for the salad and, of course, had to try it. What was lost had now been found and I wasted no time making it. I love the way this salad looks and I really like its heady earthy flavors. The salad, which is very easy to make, is strongly flavored and not meant for the faint of heart. Those who share my love of full-bodied foods are in for a taste treat. Please note that the recipe uses capers and anchovies, neither of which are favorites of the general public. I'd love to tell you they can be omitted, but that is not the case. It's best not to attempt the salad if you aren't going to use them. Hazan's recipes have a lovely balance of flavors and I think you'll really like this salad. Here's the recipe.

Cauliflower Salad with Red Pepper, Olives and Anchovies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Marcella Hazan

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, about 1-1/2 pounds
2 tablespoons capers, drained
4 flat anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sweet red bell pepper,peeled, cored and cut into thin strips
10 black Greek-style olives, pitted and cut in half
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons wine vinegar

Directions:
1) Trim outer leaves of cauliflower and cut an x in the root. Bring at least 6 cups of water to a boil. Add cauliflower, cover pot, and cook until stem of cauliflower can easily be pierced with a fork, about20 minutes. Drain and cool.
2) Break cauliflower clusters into bite-sized pieces and put them in a salad bowl. Add capers, anchovies, bell pepper and black olives and toss gently to combine. Add vinegar and olive oil and toss again. Season to taste with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature. Yield 4 to 6 servings.









One Year Ago Today: Red Peppers Stuffed with Orzo and Feta Cheese















Two Years Ago Today: Kona Coffee Cookies








You might also enjoy these recipes:
Marinated Vegetable Salad - Drick's Rambling Cafe
Chopped Vegetable Salad with Lemon Garlic Dressing - David Lebovitz
Vegetable Salad with Cheese - Eat Pray and Blog
Orzo Vegetable Salad - Maine Food and Lifestyle
Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad- My Life in Food

Linguine with Peas, Garlic and Ricotta Salata - Alice Waters - Week Two of the Fifty Most Influential Women in Food

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Like it or not, Alice Waters is one of the people whose voice and ideas have changed the way American people think about food. Her emphasis on fresh ingredients, local farms and artisanal food have led critics within the food industry to label her a zealot and roundly refute her importance to the fresh food revolution in the United States. I must say, at least to the untrained eye, it appears that the industry creates culinary heroes for the sole purpose of tearing them down. Grandma's admonition to "give the devil his due" seems to have fallen on deaf or jealous ears. It's a shame, and, as an observer, I mind the lack of collegiality within the industry. There are children who go to bed at night with empty bellies. Why not address that problem before you eat your young or put your elders on ice flows. Fortunately, outside that small circle of detractors, Alice Waters seems to be doing very well, and while we don't know their names, we do know hers . I like to think of it as karmic justice. Her restaurant, Chez Panisse, is doing well and she is well-received at public appearances. She also grabbed the number two spot on Gourmet's list of the most influential women in the food industry. We could all use a zealot or two in our lives. There is a purity to thoughtful resistance that I find appealing. I may not bend, but I do listen.

I'd also like to extend an invitation to you. A small group of food bloggers is using the Gourmet list of the 50 most influential women in food, found here, to expand their cooking repertoires. Each Friday, participants are free to select any recipe developed by the woman of the week. We'd love to have you join us. If you're interested send me an email and I'll get back to you with particulars. I was really happy to test the recipe that follows. The pasta is wonderful and I know you'll enjoy it. The Silver Fox loved it, though he ate two large servings without a pea making it into his mouth. That's my guy! I'm also including links to two other recipes developed by Alice Waters that have already appeared on my blog. They, too, are terrific. The following bloggers are participating this week's challenge. Be sure to pay these gals a visit. You won't be sorry. They all are great cooks and writers.

Valli - More Than Burnt Toast
Joanne - Eats Well With Others
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden

Linguine with Peas, Garlic and Ricotta Salata...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Alice Waters

Ingredients:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh baby peas (1 pound unshelled)
1 pound linguine
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped marjoram
1/2 cup crumbled or shaved ricotta salata or feta cheese (about 2 ounces)

Directions:
1) Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Add garlic and cook over low heat, stirring, until very soft and golden, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
2) In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, blanch peas in a strainer until just tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer peas to a bowl.
3) Add the linguine to saucepan and boil until al dente. Drain linguine, reserving 1/4 cup of cooking water. Return pasta to saucepan and toss with garlic oil, peas and reserved pasta water. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with marjoram. Top with the cheese and serve at once.
Yield: 4 servings.





