Monthly Archives: June 2012

Recreation from Memory: A Wedding Feast

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Recreation from Memory: A Wedding Feast

Fasta Faigioli and Big Ass Crouton Chicken

This Sunday, June 24, my husband Tyler and I will celebrate our one year wedding anniversary. At this time last year we were in a castle in Umbria with 20 of our closest friends and relatives. When I think back on our wedding week (and day) I am impressed most by the fantastical and dreamlike quality of the time we spent at Palazzo Massarucci. It still feels unreal. I have both vivid and ephemeral memories of that week. I can recall one on one conversations held over morning coffee, late night dance parties, lounging by the pool with a book, sneaking outside the gates for a cigarette with the bad kids (bride’s side, naturally) day trips to ancient cites, bumpy roads flanked by miles of wheat and wildflowers and the gentle, lavender scented breeze that rustled the mosquito netting on our wedding bed at nightly. Yet all of these memories are cloaked in a veil of unreality.  The idyllic setting, the company, so familiar yet so diverse,  and the pervading feelings of goodwill, privilege and joy I was feeling all added up to one super weird week. What I remember most concretely however, was the food, the glorious food.  During our wedding week, an astounding amount of our collective time was spent either thinking about food,  procuring food, preparing food , eating food and subsequently discussing all the food we ate.

The town of Macerino is a tiny Umbrian hamlet high upon a hill smack dab in the middle of Italy. It has a permanent population of 7. There are a small number of vacation rentals there including the Palazzo Massarucci (where we stayed), which is a beautifully restored 16th century castle built from the remains of a medieval fortress.  Behind the palazzo there is an ancient well and square with a small few winding cobbled streets leading elsewhere. In front, there is a small restaurant (renowned for its truly authentic Umbrian dishes) that also sells a few basic groceries and espresso. As a group we tended to gather around the large kitchen at the center of the palazzo. Some party or another must have shopped daily at either the tiny store across the way to down the bumpy road to Spoleto to one of its splendidly appointed grocery stores because there was a seemingly endless supply of sliced meats and cheeses, fresh eggs, bread and wine available at all times. We also partook in a couple of extravagant family meals. The restaurant across the street (we were never sure of its name) hosted out party for a meal that has yet to be surpassed. We simply told them how many would be dining and she told us when to show up. The two women in charge over there then cooked us a spectacular multi-course meal that lasted at least 3 hours. I should mention that our stay in Macerino coincided with the height of the black truffle season there, something none of us had expected or thought to consider.

I can’t remember all we are but there were a few standout dishes. I know we had fried zucchini blossoms which were both soft and crispy and perfect. We had a simple frittata rife with fresh black truffles. If I had ever had truffles in the past, I’ve forgotten them completely. The taste of them here was so wonderful and earthy that any other truffle memory I may have had has been completely obliterated. Everybody’s favorite dish of the evening (the one discussed in hushed, reverent tones for weeks to come) was a homemade ravioli with cheese and truffles. HOLY SHIT. I think there may have been a little  cheese inside, maybe some pork, who cares. What I do know is that those bad boys were gleefully backstroking in a rich sauce of cream, egg, parmesano reggiano and enough finely chopped black truffle to choke a shoat. Lawd it was good.

As if that meal wasn’t extravagant enough, we also hired a chef to come to the palazzo and give a cooking lesson. His name was Carlo and he showed us how to make fresh pasta which we cooked with a simple sauté of zucchini and onion.

Here is Carlo’s son showing the kids how it’s done!

He also make what I think was the star of the week, a salad made from stale bread and as many fresh vegetables as you can find and is softened with very good oil and balsamic vinegar. It’s officially called panzanella but I don’t think he ever called it that.  We just called it delicious. We all loved it so much that we made one for our wedding feast. Carlo also showed us how to use the wood burning oven at the palazzo which our intrepid guests, Andrew and Sarah, used the next day to make beautiful handmade pizzas.

Andrew and Sarah getting down with the wood oven.

