Spaghetti alle Vongole

If you want to know about Spaghetti alle Vongole, you need to start with Ippolito Cavalcanti.  He was the Duke of Buonvicino, a small town nestled in the hills of mountains of the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily (now known as Calabria). The Cavalcanti were a noble family whose lineage goes back to Guido Cavalcanti, an accomplished poet in the 14th century. Guido was also the friend of another well known poet, philosopher and writer, Dante Alighieri.  

Unlike his forefather, Ippolito Cavalcanti was not a poet. Instead, he wrote a cookbook. That book is Cucina Teortico-practica. He published his cookbook in 1837; and, as it turns out, the book in some sense part-cookbook and part-history book. To be sure, there are recipes for dishes such as eggplant parmigiana and fried cod. However, the recipes provide a glimpse into the cuisine of Calabria during the early to mid 19th century. In more direct terms, those recipes document  what some people -- that is, the well to do -- were eating at that time. 

Ippolito Cavalcanti's Cookbook.

The Cucina Teortico-practica could have been relegated to the dusty bookshelves of time, but for one particular recipe: Spaghetti alle vongole. As it turns out, Ippolito Cavalcanti included the first known written recipe for that dish in his cookbook.  

Ippolito's recipe has just five ingredients: pasta, olive oil, garlic. parsley and clams. That's it. Yet, those five ingredients have become associated with an authentic spagehetti alle vongole. Those five ingredients constitute what every Calabrian envisions when served a pasta dish with clams. If you are using a recipe that calls for white wine or crushed red pepper flakes, then you are cooking a dish that is not authentic. If you add grated cheese, either during the preparation or while eating the dish, then you are destined for one of Dante Alighieri's nine circles of hell. My guess is that the circle in which you find yourself probably depends upon what kind of cheese you grate over the dish.  

There is a reason for such simplicity in the ingredients. The whole point of the dish -- its culinary raison d'etre -- is to highlight the taste of the clams.  Each briny little bite should transport the eater to the shallow waters of the Mediterranean, along the Calabrian coast, where he or she is standing knee deep in the crystal blue waters with a clam rake and a bucket.  That is quite the feat for an 18th century Duke and cookbook author whose tiny little town was more than a two-hour walk from the nearest coastline.  

Vongole Veraci.

Moreover, just any clam will do. The authentic spaghetti alle vongole is prepared with the vongole verace or "true clam." That clam is the venerupis dessiucata, which can be found in those Medditerranean waters around the ports of Calabria. Yet, unless you live in Calabria and dig out those clams yourself, you are most likely going to be using clams from some other part of the world. I try to purchase clams as locally as I can, and, the best supplier that I have found in the region where I live is Cherrystone Aqua Farms. They have both little-neck clams and middle-neck clams (as well as some excellent oysters. The general rule for choosing clams to be used in pasta recipes is the smaller the better.  Smaller clams are more tender than larger ones. They are also easier to overcook, which will defeat the purpose of using smaller clams. I used some middle-neck clams, which were probably the largest clams that I would use for this recipe. 

Now, I reach the point where I have to admit that, despite everything I have written to this point, the following recipe is not a traditional spaghetti alle vongole dish. The reason is -- gasp --  it uses white wine. While Ippolito Cavalcanti may be looking down disapprovingly at me, I figured that I could never prepare an authentic dish anyways because I was not using vongole veraci. So, I thought that a little white wine would not hurt. After all, I planned on opening a bottle to drink as I enjoyed the dish.  (One last tip: don't use Pinot Grigio, this dish requires a dry wine, like an Orvieto or Trebbiano.) 

SPAGHETTI ALLE VONGOLE

Recipe from Taste Cooking

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of vongole veraci or other small clams in their shells
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
• 1 pound spaghetti
• Salt

Directions:

1. Prepare the clams.  Soak the clams overnight in water and salt to clean them. Put the clams (still in their shells) in an open saute pan with a little olive oil and a clove of garlic over low-medium heat.  Be careful not to burn the garlic.  Stir the clams until they are all open.  Once the clams are open, add 1/2 cup of white wine, the parsley and then a second clove of thinly diced garlic.  Stir and then remove from heat. 

2. Cook the pasta.  Cook the pasta in salted water. 

3. Finish the dish.  Drain the pasta 1 minute before done and add it to the saute pan with the clams.  Turn the heat on high and let the pasta cook the last minute together with the clams and their shells.  Serve with or without shells. 

For more about spaghetti alle vongole, check out the well written posts at Taste Cooking and Phase Changes Kitchen. 

ENJOY!

Linguine with Red Clam Sauce

Recently, my sister and brother-in-law bought me a shellfish grilling grate.  It combines two things that I really love ... shellfish and grilling.  Once I had the grate, I immediately began thinking of different recipes that I could make.  The grate can be used to grill all sorts of shellfish, from mussels, to clams, to oysters.   For me, the appropriate starting point was the grilling of clams.  

I still needed a recipe.  My mind turned to a recipe of pasta with clams.  The Italians would call it spaghetti alla vongole or spaghetti with clams.  I looked at a few recipes, and settled on one from Food & Wine magazine.  The recipe called for the use of packaged clams or for fresh clams that would be steamed with the sauce.  I decided to adapt that recipe by using not only the packaged clams, but also adding a step for grilled clams.  This meant that the recipe would have double the clams, which, like most culinary things, meant it would be twice as good.

The use of grilled clams was truly an inspiration.  Grilling clams is much better than steaming clams.  For one thing, the grilled clams were perfect, just the right texture and sitting in a little bath of clam juice.  Quite a few of those clams never made it to the final dish, because I kept eating them as I prepared the pasta and sauce.  Nevertheless, the process of grilling clams produced a briny, tasty shellfish that elevated this traditional pasta dish into a completely different and much better experience.   

