Italy meets Mexico, very successfully

Huevos Rancheros my favourite breakfast. I am constantly trying new variations and found adding in a little Italy, i.e. pancetta, was the final ingredient to perfection.

Huevos Rancheros is the classic Mexican breakfast of eggs in a tortilla. The dish usually includes scrambled eggs, shredded cheese and salsa. It can also include refried beans, whole beans, onions, peppers, cilantro and I am sure other things. My version sautés: pancetta, chopped onions, chipotle peppers, (I buy a canned version, dice up one and add to the pan) and add black beans. Once the onions are translucent, the pancetta rendered and the black beans soft I remove this pile and put in a bowl. I then fry up an egg easy-over, put in warmed tortilla, add the sautéed pile, and lastly add some finely chopped fresh cilantro, (really should take the leaves off the stems before chopping). I usually make two tortillas worth, and don’t need to eat for a long time – very filling. I love the runny yolk soaking mixing and soaking with everything else, but you can go with scrambled eggs or omelet-style if you prefer

Spain and Italy didn’t get along as well as expected this time

The thing about a tapas night, like every pot-luck I have ever attended, there is always way too much food. Two of my Christmas Eve tapas never even got served, (they were fully enjoyed later in the week).

At least my wife reigned me in before I made my planned fourth appetizer for the meal, yes I am a big part of the “too much” problem. Being lazy I dropped the experiment, baked brie with cranberry, pancetta and spiced pecans; next dinner party I guess.

The lack of love was not for the mini-Milano sandwiches which were their usual big hit. It was the Spanish Lustau Amontillado Sherry. While I acquired a taste for it, and it is a beautiful match for the prosciutto; it was simply too far from the accustomed taste buds of most.

If you try it, you must think of it as a tapas wine, it has no similarity to my mother’s sherry. The most remarkable thing is the total lack of linger/aftertaste. The taste happens in your mouth and is then gone, so works perfectly after a bite of prosciutto.

Italian “Tapas” and Sherry

The Spaniards have done a great thing with the word “tapas”. It communicates so much, and leaves many doors open. My wine expert friend Ramesh recently was in Spain for a course on Sherry – not your mother’s sweet pre-dinner aperitif either.

He tells me, for I know little of sherry, that there are many Sherries from ultra-sweet to bone dry. The dry Sherries work very well with the tapas we might call charcuterie – so this is my Christmas Eve plan given my mother has said we are doing only appetizers.

My plan goes as follows:

Cacciatore – sliced thick and on the diagonal

Mini-Milano grilled sandwiches – my daughter’s favourite and she will make them. (see https://jimmyprosciutto.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/cooking-with-my-kids/)

The proven pleasers, one-bite pancetta cups filled with Caesar salad, (see https://jimmyprosciutto.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/a-master-chef-from-the-canadian-institute-of-culinary-arts-science/)

And for something new will try this “christmasy” idea: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2009/11/25/holiday-appetizers-101-baked-brie-with-cranberry-pancetta-and-spiced-pecans/

And the sherry, per Ramesh’s recommendation is Lustau Amontillado, although I have had to search and source to find.

I promise a full report …

Brussel Sprouts bitter no more

Amazingly brussel sprouts seem to still be standard fare for the holidays, even though many people find them bitter. I love them and am always looking for ways to share.

The latest LCBO magazine sautés them in butter and adds prosciutto crisps at the end – hard to argue, (it doesn’t seem to be posted on the lcbo website yet).

Two weeks ago, having no prosciutto, I cut up the brussel sprouts and sauted with a very small amount of salametti and olive oil to positive reviews. The brussel sprouts take on a nutty flavour that combines with the salami beautifully; any bitterness in the sprouts is a subtle enhancer in the background.

Last weekend I sautéed some diced pancetta in olive oil, then sauteed the chopped brussel sprouts for about 10 minutes, 3 sprouts per person. Huge hit, we ran out and am planning to do for our family Christmas gathering.

I was also thinking of adding just a bit of white wine in the pan or balsamic glaze just before serving, maybe next time. They are also great roasted in the oven with garlic.

The Milano Sandwich

A few us had the opportuniy to work at the Gournet Food and Wine Expo last week end. Our company sold slices of a panino we have named “The Milano” for one ticket each. The response was overwhelming, we sold over 3,000 slices! The reaction to the panino was amazing, some people came back four times in under an hour. Others asked, “is this where I can get the amazing sandwich everyone it talking about?”

As I told many people, it is easy to make at home, my kids have been making for a couple years. If you don’t have a press, make it like a grilled cheese sandwich. Here is the link for the recipe:

http://www.sharemastro.com/en/recipes/milano.html

The one change we made at the show was to pour some Mastro olive oil inside as well as brushing on the outside, this added a beautiful flavour that I will always do in the future.