We wanted to the food for our wedding to be simple fare served family style. In addition to the bread salad and a chicken dish I made (an improvised picatta), we enlisted the restaurant across the way to furnish the bulk of the dishes. We requested a huge amount of everybody’s favorite, the ravioli with truffles as well as a vegetable dish and a soup. We weren’t specific about the last two although I think we asked for “pasta faigioli” for the soup as it was fun to say in Italian (I’m sure we sounded like Chef Boyardee).

Pasta Faigioli!

What we got was beyond our expectations.  We were presented with several trays of our beloved ravioli as well as a rich and satisfying ragout of eggplant, summer squash and tomato. Especially wonderful was a rich and hearty soup/gravy full of plump beans and rustic squares of fresh cut pasta. It was our pasta faigiole! I remember the taste of that dish with particular clarity. It was so rich yet rustic; I could tell there were not many ingredients but there was a serious density of flavor. I also remember my Aunt Dee, knee deep into a second helping, raving about how it was her favorite thing that she had eaten all week. I also remember the stricken look on her face when we told her we were pretty sure it had pork in it (Dee’s been a vegetarian for 30 years). She mournfully finished her bowl, forced to acknowledge (no matter how tacitly) that pork was delicious and she too was susceptible to its powers.

Long story interminable, I was thinking about all this lovely food and that lovely week in the country with so many friends and family and how thankful I am. Our wedding week was like a dream. And like the best dreams, you wake up with the memory and feelings still on your lips. In an attempt to rekindle those sense memories I decided to attempt to recreate the pasta faigiole we had on our wedding day.

Breaking down my taste memory was pretty easy. I knew it was a long cooking bean dish. The broth (or sauce) was thick, somewhat starchy and glossy. I knew there was pork in there and I guessed it stated with a basic mire-poi of onion, celery and carrot. Also some tomato as it had just enough acidity and a rich reddish brown color. The pasta was unmistakably home made and probably added already cooked at the end. With those clues in mind, I began my quest. I started by making a basic chicken stock using 1/2 of a chicken, reserving the other half for our main course Big Ass Crouton Chicken (recipe to follow in another post). For the soup I chose fresh cranberry beans over dry because they looked awesome and were available.

Pasta Faigiole di Macerino

4 cups chicken stock, hot

Marin Sun Farms has the best chickens, pasture raised at a reasonable price.

¼ lb fresh pasta rolled and cut into rough ribbons/squares

3 carrots, chopped

2 stalks of celery

1 large yellow onion

3 gloves of garlic

2 tbs tomato paste

1 tomato, chopped seeded and diced

1 oz prosciutto, chopped

4-5 dried porcini mushrooms soaked in ½ boiling water, juice reserved

¼ dry white wine

2 cups shelled fresh cranberry beans (can substitute dry cannelloni beans, soaked

Fresh shucked cranberry beans

overnight)

2 dried red chilies

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 smoked ham hock

 

Directions

Sauté onion, celery, carrots and garlic in olive oil. Add prosciutto. When they have sweated down a bit, add tomato paste and let it get a bit brown. Add tomato, thyme, chilies, bay leaf, mushrooms and ham hock followed by wine; stir. Add hot stock, mushroom juice and beans and bring to a boil and then bring down to a simmer. Cover and simmer for at least an hour or as many as three (stirring occasionally and checking for bean doneness).  I honestly have no idea how long I cooked mine for. When your beans are tender remove pot from heat and let cool to not scalding. When manageable, strain cooking liquid into another large pot. He’s where I probably could have done things a bit smarter. When you have your strained soup contents, pick all the beans out of the retained vegetables . Maybe I could have cooked the beans in a cheesecloth bag or for easy removal or something. The beans need to cook with everything else but everything else needs to get pureed. You want to retain the beans whole. Anyhow, I picked my beans out and it took a long time and was probably dumb. Also remove ham hock, bay leaf and chilies. In a blender puree your remaining vegetables with some of the reserved cooking liquid. Add puree back to pot along with the remainder of your cooking liquid. Taste for seasoning. Add beans. Now add your pasta which has been boiled for about 1-2 minutes in salted boiling water. That my friends, is pasta faigiole!