LINGUINE WITH RED CLAM SAUCE

Recipe adapted from Food & Wine

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 bag of little neck clams

1/4 cup olive oil

4 large cloves of garlic, chopped

2/3 cup of dry white wine

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Pinch of dried red pepper flakes

3 cups of canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree

     (one 28 ounce can)

1 cup bottled clam juice

1 1/4 teaspoons salt, more, if needed

3/4 pound of chopped clams, drained (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black  pepper

3/4 pound linguine

Directions:

1.  Grill the clams.  Heat a grill on high heat.  Arrange the clams on the grill rack and place on the grill.  Cook the clams for about 5 to 7 minutes until all clams have opened.

2.  Begin the sauce.  In a large frying pan, heart the oil over moderately low heat.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Add the wine, thyme and red pepper flakes; bring to a simmer.  Cook until reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes.

3.  Continue the sauce.  Add the tomatoes, clam juice and salt.  Raise the heat to moderate and bring to a simmer.  cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Add the chopped clams and bring back to a simmer.  Continue simmering until the clams are just done, about 1 minute longer.Stir in the parsley and black pepper.  Taste the sauce for salt, and add more if needed.

4.  Cook the pasta.  Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the linguine until just done, about 12 minutes.  Drain and toss with sauce. 

Tagliatelle alla Bolognese

If someone were to ask me what pasta dish would I order at an Italian restaurant, I would reply "the Bolognese."  A "Bolognese," which is also referred to as a "ragu," is a sauce of chopped meat and vegetables cooked in a liquid, such as water or wine.  The sauce is perhaps the most familiar dish from the cuisine of Emilia-Romagna.  And, if it is done right, the Bolognese is perhaps one of the best pasta sauces ever created, not only in Italy, but perhaps the entire world (at least in my humble opinion).  

Speaking of origins, the earliest documented recipe for a Bolognese dates back to the late 1700s.   Lynn Rossetto Kasper writes in her book, The Splendid Table, that Alberto Alvisi, a cook to the Cardinal of Imola, made a sauce that he called "ragu for maccheroni."  The first published recipe was written by Pellegrino Artusi in his 1891 cookbook, La Scienza in Cucina e L'Arte di Mangiare Bene ("The Science of Cooking and the Art of Eating Well").  The recipe called for veal fillets, butter, onions and carrots.  The ingredients were to be minced finely, cooked in the butter, and then covered with a broth.   Artusi also suggested adding mushrooms to improve the taste, as well as cream to make a smoother sauce.  

A lot of time has passed since Artusi published his recipe.  With time, comes change.  At some point over the years, decades and centuries, cooks began to use other proteins, such as beef and pork.   They also substituted water or wine for the broth.  The changes went beyond mere substitutions. Cooks decided to add other ingredients, such as tomato paste.  Many of these changes were probably brought about by necessity, such as the availability of cost of beef.  Other changes were probably made to alter the taste, such as the use of wine over broth.  In the end, these changes produced a sauce made with minced meat, onions, carrots, celery and tomato paste, all of which are cooked in a liquid of the cook's choice.  

One final note about this recipe.  Traditionally, a Bolognese is served with Tagliatelle pasta, which is the traditional type of pasta in Emilia-Romagna.  Tagliatelle is a long, flat pasta.  The flatness of the pasta is the key.  You want a surface that can serve as a canvas for the sauce.  Tagliatelle can be a little hard to find, especially if you do not have an Italian store near you.  If you can't find that pasta, you can use Fettuccine or even Pappardelle.  Just avoid the dried pasta.  A Bolognese should only grace fresh pasta.   It definitely costs more to buy fresh pasta.  However, trust me.  It is definitely worth the cost.  

TAGLIATELLE ALLA BOLOGNESE

Recipe from Oscar Farinetti, How to Eataly at pg. 56

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small yellow onion, minced

1 small carrot, minced

1 rib celery, minced

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

4 ounces ground veal

4 ounces ground pork

4 ounces ground beef

Fine sea salt, to taste

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 cup tomato paste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup chicken or beef stock

Coarse sea salt for pasta cooking water

Fresh tagliatelle

Grated grana cheese, for serving

Directions:

1.  In a heavy Dutch oven or large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, melt the butter with the olive oil.  Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the carrot, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and fragrant, about 2 minutes more.

2.  Crumble the veal, pork and beef into the pot.  Season with fine sea salt.  Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the meat has rendered most of its fat and is just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.  Spoon out and discard some of the rendered fat, but leave enough to cover the bottom of the pan.  (This will depend upon the meat that you are using - there may not be an excessive amount of fat.)

3.  Add the wine and increase the heat to medium.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine has evaporated, about 6 minutes.

4.  Decrease the heat to low, add the tomato paste, stir to combine and cook, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add the stock and adjust the heat if necessary to reach a gentle simmer.  Simmer until the stock has reduced but the sauce is still moist, about 45 minutes longer.  Taste the sauce, adjust the seasoning if necessary and remove from the heat.

5.  Bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta.  When the water is boiling, salt it with coarse salt and add the pasta.  Cook until the pasta rises to the surface of the water.  

6.  Smear a small amount of the sauce on the bottom of a warmed pasta serving bowl. 

7.  When the pasta is cooked, drain it in a colander, then transfer it immediately to the serving bowl.  Top with the remaining sauce and toss vigorously to combine.  Serve immediately with grated cheese on the table.

ENJOY!

Rigatoni with Shrimp, Calamari and Basil

Recently, my parents came to visit and spend some time with us and our little guy.  My mother brought a recipe that she wanted to make for dinner.  The recipe was for Rigatoni with Shrimp, Calamari and Basil.  My mother found the recipe online through Epicurious.  The original source was a recipe by Chef Michael White, which was printed in Bon Appetit.