Spring Vegetable Ragout















Apricot Souffle

Zuppa Bastarda

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I know! I know! A person more high-minded than myself would have called this dish Zuppa Lombardi. I'm using its alternate name because it better expresses my humor at the end of this long and difficult week. Both computers have been scrubbed and are back in working order, but it took a full week, a team of techies and considerable coin to get them there. The virus was traced to a scam originating in Russia. It was detected by our internet provider, but notification came too late to do us any good. So, be forewarned and vigilant. Not everyone out there has your best interests at heart. Treasure your back-ups, make sure they are current and you'll spare yourself a world of grief should this gift from the East come your way.

I've come to love the word bastarda. It says nothing and it says it all. It also reminds me of an admonition from my father. When I completed university, he tucked a wallet-size insert into my graduation card. It said, "Don't let the bastards grind you down." On the back of it he had written his testament to my stubborn spirit, "They'll try, but the world is yours. They'll wear out before you wear down." I suspect he was very tired at the time he wrote that.

Zuppa Bastarda is a bean soup that has some history attached to it. There are two stories told of its origins. One, insists the soup was the creation of black shirted fascists in Mussolini's Italy. Their version of the soup was made with black beans, some say to reflect the darkness of their hearts. Another group insists the soup comes from Brescia, a city in Lombardi. They trace the soup back to 1740 and insist it should be made with white beans. They believe the first zuppa bastarda was the creation of a frugal peasant who, needing to feed her family, used the cooking liquid from white beans to soak stale Tuscan bread that she served as a soup to fill their hungry bellies. Interestingly, both recipes for the soup are nearly identical. The main ingredients are dry beans, stale bread and olive oil, and, surprisingly, the soup is not half bad. If you like hearty bean soups, I think you'll love this one. The recipe can also be adapted for use in a crock-pot. The crock-pot recipe can be found here. Here's how it's made stovetop.

Zuppa Bastarda...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 pound dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight in cold water
1 large white onion, chopped
3 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped sage leaves + 5 whole fresh sage leaves, separated
Salt
8 slices stale or toasted Italian bread, rubbed with 1 large garlic clove
8 teaspoons Extra virgin olive oil
Shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1) Drain soaked beans and place in a large soup pot or Dutch oven and cover with 4 inches of fresh water. Add onion, sage leaves and garlic. Cover and cook over medium heat for 45 minutes or until beans are tender. Soup will be thick. Add salt, to taste.
2) Place bread in bowl and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Pour a ladleful of soup over bread. Dust with freshly ground black pepper and chopped sage and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Garnish with cheese. Serve hot. Yield: 8 servings.








One Year Ago Today: Almond and Cherry Torte











Two Years Ago Today: Watermelon and Watercress Salad






You might also enjoy these recipes:
White Bean and Vegetable Soup - Eat Good 4 Life
Easy Black Bean and Chorizo Soup - Stacey Snacks
Navy Bean Soup - A Blog About Food
White Bean Soup with Collards and Chorizo - Modern Comfort Food
Rosemary White Bean Soup - The Kitchenette
Tuscan and White Bean Soup - Cookery and Wivery
Three Bean Soup with Ham - OurLife in Food
Pinto Bean Soup - Eating Out Loud
Black Bean Soup - Simply Recipes
Tuscan Bean Soup - One Perfect Bite

Asparagus Pesto

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Here, as promised, is the asparagus pesto I spoke of yesterday. It's made with the odd bits and trimmings left from yesterday's pickling marathon. The pesto can, of course, be made with perfect spears, but because all the ingredients used here are pureed, that would be a waste of lovely vernal green. I love the mild flavor of this sauce and serve it with pasta, fish or chicken. I am aware of how limiting its color is. The Silver Fox has dubbed this Shrek Sauce and, of course, our older grandsons have picked up on it. It's best we keep that our little secret. I'd rather Mark Bittman, who develop the recipe, not know how my family has defamed his lovely pesto. You will need a food processor or blender to make this. The recipe is a study in simplicity. Everything goes into the bowl of a blender or food processor and is pulsed until you have the texture of you are looking for. I've taken mine to a sauce-like consistency. That's all there is to it. While the pesto can be refrigerated for up to a day, its color does not improve with age. If you want a lovely vibrant sauce make it just before it is to be served. Here's the recipe.