 

Pasta Faigioli!

Messy but worth it. 

To round out our meal, in a nod to the panznella salad, I decided to try roasting a marinated chicken on top of large, hand-torn croutons. I added  sliced onion, capers and some super ripe cherry tomatoes to the mix. The results were phenomenal. The croutons absorbed all the golden delicious drippings from the bird yet maintained a wonderful buttery crispiness. I’ll give you a recipe for that one later if you want it (you do, trust).

 

 

 

On Casserole

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Last night I was craving tuna noodle casserole. It was a very specific craving too, not just a hankering for something soft and comfortable. I wanted egg noodles, frozen peas, Campbell’s cream of something soup, salty and tender canned fish, cheddar cheese and crispy browned bread crumbs. ALL IN ONE MOTHERTRUCKING BITE. I have not had tuna noodle casserole in decades either. But I knew exactly what it should taste like, how it should smell and how it should look; the taste and texture of every ingredient distinctive and exacting.

My mom used to feed her siblings and father casseroles like the tuna noodle one I so deeply craved. Mom was given a pittance of a budget and was expected to shop and cook for her brother, sister and father by the age of 9. She made a lot of casseroles; a lot of casseroles made from cans. What a smart girl. I remember her telling me that she had never seen a fresh mushroom until she moved to California at the age of 19. She had only ever before seen or had them canned. She and her family had most if not all of their vegetables from a can. Peas, green beans, corn and mushrooms all became the basis for many a casserole. Add to the can arsenal Cambell’s soups (Cream of asparagus, cream of mushroom, cream of celery, cream of chicken, cream of tomato) and you’re halfway there (and what a fortuitous marketing coup Campbell’s has pulled off over the decades by making an unappetizing soup an integral part of thousands of  recipes American’s use every day. Hat’s off to those geniuses!). My mom’s beaten and oh so well used copy of the Betty Crocker Cookbook has an astounding number of recipes in it that call for canned products. And that is a legitimate cookbook and a real historic record of the American diet. But back to the casserole; cheese or other dairy products often find their way in the mix. Casserole recipes frequently call for cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream or béchamel sauce. For a casserole, any protein will do (or no protein, mac and cheese is a casserole too!). Ground beef, sausage, seafood, spam, canned fish, leftover roast ends, chicken, ham; anything you may have on hand will do nicely in a casserole. Add a starch and you’ve got a complete meal to will fill hungry tummies and a variety of appetites. And of course, the piece de resistance to any good casserole is whatever crispy brown topping you have chosen. One can top that bad boy with any number of things; delicate toasted bread crumbs, a buttery cracker, flaky pastry, something salty like fried onions or potato chips, Fritos or, as The Joy of Cooking’s tuna noodle recipe calls for, “buttered corn flakes”. Doesn’t that sound divine?! As a bonus, you will be able to eat your casserole again (and maybe even a third time) as casserole is best made in quantity and there should always be leftovers. Leftover casserole is maybe even better isn’t it? Just don’t microwave it, PLEASE! Reheat it in the oven, for the love of casserole. What other dish emphasizes economy, variety, creativity and crave-ability so well? In fact, I can think of no other food that represents us as a nation better. Like America, a casserole if more than the sum of its parts.

The offering of a casserole is a loving act. It says “I want you to be satisfied in at least this one small way”. It’s why we make them for loved ones when we wish to unburden them. Have a new baby and can’t cook? Here’s a Casserole! Have you been sick or in the hospital? Casserole! Have you lost somebody dear to you? Here’s another Casserole! Simply having a hard time coping with life at the moment? I care about you, here’s a casserole! Cooked, transported, served and reheated in a single dish, a casserole says “take it easy, I got this.”