Chef White is the Executive Chef and Co-Owner of AltaMarea,  a restaurant group that includes Marea, which means "tide" in Italian.  Marea is Chef White's "ode to Italian seafood." Chef White describes Marea as "redefin[ing] the seascape of high-end Italian cuisine serving regional foods of Italy that are heavily influenced by ingredients drawn from the four bodies of water that surround the boot." Given the restaurant has two Michelin stars, as well as being part of Relais & Chateaux, one can assume that Chef White has done an excellent job of redefining the seascape of Italian seafood dishes.

This particular dish focuses on two seafood ingredients that are very common from Liguria to Calabria, Venice to Apulia, and all points in between: shrimp and squid.  These ingredients find themselves in a wide variety of dishes, including many that I have previously prepared, such as my Brodetto dei Pescatore di Abruzzo (Abruzzese Fishermen's Stew) and Seafood Risotto.

For this recipe, my mother and I used 16 to 20 count shrimp (i.e., there are approximately 16 to 20 shrimp per pound).  The recipe requires reserving half of the shrimp for a finely chopped mixture that is incorporated into the sauce, with the rest being sauteed and added to the pasta at the end.  After setting aside the requisite number of shrimp, I was still able to ensure at least three shrimp per serving.  You can use smaller counts of shrimp, such as 26/30, which will guarantee more whole shrimp for each dish.  I would not use shrimp any smaller than 26/30, because the smaller sizes take away from the presentation. 

My mother and I also used whole calamari bodies, but not the tentacles, as the recipe directs.  I really wanted to use the tentacles, because I think that the tentacles provide an interesting element to the presentation and that they are very delicious.  However, my mother disagrees on both counts.  So, we bought the squid bodies and prepared them in accordance with the directions.

When it came to preparing the shrimp and the squid, I got to work with my dad (who is also a very good cook himself).  We de-shelled and de-veined the shrimp, as well as double-checked the squid to make sure that it was thoroughly cleaned and prepped for use in the dish.

The best part of this recipe is the fact that I got to make it with my mom and dad.  Unfortunately, opportunities for me to cook with my parents are few and far between, because of time and distance.  I really enjoy the time that I spend with my mom and dad in the kitchen.  Since I started cooking, my mother has shared recipes, such as the Bolek Family Tomato Sauce and the Bolek Family Standing Rib Roast, that have become some of my most treasured recipes.  I wish that I had more opportunities to cook with my parents and to create more such enjoyable and memorable experiences. 

RIGATONI WITH SHRIMP, CALAMARI AND BASIL

Recipe by Chef Michael White, printed in Bon Appetit
Collaboration between Chef Bolek and his Mom and Dad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined, divided

14 ounces cleaned calamari (bodies only, tentacles reserved 

     for another use)

12 ounces rigatoni pasta

6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

3 cups of thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only, about 3 large)

3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1 8 ounce bottle of clam juice

1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese

3/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions:

1.  Prepare the shrimp and calamari.  Place half of the shrimp in a medium bowl.  Slice half of the calamari crosswise into 1/3 inch wide rings and place in a small bowl.  Coarsely chop remaining shrimp and calamari, place in processor.  Blend until shrimp mixture is finely chopped.  Transfer to another bowl.

2.  Cook the pasta.  Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling.  Cook pasta until just tender but still firm to bit, stirring occasionally.

3.  Make the sauce.   Heat 5 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add leeks, garlic and crushed red pepper.  Saute until leeks are tender but not brown, about 5 minutes.  Add chopped shrimp mixture, stir until shrimp and calamari are just opaque, about 2 minutes.  Add clam juice and peas, simmer until flavors blend, about 3 minutes.  Stir in 3 tablespoons of butter.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set sauce aside, cover to keep warm.

4.  Saute the shrimp and calamari.  Melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add reserved whole shrimp and saute for 2 minutes.  Add calamari rings to shrimp, sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute until just opaque, about two minutes longer.  Remove from heat. 

5.  Complete the dish.  Drain pasta and return to the same pot.  Add the chopped shrimp and calamari sauce, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 cup basil and toss to blend.   Divide pasta among 4 bowls.  Top each serving with sauteed shrimp mixture, sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of basil.  Serve with additional grated cheese.

Finally, the recipe suggested pairing  this dish with a dry white with a hint of acidity like a Benito Ferrara Greco di Tufo (Italy, $25) or a Falanghina dei Feudi di San Gregorio (Calabria, $15).

ENJOY!

Meatballs with Orecchiette, Kale and Pine Nuts

I am not the only one who cooks in our family.  My beautiful wife, Clare, is also a great cook and a great baker.  Every once in a while, I ask my Angel to provide a guest blog post so that I can share some of the amazing and delicious things that she makes for family, friends and, of course, me.  She has already provided guest blog posts about Cuban Bread, Loyalist Bread, Salmon Burgers, Peach Cobbler and Parmesan Soufflé with White Wine Butter Sauce.   So, without further ado,

A Guest Blog Post by Clare ...

This dish -- Meatballs with Orecchiette, Kale and Pine Nuts -- was the second dish from our recent wine club dinner.  As Keith previously explained in connection with the first dish, Grilled Seafood with Romesco Sauce, we hosted a wine dinner based on the recipes of Chef Gordon Ramsay.  Keith has watched a lot of Gordon Ramsay's shows, like Hell's Kitchen and Master Chef; however, we did not want this dinner to be like either of those shows.  Instead, the recipes were chosen to reflect Gordon Ramsay's interest in various cuisines.

This recipe is a both a display of Southern Italian cuisine and a twist with the flavors.  Orecchiette is a traditional pasta from Apulia, a region in southern Italy.  In Apulia, this pasta may be served with broccoli, anchovies and chiles.  The twist comes from Chef Ramsay's substitution of meatballs, kale and pine nuts.   