Asparagus Pesto...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Mark Bittman

Ingredients:
Salt
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch segments
1 clove garlic, or more to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil, or more as desired
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste

Directions:
1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add asparagus and cook until fully tender but not mushy, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well, reserving some cooking liquid, and let asparagus cool slightly.
2) Transfer asparagus to a food processor and add garlic, pine nuts, 2 tablespoons of oil, Parmesan, a pinch of salt and, if needed, a couple of tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Process mixture, stopping to scrape down sides of container as necessary, and gradually add remaining oil and a bit more of reserved cooking liquid to moisten if it is needed. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste, pulse one last time, and serve over pasta, fish or chicken. The pesto can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.








One Year Ago Today: Asparagus Soup















Two Years Ago Today: Fresh Mint Ice Cream







You might also enjoy these recipes:
Artichoke Lemon Pesto - Ciao Chow Linda
Broccoli Pesto - A Thought for Food
Basil Mint Pesto with Walnut Sauce - Pinch My Salt
Wild Garlic Pesto - Nami Nami
Lemon Arugula Pesto - Dixie Chik Cooks
Mom's Pesto Genovese - Chef Tom's Blog
Basil-Walnut Pesto - Smitha's Spicy Flavors
Cilantro Walnut Pesto - Little Corner of Mine
Dandelion Pesto - David Lebovitz
Roasted Zucchini Pesto - Angie's Recipes

Baked Herbed Shrimp

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We had another gorgeous day and, despite a bad case of Spring fever, a lot needed to be done before the sun set. That meant dinner, if it was going to happen, must needs be light and late. I had seen a recipe in the latest issue of Fine Cooking that I wanted to try and because it was so simple I knew it would be perfect for tonight's supper. Bob was charged with procuring shrimp and while he was at the fish market, I set rice to steam and made the herb flavored oil in which the shrimp were to bake. There was a small hitch. I forget the Silver Fox has an acquisition gene that prevents him from buying anything that is not super-sized. He returned from the market with shrimp near the size of Pacific lobsters. He was about to comment on their cost, but I stopped him before the amount could cross his lips. Some things aren't meant to be shared. The market had shelled and cleaned the shrimp, so I reheated the oil, added the shrimp and after a good toss put the skillet back into the oven. Dinner was on the table in 15 minutes. While these shrimp will never replace my Greek and Italian favorites, they are lovely and I will make them again. I thought those of you observing Lenten abstinence might enjoy a different take on scampi. Here's the recipe. The changes I've made are highlighted in red. I know you'll enjoy this dish.

Baked Herbed Shrimp...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine

Ingredients:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 fresh thyme sprigs
1 (1 x 3-inch strip) orange peel
3 large fresh rosemary sprigs, halved
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp (26 to 30 per lb.), preferably wild, peeled and deveined
1-1/2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Directions:
1) Position a rack in center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.
2) Pour olive oil into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Add thyme, rosemary, orange peel and pepper. Bake until oil is fragrant, about 12 minutes.
3) Add shrimp to oil mixture in dish and toss with wooden spoons or tongs until all surfaces of shrimp are coated. Bake until shrimp are pink and firm, 8 to 10 minutes.
4 ) Add vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt . Toss well and let rest at room temperature until oil cools slightly, about 5 minutes. Discard herd and orange peel. Sprinkle top of shrimp with reserves 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Shrimp Scampi - Simply Recipes
Grilled Shrimp Marinara with Bow Ties - What's Cookin' Italian-Style Cuisine
Cajun Barbecued Shrimp - Simple Daily Recipes
Chili Basil Shrimp with Edamame Rice - Savor the Senses
Shrimp in Garlic Sauce - Burn Me Not
Shrimp with Artichokes and Chickpeas - Kalofagas.ca
Chipotle Lime Shrimp - Handle the Heat
Lemony Garlic Shrimp with Vegetables - My Kitchen Adventures
Ginger Shrimp and Broccoli - 400 Calories or Less
Roasted Shrimp with Feta - Sugar and Spice by Celeste
Kung Pao Shrimp - The Daily Dish
Shrimp in Green Sauce - Cook, Eat, Relax
Garlic Pepper Shrimp - Cookistry
Fish for Fridays: Smoky Spanish Shrimp - Peas n' Cues
Shrimp and Okra Gumbo - Closet Cooking
Shrimp Etouffee - The Domestic Mama
Shrimp and Sausage Jumbalaya - Brown Eyed Baker
Orange Tequila Shrimp - Carrie's Sweet Life
Maine Shrimp Chowder - One Perfect Bite
Shrimp and Creamy Grits - One Perfect Bite
Shrimp Enchiladas Verde - One Perfect Bite

