Arancini- A Sicilian Delight!

Arancino- A Sicilian Delight!

Ahhh...the heavenly smell of Arancini has been in my memory since I can remember. My mother would raise early as usual, and often choose Sundays to craft this delight. I associate Sundays to Arancini like many associate Sundays to church. Arancini are saffron flavored Arborio rice balls, filled with home made Ragu', a tasty concoction of sauteed peas, fresh Bufala mozzarella and a copious amount of grated Caciocavallo Ragusano.They are then coated with bread crumbs and deep fried. Eating one of my mom's arancini was always a mystical experience!!

But who takes credit for inventing this delicious culinary treasure? The origin of the Arancino goes back to 10th century Sicily when the island was under Arab rule. It was Arab costume to place a little bit of Saffron flavored  rice in the palm of the hand, to then be filled with lamb meat and made into a ball.

According to the writings of Giambonino da Cremona in Liber de ferculis (Da Cremona, XIII), the Arabs named their rice balls and meat balls after a fruit of similar size and shape. Arancino translates into "little orange", reminiscent of a small orange, this rice ball was named after the orange fruit. In the Plural: Arancini o Arancine; in the singular, Arancino is used in the eastern area of Sicily, and Arancina in the west. The shape can variate from round to conic, and although different fillings can be found in different parts of Italy, the classic Arancino ingredients are ragu' and mozzarella.

Click the link below for a video and recipe (courtesy of Food Network).

https://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/arancini-al-ragu-0197486

References

https://www.lacucinaitaliana.it/news/in-primo-piano/arancino-o-arancina-il-dibattito-linguistico-sulla-specialita-siciliana/

Photo from http://www.sicilianicreativiincucina.it/gli-arancini-siciliani-al-ragu/

July 2013

My travel to Sicily to see friends e la Famiglia :)

We made a ton of Bread, literally!

We had breakfast Italian style or maybe my style ;) with scrumptious Fiesta snacks and espresso. 

 We could not wait to hit the beach! We laid out in the sun all day, who cared about the sun being too strong between 9:00 and 12:00, or whatever that time is...we needed to soak in the sun as much as possible because my D levels were pretty low after so many summers in the mid-west.

Will post more pictures of this trip in my next post.

 

Grilled eggplant

This simple vegetable has played an important role in the cultural and in the gastronomic history of Sicily. It is believed that the eggplant made its way to Sicily from the middle east, most likely through Arab rule and the Jewish Diasporas. This addition helped in creating the colorful gastronomic mosaic of Sicily.  Examples of well known eggplant dishes are the internationally renowned "Eggplant alla Parmigiana", the succulent "Pasta alla Norma", which interestingly takes its name from the Opera "Norma" written by Sicilian composer Vincenzo bellini of Sicily. Other famous eggplant dishes include stuffed eggplants, breaded eggplants, and the Famous "Caponata" an ancient Sicilian dish which of course, has its own story.

The dish I present on this page is a classic and is used mainly as antipasto, but it could also be served as a side dish next to grilled meats or even as a filling for panini.


                                                        

                     

   

Part one, ingredients for grilling:

A grill type skillet (with the grooves)
2 large eggplants
(1 cup) 8 oz of extra virgin olive oil, make sure to have more on hand
2 tablespoons of oregano (sprinkled on the eggplant after is taken off the skillet)
1 teaspoon of minced mint, preferably fresh.


Wash and cut off  the top and bottom part of the eggplants.
With a knife, peel off one side of the eggplant to start your slices, leave the rest unpeeled. The slices should be about one centimeter thick, not thicker, if they are too thick you will have a hard time grilling it thoroughly, if they are too thin they will get too oily and will burn easily.

Start by drizzling some extra virgin olive oil in the skillet (about 3 tablespoons) heat it up at medium heat.
Sprinkle salt on the sliced eggplants as you place it on the skillet, make sure not to place the eggplant in oil that is not hot, as the eggplant will soak up the oil like a sponge and will not grill well.

The length of time necessary to cook is relative to the texture of the eggplants, some are tougher and more fibrous then others. You will know that it is ready when the slice has softened up and has turned into a golden color, the grill marks start turning dark making it look delicious.

Remember to sprinkle some oregano on each layer of the grilled eggplant (or other vegetable) as you lay it on the serving dish, (do not sprinkle the mint, not yet). Continue to drizzle more olive oil in your skillet as you grill more slices and sprinkle with oregano. When all your veggies are grilled, sprinkle the top layer with the minced mint.

P.S.
It is important to remember that mint has a strong flavor and smell.  The dish in the picture is topped with a lot of mint because I personally love it, but for some, too much mint can be a turn off, therefore use it conservatively or substitute with basil.