We decided to add our own little twist to Chef Ramsay's recipe.  His recipe calls for the use of beef meatballs; however, I do not eat red meat.  So, Keith suggested that we substitute ground turkey for ground meat.  I do eat turkey, so that substitution worked well.

Both Keith and I really liked this dish; and, I think we will make this recipe again ... if at the very least to ensure that Keith gets enough greens in his diet. 

MEATBALLS WITH ORECCHIETTE, KALE AND PINE NUTS

Recipe from Gordon Ramsay's Cookery Course

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the pasta):

2 cups of dried orecchiette pasta

2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

Slightly less than 1 cup of kale

4 tablespoons of pine nuts, toasted

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Ingredients (for the meatballs):

1 small onion, peeled and finely diced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced

Olive oil

1 teaspoon of dried chile flakes

1 pound of minced beef (or turkey)

1/3 cup of fresh breadcrumbs

3-4 tablespoons of milk

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1.  Prepare the meatballs.  Saute the onion and garlic with seasoning in a hot oiled frying pan for about 5 minutes until soft and lightly colored, adding the chile flakes after a minute or two.  Place the mince in a large bowl and add seasoning.  Put the breadcrumbs in a separate bowl and moisten with the milk.  Add seasoning, then stir the breadcrumbs and onion mixture into the mince and combine well.  With wet hands, shape the mince mixture into small balls about 2 centimeters wide.  Transfer to a lightly greased plate or tray and chill for 30 minutes until firm. 

2.  Cook the pasta.  Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente, according to packet instructions.  

3.  Prepare the meatballs and kale.  Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and add a little olive oil.  Brown the meatballs for 6 minutes until colored on all sides.   Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 2 minutes until tender, then add the kale and season.  Sweat the kale over medium heat for 5 minutes with a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water from the pasta.  Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessarty, then stir in the pine nuts.

4.  Finish the dish.  Drain the pasta, reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking water.  Tip the pasta into the pan with the meatballs and stir over a medium-low heat until well mixed.  Add a good handful of finely grated Parmesan, and mix well with a little cooking water to help coat the pasta.  Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.  Serve garnished with another grating of Parmesan.

And, as Keith says ...

ENJOY!

Fettuccine with Asparagus Puree

This dish represents a first for me, a recipe made from something I found on Pinterest.  I started using Pinterest several months ago, primarily as another source of recipes.  However, I did not find much that interested me and, as often happens, I stopped going to Pinterest for ideas.  Recently, however, I decided to give it another shot.  I set up Pinterest Boards for Chef Bolek and started to look for recipes again.  

Fortunately, I found some recipes that I wanted to try to make.  One of those recipes is Fettuccine with Asparagus Puree, which I found on a board set up by Chef Marcus Samuelsson.  Chef Samuelsson is one of the few chefs who I follow on various social media (like Pinterest).  Chef Samuelsson has a very interesting back story.  He and his sisters were born in Ethiopia, adopted by a Swedish couple and raised in Sweden.  Now, Chef Samuellson is a very successful chef with restaurants that I hope to visit someday, like Red Rooster in Harlem and the American Table Brasserie and Bar in Stockholm.

Although I was never a fan of asparagus when I was a kid, I have recently began eating more of the vegetable.  My preferred way of making asparagus is to grill it, but, this recipe provides an interesting twist to using those spears.  This recipe places the asparagus at the center of a sauce.  The other ingredients -- spinach, garlic and pine nuts -- makes this sauce into a sort of a pesto.  The recipe calls for the sauce to be served with spinach fettuccine.  While I would ordinarily make my own pasta, I was very happy to use some fresh, store-bought pasta.  This made the recipe very quick and easy to make. 

FETTUCCINE WITH ASPARAGUS PUREE RECIPE

Recipe adapted from one by Joanne Bruno, 

available at Marcus Samuelsson

Ingredients:

1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and halved crosswise

3 handfuls of baby spinach

2 cloves of garlic

1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup toasted pine nuts

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

12 ounces fresh spinach fettuccine

Directions:

1.  Bring water to boil.  Bring two pots of salted water to a boil.  Use a larger pot to cook the pasta and a smaller pot to blanch the asparagus. 

2.  Blanch the asparagus.  Drop the asparagus into the pot of salted water.  Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the spears are bright green.  Transfer to a bowl of iced water.  Let sit for a minute or two and drain.  

3.  Make the asparagus puree.  Add the asparagus to the blender, along with the spinach, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and 3/4 cup of the pine nuts to the processor.  Puree the ingredients.  With the motor still on, drizzle in the 1/4 cup of olive oil until a paste forms.  It should be the consistency of a pesto.  Add in the lemon juice and salt, to taste.

4.  Cook the pasta.  Cook the pasta until al dente.  Drain and toss with the asparagus puree.  Sprinkle with the remaining pine nuts. 

One final note.  If you want to "Chef Bolek" this recipe, then you should add some torn prosciutto (about 1/8 of a pound per serving) over the pasta, with a healthy serving of Parmesan cheese.  The addition of the prosciutto makes this very delicious vegetarian dish into an equally delicious carnivore dish.   

ENJOY!

Penne Rigate with Asparagus-Pistachio Pesto

One of the most interesting chefs and television personalities is Andrew Zimmern.  I am a big fan of his television shows, especially Bizarre Foods.  Andrew has a very interesting and inspiring personal history.  He moved to Minnesota in the 1990s to receive treatment for chemical dependency and alcoholism.  After he finished the treatment program, he found a job at a French restaurant called Café Un Deux Trois.  Although Andrew washed dishes and bussed tables, he closely watched the chef, who had spent a few years learning under Chef Bouley in New York City.  Andrew watched the chef closely, and, when a line cook called in sick, Andrew took the job as a line cook.  After a few weeks, Andrew climbed the ranks and took over the kitchen.