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Tapenade Two Ways - Black Olive and Green Olive Spreads

Featured on Amuse Bouche the blog for Where Women Cook Magazine.


Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I debated the wisdom of sharing recipes for tapenade with you tonight. Unfortunately, there really are foods so plain the camera shudders when it's pointed at them. Tapenade is one of them. My camera begged for mercy before it quit on me. You all know that tapenade, whose name comes from the provencal word for capers, is a condiment or appetizer that comes from the south of France. It contains olives, capers, anchovies and olive oil that are very finely chopped or pounded to form a paste. It is then used as a spread, or to stuff an occasional protein or a vegetable or two. It's flavor is bright and sharp and it has the full bodied flavor we've come to associate with foods from the South of France. I keep it on hand to serve as an occasional hors d'oeuvre but mostly to use as a flavor booster for ground meat or quick pasta suppers. In truth, I rarely reduce my tapenade to a paste and prefer the texture that comes with the chopped version. I went all the way tonight because I wanted you to see how it should look before I went into theme and variation. Interestingly enough, the Italians an Greeks also have versions of well-flavored olive pastes that are very much like the one served in France. I decided to include recipes for two types of tapenade in this one entry tonight. One is made from black olives, the other from green. Believe it or not, there is a decided difference in the flavor profile of the two. Black olive tapenade is less astringent than the green and I prefer to use it for flavoring beef dishes. I personally favor the sharper, more full bodied flavor of the green, but I really dislike its olive drab color. I've found that this is a dish that people either love or hate. If you haven't had tapenade you might want to try one of these. Here are the recipes.

Green Olive Tapenade...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Bon Appetit Magazine

Ingredients:
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 pound mild green brine-cured olives (such as Picholine), pitted
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons drained capers
1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
2 garlic cloves

Directions:
Place almonds in processor and grind finely; transfer to small bowl. Place olives, oil, capers, anchovies, and garlic in processor. Blend until fine paste forms. Add almonds; blend 5 seconds. Season tapenade with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.) Yield: 1-1/2 cups.

Black Olive Tapenade...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
2 cups pitted brine cured black olives, such as Kalamata
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil



Directions:
Combine olives, garlic and capers in a food processor and blend until a smooth paste forms, about 3 minutes. With motor running, add olive oil in a steady stream and pulse until well combined. Refrigerate for up to two weeks. Yield: 2 cups.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Dandelion Pesto - David Lebovitz
Balsamic Fig Spread - Rootie Tootie Fresh and Foddie
Crispy Rosemary Hummus - A Spicy Perspective
Baba Ghanoush - Delightful Repast
A Tangy Tomato Spread - Different Strokes
Vegetable Pate - Kirsten's Kitchen
Edamame and Pea Bruschetta - Inspired Taste
Smoked Salmon Cheese Spread - Drick's Rambling Cafe
Tahini - Enriching Your Kid
Rosemary and Cranberry Spread - Life's Ambrosia

