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ITALIAN RECIPES

Start with a Mozzarella...

Mozzarella and Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

2 pounds (1 k) ripe tomatoes, sliced, seeded, and drained
A fresh mozzarella (buffalo milk if possible) weighing about a pound, diced.
Fresh basil leaves, hand-shredded (8-10 or to taste)
1/4 cup olive oil, or to taste
Pepper and salt (if necessary)
A pinch of oregano
1 tablespoon salted capers, or to taste (optional)
1/4 pound pitted black olives (the sweet variety that's cured in brine) or to taste, chopped (optional)

Preparation:

Slice the tomatoes into rounds and put them on 6 plates; slice the mozzarella into rounds and lay them over the tomatoes. Season with the olive oil, basil, origano, and a little salt and pepper.
Traditional recipes don't call for olives and capers, and if one wants to be strict a Caprese that includes them really isn't a Caprese.
However, if you like them, they do add a pleasant touch. If you do include them, use whatever olives you prefer, sweet black is my preference, and mix them in with the tomatoes. Pickled capers, on the other hand, won't work well; in the absence of salted capers I would omit capers entirely.
If you are pressed for time you can make a "caprese" ahead by combining the ingredients in a bowl and lightly chilling them.
Serves 6-8.

Fried Mozzarella

Ingredients:

2 mozzarella (ideally, made from water buffalo milk) balls about 3 inches (7.5 cm) across
2 eggs
Flour
Breadcrumbs
Oil for frying

Preparation:

Beat the eggs in a bowl, and set the oil to heating.
Cut the mozzarella into fairly thick slices and flour them. Dredge them in the beaten egg, coat them well with breadcrumbs, and fry them until golden.
Drain them, dust them with a little salt, and serve at once.
Serves 4.

Corkscrews with Vegetables and Mozzarella

Ingredients:

A scant 2/3 pound (250 g) corkscrews
6 ounces (150 g) frozen grilled bell peppers
4 ounces (100 g) frozen grilled eggplant
4 ounces (100 g) frozen grilled zucchini strips
1 clove garlic
A small bunch of parsley
4-5 fresh basil leaves
5 tablespoons olive oil
A small hot pepper
1/2 pound (200 g) fresh mozzarella, diced
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Dice the vegetables and let them thaw. Set pasta water to boil.
While it's heating, mince the parsley and shred the basil leaves. Combine them in a large bowl with the diced vegetables, the mozzarella, the olive oil, the clove of garlic, crushed but left whole (If you want a more garlicky result, mince it), and the hot pepper.
Season to taste, mix well, cover, and chill lightly.
When the pasta water comes to a boil salt it and cook the pasta. When it reaches the al dente stage, drain it and cool it quickly by running cold water over it in the colander. Stir the pasta into the vegetable-and-mozzarella mixture, check seasoning, and it's ready.
Serves 4.

Open-Faced Sandwich with Mozzarella and Eggplant

Ingredients:

8 slices toasted whole-wheat bread
An eggplant weighing about 1 1/3 pounds (600 g)
1/4 pound (100 g) Mozzarella, thinly sliced
8 sun-dried tomatoes, (the kind packed in oil), drained
Olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Sprigs of parsley for garnishing
Salt

Preparation:

Begin by heating your grill -- a stovetop grill will be fine.
Wash the eggplant and slice it into 1/4-inch (5 mm) slices. Brush them lightly on both sides with olive oil and grill them, turning them a couple of times, until done, about 10 minutes.
Mix, in a bowl, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the cayenne pepper, the oregano, and salt to taste.
Brush the slices of toasted bread with the mixture, arrange the slices of eggplant over them, top them with the mozzarella and tomato, garnish them with the sprigs of parsley and serve at once.
This will also work well with grilled peppers or zucchini.
Serves 4.

Eggplant in A Carriage

Ingredients:

2 1/4 pounds eggplant
2/3 pound fresh mozzarella (ideally buffalo milk, though cow will do)
Basil leaves
Olive oil for frying
Salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Flour for dredging

Preparation:

Cut the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Salt them, let them sit in a colander for an hour, then rinse them, dry them, and fry them in hot oil, a few slices at a time. Don’t let them brown too much before you drain them.
Cut the mozzarella into quarter-inch slices and make sandwiches, using 2 slices of eggplant, a basil leaf, and one of mozzarella (trim off any mozzarella that sticks out).
Dredge the sandwiches in flour, dip them in the beaten egg, and fry them until golden, 2 or 3 at a time.
The wine? White, and I'd think about a Greco di Tufo.
Serves 4 to 6.

Roasted Cod with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil and Mozzarella Recipe

Ingredients:

2 (8-ounce) cod fillets, skinned and pin-boned
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 handfuls of red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
1 handful of fresh basil, leaved picked from stems
1 ball of buffalo mozzarella, finely sliced
1 handful of grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the cod fillets in an oiled roasting pan or an earthenware dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season. Place the tomatoes, basil and mozzarella slices on top of the fillets. Sprinkle over the Parmesan, drizzle over some olive oil, and bake at the top of the preheated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, until golden.
Serves 2.

Buon appetito!

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