I have been wanting to make some of Andrew's recipes for quite a while.  Recently, I came across a recipe for Rigatoni with Asparagus-Pistachio Pesto.  This recipe dates back to Café Un Deux Trois.  Andrew recalls that the the old chef at the restaurant claimed to have gotten the recipe from Chef Bouley.  Whether or not that is true, Andrew notes that the recipe is delicious.

And, Andrew is right.  This recipe is very delicious.  I made two changes to his recipe.  First, I substituted rigatoni with penne rigate.  Really, this dish could be prepared with any pasta, although I think rigatoni and penne rigate, as well as fusilli or orcchiette, would be the best pasta for this dish. Second, I used regular Parmesan cheese rather than Parmigiano Reggiano because I was making this dish for my beautiful wife, Clare.  Given she is pregnant, unpasteurized cheeses -- like Parmigiano Reggiano -- are off the table.  However, regular Parmesan is pasteurized and it works as a good substitute. 

PENNE RIGATE WITH ASPARAGUS-PISTACHIO PESTO

Adapted from recipe by Andrew Zimmern and available at Food & Wine

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of pine nuts

1 1/2 pounds of asparagus, cut into 1 inch lengths

3 medium carrots, chopped

1 medium shallot, chopped

1/2 cup packed basil leaves

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon of honey

2 teaspoons of thyme, finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon zest, finely grated

1 teaspoon of cumin

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, plus more for tossing

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 pound of Penne Rigate

1 cup of vegetable broth

4 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1/4 cup unsalted roasted pistachios, very finely chopped

1/3 cup parsley, chopped

Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:

1.  Toast the pine nuts.  Preheat the oven to 400°. Spread the pine nuts in a pie plate and toast for about 3 minutes, until golden brown.

2.  Begin preparing the pesto.  In the bowl of a food processor, combine the asparagus with the carrots and shallot and process until finely chopped. Scrape the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Stir in the basil, garlic, honey, thyme, lemon zest, cumin and the 1/4 cup of olive oil. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once, until the vegetables are soft and just starting to brown. Season with salt and pepper.

3.  Cook the pasta.  Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Transfer the pasta to a baking sheet and toss with olive oil.

4.  Finish the pesto and the dish.   In a very large skillet, combine the cooked vegetables with the chicken stock and butter and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 4 minutes. Add the pasta, pine nuts, pistachios and the reserved 1/2 cup of pasta water and cook, tossing, until the sauce is thick and the pasta is coated. Stir in the parsley and chopped bacon and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta to bowls and serve, passing the grated cheese at the table. 

ENJOY!

Pasta Salad with Melon and Pancetta

Recently, I wanted wanted to make different dishes for my beautiful wife, Clare.  (This is just one of the many ways that she inspires my cooking hobby.)  I decided that I would try something very different ... a pasta salad.  I do not make pasta salads, which is rather odd given how much I love pasta.  I guess that, for me, pasta is always something that is served hot, with a a warm sauce.  (I would be remiss if I did not mention the meatballs and sausage.)  Cold pasta in salad form did not seem to fit into that mold.  Do not get me wrong, I eat pasta salads and really like most pasta salads.  I just never thought of making one.

Once I decided to make a pasta salad, I set off through the Internet to find a recipe that was interesting enough for me to try.  I came across a recipe from the Bon Appetit website.  The recipe called for the use of orecchiete, which is the ear-shaped pasta that originated from Puglia (or Apulia).  It also incorporated a couple of ingredients that I really like ... melon and, of course, pancetta.  The combination of pasta, melon and pancetta work very well together.  The recipe also calls for ricotta salata, a dry version of ricotta cheese, to be used like a garnish.  I could not find any ricotta salata at the store where I did my shopping; so, I decided to leave it out.  The salad still turned out very well. 

PASTA SALAD WITH MELON AND PANCETTA

Adapted from a recipe by Soa Davies in Bon Appetit (Aug. 2012)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 to 3 ounces of pancetta

4 ounces of orecchiette pasta

Kosher salt

3 1/2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

2 1/2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar

2 cups of melon, cut into 1 inch cubes

1/3 cup of fresh mint, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons of thinly sliced scallon

Pinch of crushed red pepper

Freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce shaved ricotta salata or crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

1. Brown the pancetta.  Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Arrange the pancetta in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Bake until brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.  Let the pancetta stand until cool enough to handle, then break into bite size pieces or into crumbles.

2.  Cook the pasta.  Cook pasta in medium pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally until al dente.  Drain the pasta and run under cold water to cool.  Drain and set aside.  

3.  Finish the dish.  Whisk oil and vinegar in a large bowl.  Add half of pancetta, cooked pasta, melon, half of mint, scallion and red pepper flakes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Transfewr to a serving dish and sprinkle remaining pancetta and mint over the salad. 

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

There were no recommendations provided with the recipe for pairing the dish with either beer or wine.  Given the lightness of the salad, I think that the best pairing would also be on the lighter side.  If you are looking for a beer, a light pilsner would work well.  If you are lookinf for a wine, a light white wine, such as .  Here are a couple of potential options:

Great Lakes Brewing Company -- The Wright Pils

Pilsner

Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Light flavors of hops and malts

L'Ecole No. 41 -- Columbia Valley Sémillon

87% Sémillon and 13% Sauvignon Blanc

Walla Walla, Washington, USA

Flavors of apples, pear and a little melon

ENJOY!

Orecchiette with Mushrooms and Shrimp

Many of the Chef Bolek original dishes are conceived and executed on a whim, with thought given to complementing and contrasting flavors and cooking techniques.  Sometimes, those thoughts change while I am actually making the dish. 

This recipe is a good example of this process.  Initially, I decided to make a dish that incorporated three main ingredients: (1) pasta; (2) shrimp and (3) mushrooms.  The latter two ingredients do not necessarily go together, although the first and third ingredients definitely go well together.  So I gave a lot of thought about how to tie them all together.  I decided to use flavors that work well with all three ingredients, such as shallots, garlic and white wine.  I also added a few herbs and seasonings to complete the dish. 

