Author: lhadmin

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Eggplant Parmesan – Case & Controversy

How is it that the eggplant,  a vegetable grown since before recorded history and consumed today around the clock like pasta and pizza,  still fires up controversy? You’d think we all would be on the same page by now.  Or maybe I’m the only one off the page with the rest of the world.  I’ll explain.

It’s time to nerdle over two questions that come up from time to time.  Number one,  should you peel the eggplant before  cooking,  and two,  should you salt the slices and lay them in a colander under a large can of tomatoes sitting on a dinner plate to get rid of the alleged noxious bitter flavor from the ugly brown juices?

As to the first question my answer is the typical legal sidestep:  It depends on how you want the presentation to look.  Some eggplant dishes need the skin to provide color contrast,  some don’t.  I happen to be an enthusiastic peeler.

As to the second my answer is a resounding never!

To defend these viewpoints I first enlisted the help of the International Society for the Advancement of Eggplant Cuisine based in Tangier, Morocco.  Turns out they never considered the questions and weren’t interested.  So much for those people.  Thus I turned to the usual suspect sources,  i.e. the internet and in particular Wikipedia,  not to exclude my standby web-based experts from Italy.

First as to peeling off the skin my reason for doing so is that in many cases the cooked skin tends to separate from the flesh by itself as you consume the course,  leaving an unsightly tangle of loose black skin,  edible as it may be,  hanging around in the dish waiting for you to suck it up.  No thanks.  Try ordering Pasta alla Norma sometime and watch what happens when you start poking at the unskinned eggplant chunks.

To execute the peeling process I use a standard dollar eighty-eight vegetable peeler.  Takes a little practice.  It’s better than hacking away at the eggplant with a 10-inch chef knife,  which takes out half the pulp along the way.  I watched Rachel Ray do this once.  I wanted to cry.  Actually I did cry – briefly.

Second as to salting and draining,  it seems that cultivation and cross breeding over the centuries has had the effect of reducing the bitterness of the seeds and ugly brown juice surrounding them.  Leaving out the step saves more than an hour of prep time for my eggplant parmesan,  which is a time consuming enough of a dish as it is.

All that said I also discovered through my usual thorough research that the foregoing opinions are at variance with just about everybody in the cooking world,  even the Sicilians, who claim eggplant as their national vegetable.

I was particularly devastated to watch a video on an Italian website that I consider reliable, wherein Sonia,  the nice young lady chef coolly sliced up the unpeeled eggplant lengthwise and then proceeded with the tedious dehydration process,  with heavy can of tomatoes sitting on top of the serving plate,  sitting on top of the eggplant,  sitting in the colander, sitting on a plate to catch the liquid.  You know the drill.

If I’m not mistaken Mario Batali may be the only chef around who agrees with me about skipping the salt ritual.  Or is it vice versa?

Baked eggplant parmesanNow the challenge.  I propose to make eggplant parmesan with the same recipe except for one variation,  one with the salting business and one without.  I then propose to seat my committee of Sicilians at the table and defy them to identify which version was salted and drained and which was not.  One Thousand Euro to the team if they get it right.  Any Sicilians in the audience wanna step up?

All of which mercifully brings us to the actual recipe,  knowing full well that there are as many variations as stars in the sky.  But my theory is that somewhere in the dim past an unknown chef stumbled onto what eventually became accepted as the “original.”  As usual I entered the Italian sites and looked around for a recipe version that more or less incorporates as many consensus features as possible,  yielding as close to the elusive original as one can create.

To make it interesting I set up a comparison sheet showing my preferred style compared with two others,  one from my  reconstruction of typical Italian recipes from the web and another from Chef  Alex Guarnischelli whose variation can be found on the Food Network site.

