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ITALIAN RECIPES

Happiest of New Years, And An Italian Menu For the Week

Passatelli in Broth

Ingredients:

3 cups (150 g) freshly grated Parmigiano
6 ounces (weight; 175 g -- this should be about 2 cups) bread crumbs
4 eggs
A pinch of nutmeg
An ounce (25 g) of beef morrow
2 quarts (2 L) beef broth

Preparation:

Melt the beef morrow over a low flame. In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, eggs, melted morrow, and nutmeg.
The resulting dough should be fairly firm; if it's not work in some more breadcrumbs. If it's ridged, soften it with a little white wine. Let the dough rest for a half hour, and in the meantime bring the broth to a boil.

Fill your passatelli iron or potato ricer with the dough and squeeze it over the simmering broth, allowing the passatelli to drop into it. As soon as the passatelli have risen to the surface turn off the flame and let the soup sit for a few minutes.
Transfer it to a tureen and serve it, with more grated cheese for those who want it.
Serves 4.

Piemontese Boiled Dinner

Ingredients:

2 1/4 pounds beef -- the cut used in Italy is shoulder; James Beard suggests beef brisket
2 1/4 pounds neck or breast of veal
1 1/4 pounds calf's head
A veal's tongue, weighing 1 1/4 pounds
A chicken, weighing about 2 1/4 pounds
A cotechino weighing about 3/4 pound
2 carrots
3 ribs celery
2 onions, stuck with 2 cloves each
Salt

Preparation:

Fill a large pot with water sufficient to cover the meat. Lightly salt the water, add the vegetables, set the pot on the fire.
Since you want the flavor to remain in the meat, wait until the water comes to a boil before adding the beef (the heat will seal in its juices).

Reduce the flame to a simmer, and after about an hour, add the breast of veal, chicken, and calf's head (should you prefer not to use it, increase the quantities of beef and veal, or add a pound of lean pork -- this isn't piemontese, but the emilians do it.)

In the meantime, set a second pot of lightly salted water on the fire, bring it to a boil, and begin simmering the tongue when you add the veal and chicken to the beef.
If you are using a fresh cotechino or zampone set it in a pot of cold lightly salted water at this time (prick the cotechino all over, or loosen the string of the zampone first) and begin simmering it. If you instead buy precooked sausage, follow the instructions on the package.

The meats will be done when they are fork-tender, this will take about an hour or slightly more from when you add the veal and the chicken to the beef.
Come serving time, the meats should be arranged on a heated platter, sprinkled with a ladle of hot broth, and carved at the table (cut the tongue and the cotechino or zampone, into 1/2-inch slices).

In addition to meats and condiments you will need vegetables -- again, variety is important.
Seasonal variability will of course dictate your selection, but it should include at least onions, carrots and celery, boiled in or steamed over lightly salted water until are fork-tender; I would also include potatoes, and would serve the vegetables with olive oil, coarse sea salt (kosher will do), and unsalted butter for those who want them.

In addition to the sauces, you should consider is Mostarda d'uva, a jam-like condiment made from grape must that goes quite nicely with boiled meats, and is also surprisingly good with a selection of cheeses (you can substitute granulated honey in this case).

Alas, the recipes I have seen all call for beginning with a gallon or more of grape must, an ingredient not easily available in most places. Nor is mostarda d'uva easy to find outside of Piemonte. However, if you have access to a well stocked delicatessen, you may be able to substitute Mostarda di Cremona, a distinctive sauce made by candying fruit with mustard seeds. As a final pair of condiments for your bollito, you may want some balsamic vinegar -- the Emilians generally do -- and also mustard and mayonnaise.

Finally, don't forget to serve good Italian-style bread.

Recooked Spinach

Ingredients:

Two pounds fresh spinach, washed well
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, halved and crushed
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Preparation:

Pick over the spinach, removing and discarding tough ribs, and coarsely chop the leaves. Heat it in a pot until it has wilted and drain it well, squeezing it to remove most of the water.
Heat the oil in a pan with the garlic, and once it begins to crackle, add the spinach in one fell swoop. Stir vigorously, season with salt and pepper to taste, and when it is heated through it is done.
Serves 4.

Buon appetito!

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