During the prep work, however, I decided that I should use the stems from the shiitake mushrooms and the shells of the shrimp to make an impromptu stock.  I added a couple of other ingredients, such as bay leaves, peppercorn and salt to help develop the flavors of the stock.  I had intended to use the stock as the beginning of the sauce that would go over the pasta.  As the cooking process began, I decided to use only some of the stock.

In the end, this recipe is still only a rough one.  It needs work, but the experimentation with the flavors worked.  I hesitate to add this to the blog; however, the improvement of this dish is something that I want to add to my "to do" list. As I make changes or improvements to this recipe, I'll update this post.

ORECCHIETTE WITH MUSHROOMS AND SHRIMP

A Chef Bolek Original

Serve 2-3

Ingredients:

2 cup of orechiette

2 garlic cloves, finely diced

2 shallots, finely diced

1/3 pound of shiitake mushrooms, sliced, stems reserved

1/3 pound of cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 bay leaves 

1/4 teaspoon of pink or black peppercorns

1/2 tablespoon of flat leaf parsley

12 shrimp, de-shelled and de-veined, reserve shells

1/8 teaspoon of sea salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme
12 teaspoons of dry white wine

1 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese, grated finely

Directions:

1.  Make a stock.  Add the shrimp shells, shiitake mushrooms, parsley, sea salt, peppercorns to a small pot and cover with water.  Heat on high and boil for at least 30 minutes and no more than sixty minutes.

2.  Heat the water for the pasta.  Bring a pot of water to a boil.

3.  Saute the mushrooms.  Add the mushrooms to a pan over high heat.  Stir occasionally while the mushrooms release their moisture, for about four to five minutes.  Add a tablespoon of stock, stirring the mushrooms, until it is absorbed by the mushrooms.  Repeat this several times, adding a tablespoon of stock while stirring the mushrooms.  Then add the shallots and garlic.  Saute until the shallots are soft and translucent.  Add six teaspoons of white wine and continue to stir the mushroom, shallot and garlic mixture.  Remove and set aside the mushroom mixture.

4.  Cook the pasta. Once the pot of water is boiling, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.  It should take between seven to ten minutes to cook. 

5.  Cook the shrimp.  As the pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat.  Add the shrimp and cook for one minute.  Flip the shrimp and add the mushroom mixture, as well as the remaining six teaspoons of wine.  Continue to cook for a couple of minutes.   

6.  Finish the dish.  Once the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta and add it to the saute pan with the shrimp and mushrooms.  Stir well to coat the pasta, and add two large pinches of Pecorino Romano.  Season with ground black pepper and salt.  Serve with the remaining Pecorino Romano. 

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

This recipe is best paired with white wine.  I chose a white wine from the Languedoc region of France, which worked fairly well.  The clean taste of the wine, which included some grapefruit, lemon and mineral, actually paired well with the mushrooms and the shrimp.

Unfortunately, I could not think of a beer that would go well with this dish, at least as the recipe is currently written.

ENJOY!

Pappardelle with Spicy Lamb Ragu

For a couple of years, I went to wine tastings with Clare at the National Geographic Society.  At these tastings, Joshua Wesson (the founder of Best Cellars) introduced the audience to an array of different wines and, in the process, offer advice on pairing those wines with food.  I really enjoyed those tastings and, at one of them, I bought Josh's cookbook, Wine & Food: A New Look at Flavor.  This cookbook is a great read, especially for someone like myself ... who knows little about wine pairing but is eager to learn.  It contains over fifty recipes and, just like the wine tastings, Joshua provides wine pairing suggestions for each one. 

I have read Joshua's book a few times, trying to absorb as much as I can about wine tasting and pairing.  I have always wanted to make some of the recipes from the book and pair them to the wines that Josh recommends.  One particular recipe is the Pappardelle with Spicy Lamb Ragu.  This dish draws its inspiration from Bolognese-style sauce.  Recently, I purchased a package of pappardelle from a local store with the specific intent of making this recipe.  However, I have been very busy at work lately and I kept putting off making this dish.  The package of pappardelle sat in our pantry for days and then weeks. 

After one particularly long and hard day at work, I decided that I would make the Pappardelle with Spicy Lamb Ragu.  My decision was definitely worth it. I followed the recipe with one exception.  I substituted unsalted beef stock for beef broth.  I made this substitution because I generally prefer using stock to broth, and, when a recipe calls for broth, I almost invariably substitute stock.  The dish still turned out very well and, as exhausted as I was, I enjoyed a great meal  ... and two great lunches thereafter. 

PAPPARDELLE WITH SPICY LAMB RAGU

Recipe from Joshua Wesson, Wine & Food, A New Look at Flavor, page 129

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pound of ground lamb

1 yellow onion, minced

1 cup finely chopped fresh cremini mushrooms

1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper, or to taste

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 3/4 cups of reduced sodium beef broth

1/4 cup dry red wine

1 cup tomato sauce

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

2 small fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3/4 pound dried pappardelle

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese,

     plus more for serving

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Directions:

1.  Brown the lamb.  In a non-stick frying pan large enough to hold the sauce and the pasta, heat the oil over high heat.  Add the lamb and saute, stirring to break up any clumps, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the lamb to a plate.

2.  Saute the vegetables.  Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan and return the pan to medium heat.  Add the onion, mushrooms, and red pepper flakes and saute until the mushrooms have released their moisture and the onion is translucent and soft, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. 

3.  Finish the sauce.  Return the lamb to the pan and add the broth, 1/2 cup of water, the wine, tomato sauce, tomato paste and rosemary.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered until the sauce has thickened slightly, 25-30 minutes.  Add the vinegar and cook for 1 minute longer.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Keep warm over low heat.