 The other things we did: when we ran out of prosciutto we replaced it with Smoked Prosciutto; and when we ran out of boconcini cheese we replaced it with provelone. I rated these adjustments as different, versus better or worse, the compliments did not stop. When we ran out of bread, we went to a nearby store to buy more, two times until they were sold out too.

A thank you to the many who tried and enjoyed “The Milano”.

“Ladies Day Out” Event

We had the grand prize event to our “Ladies Day Out” Contest this week. As hard as one prepares there are no guarantees the event will live up to expectation. This time it could not have been more enjoyable to be part of.

Each of 10 winners brought two friends to watch the filming of a Cityline show. They were then driven to Romagna Mia in a huge limousine, and wandered into the restaurant just before noon.

These women were so engaged and shared their personal experiences around the table and with the entire group, I could not have asked for a better group. And the food…

Chef Gabriele started us with a thin slice of pancetta wrapped around a shrimp and grilled. It was served with a balsamic vinegar reduction.

 Caesar salad added our feature ingredient, San Daniele Cube-etti prosciutto quickly sautéed and sprinkled over the top.

The grilled whole calamari was amazing.

The restaurants featured dish, risotto stirred into a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano, with truffles and the feature ingredient mixed in. The prosciutto was not cooked, just warmed by the risotto.

Pasta with a Bolognese sauce and finally tiramisu in a small shot glass, which was all the room left.

A great meal at Romagna Mia, with another one coming

We had a team supper out last night. I have had a good meal there before, but last night was amazing for all, especially the calamari and risotto. And the wine, a beautiful Brunello.

Chef Gabriele Paganelli is famous in Toronto, and you might have seen him on TV, for his risotto in a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano. After the risotto is ready he dumps it into a partially hollowed out wheel and stirs in the cheese that melts into the risotto.

We have a new promotion that starts Monday where the prize is the “ladies lunch experience”. 10 people with two friends each go to the shooting of a Cityline show. After the show they will take a limousine to Romagna Mia for an awesome lunch and cooking lesson using our new Cube-etti Prosciutto Pieces. We will definitely have the risotto on the menu. Here is the link if you are interested:

http://dev-contests-cityline-ca.rogers-test.com/cube-etti2010/index.aspx

Invention

My kids laugh me off when I talk about the “right” way to enjoy dry cured salami. They explore, they discover, they invent.

While they have never been huge eaters of “KD”, the authentic or knock-off, all of a sudden they love it – mixed with chunks of Salametti, one mild and the other hot.

I continue to pass, they continue to laugh (at me).

I love sharing and talking about a new idea or recipe. Tonia and Joseph are my favorites because no matter how great your idea is, they give you another idea or a variation to think about.

I was showing Joseph my Prosciutto and Blueberry Pizza photo when he came up with the great idea to replace the blueberries with fresh figs. If they are fully ripe we think to slice them thinly and put on with the prosciutto after the pizza is cooked. If not quite ripe, put them in a bit earlier to soften them up.

My brother-in-law dropped in last night so I took the last of a baguette and covered with gorgonzola and balsamic glaze for him. He heads to Italy in a week and is trying to figure how to bring home the ingredients – he lives in Norway. I am pretty sure this is against all slow food rules, but all cheese, especially gorgonzola, needs to be at room temperature to fully appreciate – I put the gorgonzola in the microwave for 20 seconds which softened it up nicely.

The Actual Prosciutto and Blueberry Pizza Experience

So I served the Prosciutto and Blueberry Pizza as an appetizer to guests last weekend. Overall it was very well received and I’ll serve again, with a few corrections.

My first advice is to read the recipe over, something I rarely do and usually at my peril. The recipe is at:

http://www.anticiplate.com/dinner/blueberry-prosciutto-pizza/

I failed to notice the recipe calls for blueberry jam, so I needed to put the pizza back in the oven to get the blueberries warm and soft. I think a simple adjustment of putting the blueberries at the start would be fine.

I absolutely support putting the prosciutto on after the pizza is cooked. This way the prosciutto is just slightly warmed, so you get the full prosciutto taste and texture.

The only other changes I made were: to use a thick balsamic glaze, versus the runnier balsamic vinegar; and I didn’t put the gorgonzola over the entire pizza to appease the true boss in by house.

As an aside, I spread gorgonzola on a baguette and ate with the balsamic glaze. This is a great starter, just need to remember to take the gorgonzola out so it is room temperature and the full flavour is realized.

(I had the opportunity of visiting the Igor gorgonzola factory in Italy last year. They are the largest producer of the cheese in the world, and their facility is off-the-scale first class. I buy the pre-packed wedge which I find at most grocery stores.)