By the time my mom was making casseroles for me, she had refined her cooking skills and the quality and breadth of ingredients increased exponentially. Cans were replaced by fresh vegetables. “Exotic” ingredients such as curry and salsa found their way into the mix. And like my mom, as I’ve become a better cook, I’ve refined by own casserole making even further. I never could abide by those “cream of soups”, they taste great once mixed into a dish but the gelatinous mass that’s comes sucking its way out of the can turns me right off. I prefer to use fresh ingredients at every step (when applicable, I’d never turn my back on buttered corn flakes, never!). It’s not too difficult to make a basic béchamel or gravy from scratch as a substitute to those overly salty processed soups. For me, casserole is a dish of inspiration. It’s something I make when I don’t feel like going to the store. I look and see what in the refrigerator needs to be used up and let that be my guide.

All that said, a casserole is not bombproof. I have seen some horrible things done to casserole. Following are some of the most common sins against the ‘role.

#1: Mushy texture. There is nothing worse that a mouthful of mush, unless you are Miss Muffet. Make sure whatever starch you use is on the al dente side of things before you assemble your dish. Remember that it still has to cook long enough to crisp the topping/melt the cheese and your starch is going to absorb some of the  binder. It’s supposed to!

#2: Dry ass casserole. This happens when you don’t add enough liquid or binder. This is tricky to judge before you bake because of the absorption issue (see above).  If in doubt, err on the side of more binder, making sure your starch is not overcooked.

#3: Pale soggy topping. Make sure you give your casserole ample time to do it’s thing. Even it your ingredients are already “cooked”, they still need time to marry. Don’t rush the honeymoon! A low oven (325) should ensure slow even browning.

#4: Nasty burnt topping. If this happens you probably rushed it,  had your oven on too high or forgot that you were cooking altogether! Use a timer set for 10 minutes before you think it should be done and check your casserole frequently. Toppings with a high fat content will also burn fast, faster than you can imagine. If using a high-fat topping (buttered cornflakes, I’m looking at you!) cover your casserole with foil for the first 15 minutes or so and brown only at the end of your cooking time.

Casserole is great is so many ways. As humble as is, as basic, brown, repeated and reheated  as it may be, casserole should always be delicious and satisfying.

So, back to my craving, I didn’t have any tuna in the house. But I had some Bratwurst, so I made a casserole out of that!

Inspiration ingredient : Bratwurst

Casserole: Hofbrau Hottie:

Recipe:

Brats, (2 or 3)

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

½ head of cabbage (red or green), cored and chopped

1 tsp paprika

A dash or two of Worchester sauce

Salt

Pepper

½ cup beer

2 cups milk

2-3 tbs flour

2 tbs butter

4 tbs whole grain mustard

1 cup grated swiss/gruyere sharp cheddar or other equally punchy cheese

1 package egg noodles, cooked al dente

2 cups fresh bread crumbs

 

Brown sausages. My brats were pre-cooked so I sliced them first and browned them in olive oil. If you are lucky enough to have some fresh brats, use those! I would pierce them a couple of times with a knife and brown them whole and then slice them later after they are thoroughly cooked through and rested.

Add onion and then garlic to the browning pan. Add paprika, Worcester, salt and pepper. Saute until translucent and just starting to brown, deglaze pan with beer. Add cabbage and simmer until done (you may need to add some water to the pan if it gets too dry). Add back your sausage, set aside.

Melt butter in a large sauce pan. Once foaming add flour and mix well. Fry flour in the butter for about 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk until you have achieved consistency. Bring to a low simmer. Add mustard and whisk in. Add grated cheese a bit at a time (leaving and handful for the top) while continuously whisking. Once cheese is incorporated, taste for seasoning. Add whatever you think it needs.

In a big pot (probably the one you boiled the noodles in) mix noodles and sausage/cabbage mixture. Spread into your largest casserole pan. Evenly pour sauce over mixture, squishing it all up in there. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese and then add your breadcrumbs. Cook in a 325 oven until you are satisfied with the degree of browning on your crumbs and your casserole has had time to settle. About 20 minutes.

 

Note: The final dish, while delicious, lacked some acidity. If I made this again I think I’d add some sauerkraut to the onion and cabbage mixture, being sure to let it cook down a bit. I think that would do nicely.

Another note: Next time I’ll take some pictures.

Last note, promise: Any casserole memories you’d like to share? Favorite recipes or thoughts on the theme? Please leave them in the comments!