4.  Cook the pasta.  About 15 minutes before the sauce is ready, bring a large pot three-fourths full of salted water to a boil.  Add the pappardelle and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes or according to the package directions.   

5.  Finish the dish. Raise the heat under the sauce to medium.  Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce, and toss and stir to combine.  Add the 1/4 cup of Parmesan, the parsley and again toss to combine. 

6.  Plate the dish.  Divide the pasta among warmed shallow bowls and serve right away.  Pass additional Parmesan at the table. 

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

As I  mentioned at the outset of this post, the great thing about Joshua's book is that he offers pairing suggestions for each of the recipes.  The suggestions include New World wines, Old World wines, and alternative pairings.  For this recipe, the "New World" match was a Sangiovese wine from the Mendoza region of Argentina.  The "Old World" pairing was a northern Italian Barbara wine.  The "alternative pairing" was a Californian Blanc de Noirs or a Sangiovese Rose.  Of all these suggestions, I was able to find a Barbera d'Asti, which comes from the northern Italian region of Piedmont:

Crivelli -- Collina La Mora Barbera D'Asti (2009)
100% Barbera
D'Asti, Piedmont, Italy
Flavors of cherries and raspberries with faint hint of spice

According to Josh, a Barbera wine has the natural acidity to match with the tomato in the sauce and to balance the richness of the ground lamb.  He was right.  The Barbera worked perfectly with this dish. 

ENJOY!

Saffron Tagliatelle, Blue Crab, Cardamom Cream Sauce

Every once in a while, I have the urge to make pasta.  The urge is necessary because I have a rule against buying pasta that I can make my self.  My most recent urge was to try to make saffron pasta.  This is a lot harder than I thought.  The first batch did not work at all.  I was a little dispirited, but, I decided I would try again.  After all, I was making dinner for my beautiful wife, who volunteers to try some of the unusual things that I make.  

While saffron pasta may seem out of the ordinary, this dish falls within the category of "unusual dishes" because of the sauce.  I did not want to do a red sauce or a white sauce.  I wanted to do something different.  As ingredients raced through my head, there was one that caught my attention .... cardamom.  I thought that cardamom would match well with the saffron in the pasta.  So, it was decided.  I would make a cardamom cream sauce.

The sauce probably needs some work and refinement.  The major components are heavy cream, citrus (lemon and lime) and cardamom.  I used ground cardamom, but you could easily buy a few pods (green cardamom pods work best), toast them and grind them into powder.  Finally, I added some crab, using both lump and backfin, so that there would be different sized pieces of crabmeat in the sauce.  

The sauce turned out a little lighter than I expected, but this is probably because I am not a big fan of thick, white sauces.  I could not bring myself to make an alfredo-type sauce, so I ended up with a lighter sauce that, while covering the noodles, did not really show though in the pasta.

Even though the sauce did not work out like I wanted, I am still fascinated by the saffron-cardamom pairing.  I am definitely going to make this sauce again and I will update this post with each effort.

\

SAFFRON TAGLIATELLE, BLUE CRAB, CARDAMOM CREAM SAUCE

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 3-4

Ingredients (for the pasta):

2 eggs, beaten

1 pinch of saffron

4 cups of all purpose flour

Ingredients (for the sauce):

1 pound crab meat (preferably jumbo lump meat, but
     you can also use backfin meat or a combination)

1 cup of heavy cream

1 tablespoon of ground cardamom

1 teaspoon of ground cloves

Freshly grated nutmeg

Zest from 1 lemon and juice from 1/2 lemon

Zest from 1 lime and juice from 1/2 lime
1 teaspoon of sugar

Directions:

1.  Make the dough.   Make a mound with the flour and a well in the middle of the mound.  Reinforce each side of the mound with the back side of a spoon.  Add the egg and saffron to the well.  Add a little flour at a time into the egg, stirring the flour into the egg with a fork.  Continue stirring and adding flour until the dough begins to form.  This may take a little while.  Always be mindful of the sides of the well and make sure that there are no cracks where the egg can escape. 

2.  Knead the dough.  Once the dough has formed enough to pick up (it may still be a little runny), scoop up the dough into one of your hands and cover it with flour.  Continue to work the dough into a ball in your hands by adding flour until there is no more "liquid."  Return the dough to a floured surface and begin to kneed the dough with the palm of your hand and your fingers.  Continue to kneed the dough for about ten minutes or until the dough no longer seems "wet."  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for a few hours.

3.  Make the pasta.  Follow the directions on your hand-crank machine, running the dough on the widest setting and working toward the narrow setting. Sprinkle flour onto the dough if you feel any "wet" spots.  Let the dough sit for a couple of minutes.  Then use the attachment for whatever type of pasta you would like to make. As you cut the pasta using the attachment, make sure that the pasta noodles are separated from one another by either hanging the noodles on a pasta rack or arranging the noodles in a way that will prevent them from sticking together as they dry.  You should also sprinkle flour over the noodles, which will help to keep the noodles separate.

4.  Make the sauce.  Heat the heavy cream in a sauce pan.  Add the lemon zest, lime zest and cardamom.  Stir well.  Add the lemon juice and lime juice, continuing to stir.  Bring to a low simmer and reduce by about one third, about seven to eight minutes.  Add the crab meat and stir gently. 

5.  Cook the noodles.  Heat a pot of water to boiling.  Cook for about two to three minutes and drain.

6.  Finish the dish.  Add the pasta to the sauce and stir until the sauce covers the noodles. 

ENJOY!