Melanzana alla Parmigiana – Three Ways

 

Chef L Italy Chef Guarnischelli
2 large or 3 medium eggplants skin removed 2 large or 3 medium eggplants 2 medium eggplants
1 cup all purpose flour for dredging no flour 1/2 cup all purpose flour
fine salt, preferably popcorn salt table salt table salt
freshly ground black pepper no pepper freshly ground black pepper
no eggs no eggs five large eggs
no milk no milk 3 tbsp. whole milk
no breadcrumbs no breadcrumbs 4 cups breadcrumbs
dried thyme, dried oregano, fresh basil fresh basil only dried thyme, dried oregano, fresh basil
mozzarella cheese no mozzarella mozzarella cheese
parmesan cheese parmesan cheese parmesan cheese
no provolone caciocavallo or “provola” 1 lb. provolone cheese grated
tomato sauce NO SUGAR  tomato sauce NO SUGAR tomato sauce w/sugar added

So here are the differences:

First,  the recipe with the fewest ingredients is the Italian.  This contrasts with the Italian-American chefs tendency to load up a recipe – any recipe for that matter.  It’s like the more ingredients the better it must be.  Certainly that is my tendency unfortunately,  and apparently the same for Alex Guarnischelli.  At least I ditch the eggs and breadcrumbs.

Second all three sauces are no doubt different BUT NOTE — the Guarnischelli recipe adds sugar to the tomato sauce,  a practice which I condemn as grounds for excommunication!  In Ms. Alex’s defense I am well aware that hundreds of professional and home chefs in Italy do the same,  which does not excuse the offense.  You don’t need the extra carbs.

Lastly,  all three recipes ultimately call for lightly frying the eggplant slices,  whether dredged in only flour,  flour, egg, milk and crumbs, or plain naked,  draining on paper towels and then alternately layering the sauce, cheese and eggplant in a baking dish in the typical fashion.  Baking temp is around 375 degrees for 30 minutes or so.

It’s all a matter of taste to repeat the cliche’ but nonetheless if you’re a cardiologist you will quickly choose either my version or the one from Italy and skip Alex’s.  In any case please also skip the salting ritual.  If you can’t,  I suggest counseling.

 

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Bolognese Sauce Deconstructed

To demonstrate my ability to nitpick any topic I recently completed a 3 volume study about originality and authenticity of the world famous ragu’ alla bolognese or bolognese pasta sauce.

The theory sought to be proven is simply this: There is such a thing as an authentic and original sauce of this kind coming from Bologna Italy,  compared with which which all other pretenders to the name – whether from Italy or outside – can be regarded as utterly shameful and deplorable imitations.

How’s that for a mouthful?

After slogging through a number of historical volumes, the web sites,  and topping that off with a walking tour of Bologna,  during which I struck up a conversation with any attractive female in the town who showed the slightest evidence of being someone’s grandmother I came up with proof.  Yes, you might say I went to the source to learn about the sauce.  (In Rhode Island these two words are pronounced exactly the same, i.e. sauce).

I discovered that in 1982 the Italian Academy of Cuisine registered with the Bologna City Hall what it states is the correct recipe for ragu’ alla bolognese.  This is a fact.  But there was a problem.  I could not locate this official registration anywhere on line so I have to rely on the pronouncement of the Academy.

Bucatini with bolognese sauceOn a recent visit to Rome I dined at the well-known restaurant called, appropriately enough,  “Dal Bolognese,” a restaurant so famous that it soon became a small chain –   sort of like Ruth’s Chris in the U.S.  Nonetheless it produced the appropriately concocted ragu’ for my bucatini pasta,  both of which,  in addition to being “authentic and original” were absolutely phenomenal!

After all the effort,  particularly the part about interviewing the good looking grandmas,  I am 100% confident that  the true recipe for ragu’ alla bolognese must contain at least the following items:  pancetta,  ground beef,  ground pork and/or ground veal,  chopped celery, garlic,  carrot and onion,  red or white wine,  beef broth and tomato paste.  Period.