 You can also grill Squash or zucchini.
 In the photo below you can see the squash on the right is almost ready and the one on the left is still raw.

Part two is elective: 

If you like a less oily dish, you should not proceed to part two to make the dressing.  Complete only part one as explained above.

Dressing

1 oz white wine vinegar  (I used red wine vinegar because I did not have white)
1 oz extra virgin olive oil
2  cloves of garlic minced finely
1/2 teaspoons of oregano
Salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl

drizzled enough to flavor the dish, if you grill a large amount of veggies you may need to use it all.

Check for salt, the key to a good dish is flavor. 



Wine Suggestion

A full bodied red wine is suggested if this antipasto is served with courses that are finished with a red sauce, otherwise serve with a dry white wine, Sicilian wine is preferred.

Enjoy!

                                                

                           

The Gelato of  Sicily is one of a kind

 

My memories of gelato are closely connected with Sunday strolls at the Villa Street in Comiso, here simple doesn't necessarily mean less, and eating a creamy gelato with friends while sitting a the local caffe' was the main highlight of our outings.  While browsing the Web for Sicilian gelato recipes, I found a blog that describes the gelato of Southeastern Sicily in its authenticity. I could not help but to share the link on my blog.

 http://www.baroquesicily.com/tag/gelati-divini-in-ragusa-ibla/

Enchanting photos of Sicily

Roofs of Comiso-Sicily
photo by Sergio Lanna

Acate Sicily
Photo by Sergio Lanna

Acate-Sicily
Church
Photo by Sergio Lanna

Tiramisu' forever!!

I have to confess that I can't live without Tiramisu'! Years ago, after I arrived in the United States, I found myself with a culinary dilemma, finding Mascarpone for tiramisu'. Many grocery stores do not carry it, and when you find it, you realize that the price of an extremely small tub is astronomical! I realized that it would take about 4-5 tubs to make a pan of tiramisu'. A 9" by 13" pan may seem like a lot, but believe me this goodness goes really fast!! I desperately had to find a way to solve this "tragic" problem and so I went into my pensive mode :).  The idea of mixing cream cheese (fat free) with heavy cream (very fatty) suddenly came, and believe me, it quickly materialized on my kitchen table :).  This recipe was heavenly, and eating Tiramisu' after each meal turned into an obligatory ritual, (until my gallbladder started screaming). Here is when the "Cool Whip Light" came  to the rescue to serve as a  substitute for the injurious heavy cream. 

The recipe is easy and quick, no eggs involved and no cooking except for warming up 3 cups of water.

You will need to create two different mixes, a cream mix and a coffee mix that's all!

 For the cream mix:

One 12 oz container of Cool whip light.
2 packages of Fat free cream cheese (one package weighs 8oz) for a total of 16 oz. (the picture only shows one and 1/2 packages).
4 tablespoons of sugar.
3 tablespoons of Amaretto  (It is acceptable to use a less expensive brand for the preparation of desserts). Save your Di Saronno for your guests.
4 drops of almond extract (elective)


         Mix these ingredients with a mixer until well blended and place in the fridge.

While the cream chills in the fridge, you can move on to preparing the coffee mix.

Coffee mix:
I usually prepare the mix with Italian espresso.  Espresso gives Tiramisu' a stronger coffee aroma, which many Americans find too strong. You can substitute espresso with instant coffee which is milder but still has a stronger kick than regular brewed coffee. I use instant coffee when I have little time to brew a pot of espresso, I prefer Nescafe' but generic brands are OK too (best choice was used in this recipe).

3 cups of water
Instant coffee (amounts listed on  container for 2 cups of water)
3 tablespoons of sugar
3 tablespoons of Amaretto


Pour three cups of water (16 oz) in a microwaveable container and heat up to almost boiling point. Use a tea pot if you do not use or have a microwave.
Please remember to use pot holders to remove the container from the microwave :).
Add  the amount of coffee listed for three cups of water.

                      
                                                          Add the coffee

Add 3 tablespoons Amaretto 

Add three tablespoons of sugar and stir well, taste to see if is sweet enough since some coffee brands are more bitter then others

 

Now you can take the cream out of the fridge. It is time to open your first package of lady fingers (you will need two).

(I am working on developing  a gluten free lady fingers recipe. Stay tuned on this.)

                                                   Have a 9 x 13 pan ready
                                                

Drizzle the coffee on each cookie in a way they the cookie is completely covered with it but not soaked (you want a partial soak).
Do not dunk the cookie in the coffee as this will make the tiramisu' very soupy.