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Andorra

After a break from eating Chivitos al Pan, which was necessary to clear the added cholesterol from my arteries, my culinary adventures take me across the Atlantic Ocean to the little country of Andorra.  I did not select this challenge at random; instead, this is a planned challenge.  I chose Andorra for two reasons. The first reason lies with the cuisine of the country.   Andorra or Principat d' Andorra is a small country nestled in the Pyrennes Mountains between Spain and France.  Despite its location, Andorra is neither Spanish nor French.  Instead, Andorra is Catalan.   The Catalan people have a long history, artistic tradition and cuisine; however, today, the people are split between Catalunya in Spain and Rousillon in France, with the independent country of Andorra in the middle.

Catalan cuisine draws from ingredients found along the Mediterranean coast.  These ingredients include tomatoes, garlic, eggplant, chiles, chickpeas and artichokes, along with poultry, pork, lamb and seafood.  The dishes created by Catalan cooks vary from the seafood-based dishes along the Mediterranean to the heavier, pork dishes found inland.  The inland Catalan cuisine includes, and is sometimes referred to as, "Catalan mountain cuisine."  The cooking in Andorra is a good reflection of the Catalan mountain cuisine.

The second reason for selecting Andorra as my next challenge is the date.  The day, January 17, is St. Anthony's day is Andorra.  Back in the 1970s, some friends got together to prepare the national dish, Escudella, for their neighbors and shopkeepers.  This celebration is a revival of the much older tradition of distributing food amongst the poorest residents.  With every year, more and more Andorrans gathered together to cook and share their national dish.  The celebration was eventually moved to the Village Square in the capital, Andorra La Vella.  And, over time, the Brotherhood of the Escullaires were formed to prepare the stew for each celebration. 

THE MAIN COURSE

This challenge presents me with the opportunity to "join" the Germandat de Escullaires for a day.  I decided to prepare the national dish for Andorra as part of the Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge.  The first reference to escudella was made by a Franciscan writer, Francesc Eiximenis, who was Catalan, in the fourteenth century.  Brother Eiximenis wrote that the Catalan people eat escudella every day.  After having made this dish, I can see why.  Generally speaking, escudella is a Catalan soup with two primary components: (1) the broth and (2) the meats and vegetables used in making the broth.  The broth is basically a stock, flavored by bones, meats and vegetables.

In making this dish, I had to make a couple of substitutions.  The first substitution involves the bones used for the broth.  The recipe calls for both marrow bones and ham bones.  I could easily find the marrow bones, but not the ham bones.  So, I substituted an additional marrow bone or two for the ham bone.  The second substitution relates to the sausage.  The recipe does not specify the particular type of sausage to be used.  After a little research, I decided to use butifarra (or botifarra), which is a traditional Catalan mild pork sausage.  Butifarra can be difficult to find; however, I did find a recipe for making butifarra sausage.  I got all of the ingredients, except for the cure.  I did not need the cure because I was not curing the sausage.  The raw sausage would be browned and go straight into the escudella.  If you plan to make butifarra sausage, check out Len Poli's website, which has general instructions for making the sausage.  

ESCUDELLA

Adapted from My Hungry Tum

Serves 8

Ingredients (for the Escudella):
2 cups of dry cannellini beans
1 marrow bone
1 ham bone
2 chicken breasts or 3 chicken thighs
8-12 cups of cold water
1/2 head green cabbage
1 large potato, cut into eighths
1/4 cup of rice
1 cup chick peas
1 cup of pasta (such as shells)
6 sausages, removed from casings and rolled into balls
2 slices of prosciutto
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Salt, to taste
Ground pepper to taste

Ingredients (for the Butifarra Sausage):
1 pound of ground pork
1 teaspoon of salt
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
1/8 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 very small pinch (1/16 teaspoon) of nutmeg
1/4 tablespoon of wine vinegar

Directions:

1.  Make and brown the sausage.  Mix the ground pork with all of the ingredients (salt, garlic, cumin, ground black pepper, nutmeg and wine vinegar.  Form small balls or links. Gently brown sausage in cast iron Dutch Oven or pot/casserole w/vegetable oil over medium heat.

2.  Begin the stew.  Rinse the beans in cold water and tie the bones in cheesecloth.  Put both with the chicken, cooked sausage and ham in the pot or casserole with at least 8 cups of cold water and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce flame, and cook gently, covered, about 2 hours or until beans are cooked and chicken very tender.

3.  Remove the meats.  Remove ham and marrow bones and discard them. (I have seen recipes that call to extract and use the marrow, which I did.)  Put chicken aside.

4.  Return the soup to a boil.  If there is only a little liquid left, add a bit of water for the cooking of the remaining ingredients and bring soup to a rapid boil.

5.  Add the remaining ingredients.  When it is boiling, put in cabbage, potatoes, rice, pasta, chick-peas, and pepper to taste.  Continue cooking over medium flame for 30 minutes (or until newly added ingredients are cooked through).

6.  Return the meat to the stew.  A few minutes before serving, put chicken meat, removed from bones and shredded, in the pot to heat.  Season to taste.

7.  Plate the dish.  There are two ways to serve escudella.  One way is to serve the components separately: a bowl of the broth and a plate of the meats and vegetables.  This is known as Escudella i carn d'olla.  The other way is to serve the components together, like a soup or stew.  I chose this second presentation, which is sometimes referred to as Escudella Barrejada.  For this challenge, I plated the escudella using this second presentation. 

*     *     *

Although I was not standing side by side with the actual Brotherhood of Escullaires, this challenge nevertheless offered me the opportunity to cook this amazing Catalan and Andorran stew.  The escudella was great ... the broth was very flavorful, with the beef bones, chicken, ham and sausages making their contributions to the earthy and hearty soup.  The cabbage, potatoes, rice and pasta all added textures that underscored the earthiness of this dish.  Once again, I finish a challenge stuffed, not only with great food, but also with the desire to move on to the next challenge.  Until then, I would like to wish all of the Andorrans out there a very happy St. Anthony's Day, and ...

ENJOY!

For more information about Escudella, check out Slavic Nerd's Travel Blog.