So,  for the presumed authentic and original recipe my recitation is as follows:

Ragu’ alla Bolognese

 

for 4 servings:

  • 1 lb. ground skirt steak (70% lean ground beef will do)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pork pancetta (now available everywhere except maybe 7-Eleven)
  • 1/4 cup or more olive oil or olive oil plus butter
  • 1 cup red or white wine (there is beef plus pork in the recipe so you take your pick.  I use red)
  • 1 cup beef broth (another reason for using the red wine)
  • 1 can tomato paste
  • 1 medium onion, 1 medium carrot,  1 medium celery rib – all finely diced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Lightly oil a large saute’ pan with butter included if desired.  Cook the pancetta and diced vegetables at medium heat until softened .  After about 10 minutes add the beef and cook until browned.  In this case “browned” is meant literally.  Try to achieve a darkened coloration to the meat being careful not to burn.  Add the wine and allow to evaporate.  Scrape the pan.  Add the tomato paste and beef broth,  lower heat and stir from time to time.  At this point the tough part begins.  As the ragu’ thickens add water a little at a time and go around the track again.  Repeat the cycle until the meat breaks down almost completely and the sauce is thickened.

After about 5 hours of very slow simmer the exercise is complete.

Now to further belabor the subject I consulted Mario Batali’s award winning volume Molto Italiano (Harper Collins,  New York 2005) and found on p. 245 Mario’s version of the official recipe.  It includes all the necessary basics plus one extra ingredient – thyme.  I respect this deviation but I don’t follow it.  If you note in just about all of Mario’s cookbooks and TV shows that feature red sauces for pasta you will find him adding thyme to the recipe.

I suspect the restaurant Mario interned at in Italy had a couple of acres of thyme growing in the back.  Nevertheless on the Italian websites I have yet to find a bolognese sauce recipe that calls for it.  Thyme is not of the esssence but in the last analysis, in deference to the now banished-from-tv Mario Batali, go ahead and throw it in.

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Shrimp, Prawns or Scampi?

 

This posting is inspired by an item appearing on a certain Chef John’s website foodwishes.com.  I suspect even without my self-imposed enhancements this dish is a winner,  so I offer many thanks to Chef  John for the inspiration.  It appears below after the scholarly dissertation that follows:

To begin I must point out that I discovered  the Chef’s recipe  navigating Allrecipes.com under the search term “shrimp scampi.”   Aside from leading me to a good site for this topic, as well as a fine recipe,  the exercise opened up the opportunity for me to step into the classroom to take aim at all those chefs and restaurants that use the terms in combination on their menus.  “Check out tonight’s shrimp scampi special!!”

Although demonstrating a knowledge of the issue Chef John unabashedly ignores any difference among shrimp, prawns and scampi and makes no apologies.  He believes they are one and the same animal, the only difference lying in local usage.  Prawns cover all species and are served in Great Britain.  All three terms, shrimp, scampi or prawns are used interchangeably in the U.S.

Now for the facts:  Actually gamberi is Italian for shrimp,  and scampi is Italian for prawns.  Crevettes and langoustines are found on menus in France, the former being shrimp and the latter prawns.  Neither country considers the two terms as interchangeable as far as I can tell.

Basically I concluded that two of the three animals on the list,  shrimp and prawns, are pretty much the same, differing mainly by size.  However in Italy scampi are considered different creatures,  distinct from the smaller shrimp which, as noted,  are called gamberi.

So ordering “shrimp scampi” in Italy  is sort of like ordering a dish that might be called  “Lobster crawfish” on the menu.  The U.S. restaurants who feature “shrimp scampi” are unwittingly leading the customer to think the dish consists of one animal variety when in fact the description technically covers two different species.

Like crawfish,  scampi  look like lobsters that failed to grow up,  having a hard shell and long thin claws. These are called langoustines in France and have their own taxonomic description (nephrops norvegicus) .  The smaller shrimp  varieties can be small or large,  even jumbo,  and have an infinite number of official names within the same family but are essentially interchangeable.

To be sure I consulted the Italian websites,  which are not always reliable,  just as the ones in the U.S.   However I managed to land on one that I consider authoritative that clearly speaks of shrimp (gamberi) and scampi as entirely different animals.  Scampi are the larger species associated with the French “langoustines” mentioned above.  Gamberi are what you use to make shrimp cocktail.