                                                           Layer the pan

                              


                                         Coat the cookies with a layer of cream

                                                       Sprinkle with cocoa 
                                                  and repeat the same process

Your Tiramisu' is now ready to be refrigerated. Allow it to chill for at least a couple of hours before serving. This dessert is always best consumed the next day. During this time the coffee and Amaretto have had time to perfectly soak within the texture of the cookies.
Enjoy!

Spaghetti with mussels

This is a dish typical of the the coastal areas of Sicily. It can be found in other parts of Italy as well and the ingredients can be various. Mussels are prepared in many different ways. In Italy they are often eaten raw, this is not a safe practice and the myth is that squeezing fresh lemon on a raw mussel kills possible bacterias. This is not always true and doesn't always prevent salmonella or other gastrointestinal infections. It is always best to cook your sea food thoroughly before consuming it. Make sure that the heat gets to the core of the mussels.The only way to know this, is by making sure that all the mussel shells are completely open before halting the cooking process.

The mussels I buy are from Costco, they are farm raised and come from Canada.The advantage of farm raised mussels is that they are free of sand and grit and they come from clean waters. The typical sea flavor that comes with non farmed mussels, is sort of lost in farmed mussels, but if you do not live by the sea you have to settle with what's available at the store, can't have everything right? Always inspect your mussels before you buy.If they are even slightly open, they are not very fresh, and if you wait a couple of days before cooking them, they will be wide open by then. Make sure that at least the majority of them look tightly closed.

Ingredients for 5 LB approximately 2.5 Kg of mussels


Mussels
2 cans of crushed tomatoes 15 oz each
12 cloves of garlic
Abundant fresh chopped parsley
Sea Salt
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of black pepper
 Extra Virgin olive oil

Prepare the mussels soon after you purchase them. They do not last long even if  refrigerated, and once they start opening up they are basically not good anymore (dead) :(

Make sure to store them in the coldest compartment of your fridge. I usually put them on the top shelf. To avoid possible mussels leaks and contamination to the lower levels, I place the mussels still in their package, straight inside a solid container with high borders (a baking pan).

Sort the mussels, place the open ones aside (they could be dead). I found that some open mussels are still hanging on and will close back up a few minutes after having been handled. This means that you can cook these mussel, they are still alive although probably on their way. Therefore do a second sorting round, you will be amazed by the open ones who were initially given for dead, they have now closed up and are ready for the pot! Hurray!!!!

Here is a photo of an open one which never closed up :(

Wash the mussels in fresh water and scrub them if they have debris.

Now your mussels are clean and ready :)

These are your ingredients, the photo only shows one can of tomatoes. You will need two. 

chop the garlic and the parsley.

Open up the two cans of crushed tomatoes, empty them in a large pot, then add your garlic and parsley, a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar.

                                                            and pepper :)

                                              and extra Virgin Olive oil
                                                   about 1/3 of  a cup

Stir well and let it get to a brief boil. Moment of wisdom...this is the moment of truth, you have to taste the sauce!! and check for saltiness as well as sweetness. Every good chef always does a taste check, this is what makes or breaks a dish. Is possible to add but impossible to take out, therefore season with small amounts until you reach the desired taste.

 Only then you can close with a lid and let this goodness 

simmer for about 12 minutes.

While you are waiting, you can start preparing the Tiramisu'....just kidding!!
A soon as the 12 minutes are up, move your mussels inside the delicious sauce, do this in layers, stirring and folding the sauce with the mussels until you have all of them in the pot.

Close with a lid and let the mussels simmer, stirring occasionally at low to medium flame for about 20-30 minutes. Make sure that all the mussels are opened before turning the flame off. It is imperative that the mussels are thoroughly cooked before consuming.

They are ready. You can now transfer the mussels in a separate container (it could be the one you will use to store whats left of them in the fridge). You need to transfer them out of the pot because there is a  delicious broth at the bottom! Yum!!

The suggested pasta for this dish is spaghetti or linguine. If you prepare pasta with the mussels, you want to take several of them and pull them out of their shells. You will mix these in the pasta in conjunction with the broth.

The pasta should be Al Dente, this is a very important feature of a good pasta dish.

 Some of the mussels can be served on the same plate. The pasta in the photos is gluten free and does not provide with the best representation for this dish  given its gooey consistency.  

You can also consume this dish without pasta. In this case the dish is served with  high quality Italian bread. The mussels are served with their broth in a deep dish, an empty bowl is provided where the empty shells are deposited.The bread is sponged in the broth in the Italian manner we call scarpetta. Buono!!!

Mussels are always served with dry white wine, preferably a Pinot. The rule can be broken by substituting this with a bubbly white wine. If you have to have a beer, I suggest Guinness. Enjoy!!