Spaghettini with Garlic and Lemon

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love the spare simplicity of Shaker and Bauhaus design, and, on very busy days, I appreciate that same simplicity in my food. Today was a day made busy by a wonderful break in the weather. The almost balmy day kept me outside for far too long and made dinner preparation a rushed affair. On nights like this, I grill a steak or chicken and pair them with a simple, nearly naked, pasta that I like to sauce with lemon and garlic and very little else. It makes for an easy meal that can be on the table in minutes and the leftover pasta is good for a lunch or two as well. The recipe on which my lemon pasta is based originally appeared in Gourmet magazine. Giada De Laurentiis has a similar recipe that is enormously popular with her fans and readers. If you like simply sauced pastas, you'll quickly make this dish your own and not bother with recipes at all. Before you do that, however, there are a few things you'll have to keep in mind. Your first consideration should be the garlic. It burns quickly and should be cooked only until it colors. If it burns, you'll have to toss the oil in which it cooked and that's a waste of time and money. Another concern, especially for those of you who still have young children at the table, is how hot you want the dish to be. The heat here is provided by red pepper flakes and a range of measure is given for their use. Only you know your family's tolerance for heat. Most folks, at least initially, will be more comfortable at the lower end of that range. You also can control the amount of lemon and garlic you use in the recipe. I offer my choices only as suggestions, but, I hasten to add, they are suggestions that work, and they are sound choices for your first execution of the recipe. It's also important to remember that pasta never waits for sauce, the sauce should be waiting for the pasta. I think you'll like this dish. It's inexpensive, easy to make and really tasty. It is also a great entree for Meatless Mondays. Here's my version of the recipe.

Spaghettini with Garlic and Lemon...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
1 lb spaghettini or capellini
6 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 to 3/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
Juice of 1 large lemon
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
1) Cook pasta in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water and drain pasta in a colander.
2) While pasta is boiling, cook garlic and red pepper flakes (to taste) in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in zest, then juice, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup reserved cooking water and bring to a simmer.
3) Add pasta and toss with sauce and parsley. Add more water if sauce seems too dry. Yield: 4 main course servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Spaghetti Sauce (Rule of One) - Moogie and Pap
Bolognese Sauce - Radishes and Rhubarb
Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce - Adventures in the Pioneer Valley
Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce - Simply Recipes
Fresh Tomato and Zucchini Pasta Sauce - Coconut and Lime
Pork Bolognese - A Dash of Sass

Southwestern Cilantro Rice Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I first had this salad in New York City at a restaurant called Arizona 206. Chef Brendan Walsh was head of the kitchen at that time and one of the restaurant's signature dishes was this lovely cilantro rice. I had the rice so often that I was able to reconstruct it in my own kitchen from taste memory. I liked it then, and I like it now, because it's an easy and inexpensive way to feed a large number of people. It's also a wonderful accompaniment to Southwestern or Mexican meals. While I doubt this will become your favorite rice dish, it's great for church suppers, block parties and other large gatherings where refrigerator and oven space space is at a premium. This rice salad is one of those rare dishes that is actually better when served at room temperature. The version of the recipe I have in my files feeds 36 people. I re-sized it earlier this week to serve with a Southwestern-style meal I had planned for four people. I thought you might like to have a copy of the smaller recipe for your files. Without further ado, here's how we make Southwestern Cilantro Rice Salad. Oh, and should you like the recipe for 36, multiply all ingredients, save the lime zest, by four.

Southwestern Cilantro Rice Salad...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Brendan Walsh

Ingredients:
2 cups cold water
1 cup long grain or basmati rice
1 teaspoon kosher salt + salt to taste
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper, cut in 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper, cut in 1/4-inch rice
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons tablespoons fresh lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
Freshly cracked pepper to taste

Directions:
1) Bring water to a boil in a 3-quart pan set over high heat. Stir in rice and salt and bring back to a boil. Immediately cover pan and lower heat. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let rice sit, covered, for another 10 minutes.
2) Transfer rice to a large pan. I use a roasting pan to assure enough space to thoroughly mix rice with other ingredients. Add cilantro, red and yellow peppers, olive oil, lime zest and juice and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Serve immediately or cover and let sit at room temperature until ready to serve. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Moors and Christians - One Perfect Bite
Forbidden Rice and Jewel Toned Grains - One Perfect Bite
Arroz con Pollo - One Perfect Bite