So it’s OK to think of shrimp as prawns and vice versa but don’t expect to find true scampi at Luigi’s Italian Restaurant down the road from you.  Luigi probably has never served real scampi in his life.  Luigi does however proudly serve “shrimp scampi” most often with overcooked shrimp drenched in garlic oil and spread over a half-pound of overcooked linguine marinara.

Last word: Some food writers have tried to cover up the confusion by calling “shrimp scampi” a distinctive way of cooking shrimp.  After all the digging around on the web I decided I don’t buy that explanation.  Nice try though.  Just remember that there’s no such thing as “shrimp scampi” in Italy.

Time’s up.  School bell having rung here now is my variation of Chef John’s excellent,  and to my reckoning authentic recipe for garlic shrimp,  otherwise known at Luigi’s as “shrimp scampi”.  My additions are white wine (very typical in Italy),  home made roasted red peppers peppers,  and the yellow or red cherry tomatoes.  Down the road someday I’ll look up some dishes that call for langoustines or scampi.

Garlic Shrimp/Prawns but not Scampi

for 4-5 persons

  • 1 lb. raw jumbo shrimp (21-26 count)
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. capers plus 1 tbsp. caper brine
  • 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
  • 1/2 cup home-made roasted red peppers thinly sliced
  • 6 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 cup yellow or red cherry tomatoes sliced in half
  • 4 pats butter
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • salt to tasted
  • 1 lb. linguine entirely optional (but common in Italy for what it’s worth)

shrimp scampiSet up your mis en place  with the lemon juice, white wine, olive oil, capers and brine, parsley, peppers,  tomatoes.

Peel and devein the shrimp leaving the last segment intact. (I don’t devein the smaller shrimp).

In a saute pan bring up to high heat the 1/4 cup of oil and the butter.  The idea now is to sear the shrimp quickly without fully cooking it.  Cook the shrimp until it just begins to lose its translucence.  This is the tricky part,  requiring a full glass of Barbera for fortification – for you not the dish.  Then add all the other ingredients except the parsley and bring back to high heat.  Stir vigorously until the shrimp have lost all translucence.  Immediately remove from heat and allow to stand for a minute, constantly stirring.  Stir in the parsley.

If you want to serve this over linguine follow the box directions.  Otherwise set the timer for 9 minutes (al dente) or 10-11 minutes (fully cooked) and be sure to use plenty of salted boiling water.  Throwing in some olive oil will not prevent sticking so save your money.  Just keep stirring periodically with a wooden fork (wooden forks are hard to find so it’s ok to use one of those dumb plastic spaghetti spoons that look like a turned-up cupped hand asking for a tip no example of which can be found in my kitchen).

I make this dish often but can’t resist the temptation to add a generous dose of finely chopped anchovy each time. This is making me hungry already.

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Spinach On the Side

Here is a  universal side dish if ever there was one.   Plus it kicks spinach up more than one Legassian notch for sure.  Lay it down alongside any preparation based on beef, pork,  fish or fowl.  Or better yet make it up “family style” in the event you are among the rare parents whose kids love spinach.

The trick is to avoid a watery blob on the plate, so I set the prepared spinach on a paper towel for a few minutes before serving.  Also, only a hard cheese will work with this recipe.  Soft cheeses like mozzarella or muenster will render a gooey mess.  Which reminds me that this recipe, with a few additions like mozzarella and peperone  is sometimes found in spinach “calzones,” at least in Rhode Island whence I came.

Ingredients

    • Steamed fresh spinach, one cup or more after steaming (baby spinach leaves are best)
    • 1/4 cup or more chopped Kalamata olives (pitted of course)
    • 1/2 cup sauteed sliced onion, white or red
    • grated sharp provolone or Romano cheese to taste
    • salt&pepper
    • hot red pepper flakes to taste
    • olive oil for saute

Preparation

      Saute onion slices in 2 tbsp. olive oil until soft and set aside. Steam spinach until softened,  remove and squeeze out excess liquid. Chop finely.  Place in saute pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil and bring up to medium heat.  Add chopped olive and onion,  cheese,  salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 6 – 8 minutes mixing all ingredients occasionally.

 

Spinach and olives

 

 

 

 

 

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Organics 101

At a recent cocktail party featuring my favorite Northern Italian wines a guest came up to me and asked the question I always dread.  It was this:  “OK chef, (guest stops to take a gulp of Barolo) what are your views on organic foods,  favorable, neutral or unfavorable? (another gulp).  As I started to answer the guest drifted off to talk to someone else.  Not being offended I decided to recite my answer standing right where I was in the middle of the floor and began speaking to no one in particular.
My words spewed forth effortlessly as I assumed a classic Aristotelian posture.  Right arm raised, forefinger pointed up, and left arm holding my waist as if I wanted to make sure my toga didn’t fall off. 
I began by informing the absent listeners that my overall attitude is neutral, with a discernible bias toward the non-organic side of the equation.  Almost instantly the pro-organic guests stopped their conversations and began to circle slowly around me with menacing frowns on their faces.
I braced myself and held my hand outward palm up,  the same gesture Cicero liked to use when telling the unruly Roman Senate to back off.  I then got going in earnest this time holding up my finger as if to say “wait till you hear this!” I then reached into my imaginary robes and drew out some papers,  waving them before the crowd much like the famous WWII video of Neville Chamberlain announcing “peace in our time.”
The two papers are evenly split.  One suggesting that organic food is a better choice for dinner tonight,  other suggesting in no uncertain terms that organic foods do not pass the cost/benefit test so why waste your money?  Now the kicker.  Both papers come from unassailable and respected sources.  The “pro” paper is a Q&A piece found in a newsletter published by the Mayo Clinic called Women’s Health Source,  August 2010 .
The “not so fast” paper,  cum footnotes and references,  comes from a blog on the Scientific American website which advances the notion that the organics movement is precisely that – a gathering of like-minded folks whose attitudes are based more on unshakable faith and less on science.  Needless to say the blog generated a host of criticism from the “pro” people,  however the author, Christie Wilcox, a Ph.D. candidate in cell and molecular biology at the University of Hawaii at the time,  says she is standing by what she wrote.
In a nutshell (a non-organic walnut shell) the shorthand case for both is as follows:
The Believers
1.  Organic foods are healthier safer and more wholesome to eat, a statement that the U.S. Department of Agriculture considers to be true “for the most part.”
2. Organic farming does not harm the environment.
3. Organic foods taste better.
The Contrarians
1. The health and safety claims lack solid studies to confirm them.  As for nutrition, according to the Mayo Clinic article studies have found no difference in nutritional quality. The Food and Drug Administration also says flatly:  No difference!  Hmm…are they not talking to their colleagues at Dept. of Agriculture???
2.  Organic foods are not totally free of fungicides and pesticides.  Even though the organic agents are touted as safer than non-organic substances in fact their effect on humans is totally unknown so far.
3. Organic foods flunk the cost/benefit test, i.e. their claimed improved taste and safety is  far outweighed by their cost. (How about $3.99 for a bunch of three tiny organic beets at Harris Teeters?)|
4.  Organic fruits and vegetables are somewhat smaller in size and don’t last as long in the kitchen,  further aggravating the cost burden.
5. Most if not all commercial fungicides and pesticides that were shown to damage the envirnoment in some way are banned and no longer being used.
And so on.
At the conclusion of my dissertation I noticed small red projectiles headed my way coming from the gathering hostile crowd.  Yikes, rotten organic  tomatoes!!!  I ducked.
No doubt this is an oversimplified version of a complex debate.  Facts and figures probably will not materially change any opinions on either side so I say let’s just go about our business in the kitchen and be friends, ok?  Meantime as I gazed out the kitchen window last summer I watched my latest crop of San Marzano and Roma tomatoes fighting off the cutworms and blossom end rot despite my dressing them up with every garden chemical known to man.
Next season I’ll try organic gardening, what the heck.