A Life, Lived

Travel Tuesdays . . . Torino

This week's Travel Tuesdays is a little different . . . here is what I found on Sandi's blog:

Suzy @ Someday, Somewhere has included me in a fun Bloggy Meme that fits in perfectly with our Traveling Tuesday...This challenge is to find photos from my travels that represent the colors White, Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green.

Of course I could figure out the significance of those colours. After thinking for a bit I remembered the Olympic Rings.

Now I confess right off that I am NOT following the rules. I am not posting 5 photos. No, not at all.

This was taken in Torino last fall. There. I am done. LOL

Farro Salad with Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli

Lately it seems as if every cooking magazine is featuring farro . . . apparently those who know have selected it as one of the year's 'it' ingredients. This likely explains why the spots where I used to find it no longer carry it! Until I find another reliable spot locally to buy it farro has gone back on my list of things to bring home from Italy.

While in Bologna I bought 2 large bags at the COOP for 1.65 euro or about $ 2.10 Canadian. A bag half that size used to cost me $ 10 here in Burlington (before it all vanished into the kitchens of trendy cooks). At a price like that how could I NOT buy two bags?

This is why my luggage is always overweight.

Farro is known as the grain of the Legions . . . it was the standard ration of the Roman Legions that expanded throughout the Western World. Later it became associated with the poor as those who couldn't afford corn bought farro and ground it to make a type of mush similar to polenta. It's this association with poverty that lead to it's demise; by the trurn of the century there were fewer than hundreds of acres of fields scattered over the regions of Lazio, Umbria, the Marches and Tuscany where it was still grown.

Of course all of that has changed and now it pops up on the menus of fine restaurants and in the homes of health conscious cooks. We've been cooking with it for about 6 years - since we first tried it on our inaugural trip to Italy. We loved its nutty, slightly sweet, pleasingly chewy texture so much that we brought our first supply home.

Mind you, one can't ignore the nutritional values. Farro is a whole grain that is an excellent source for complex carbohydrates. Additionally, farro has twice the fiber and protein than modern wheat. Different than some other whole grains, a carbohydrate in farro called cyanogenic glucosides has been found to stimulate the immune system, lower cholesterol and help maintain blood sugar levels. While farro does contain gluten, the gluten molecules are weaker than modern wheat, making it more easily digested.

Since it has become so popular that there is even a restaurant north of Toronto named after the grain. At Farro Ristorante, the namesake grain makes multiple menu appearance. Veal scallopini and calamari rings are dredged in farro flour. There is dried and fresh farro pasta and farro pizza dough. There are specials like whole-grain farro salad and farro-stuffed pork loin. There are desserts like apricot crostada made with farro flour. Farro risotto with asparagus and Tiger shrimps is a specialty.

Wow - this didn't start out as an essay on farro. This is what happens when I have a vacation day.

So - this recipe was in a recent grilling edition of Fine Cooking magazine as one of their suggested sides. We had some broccoli and cauliflower which needed to be used up as well as feta in the refrigerator. Paul made this to go with the wonderful shrimp roll sandwiches he made last weekend.

As expected the farro salad was brilliant - a word of warning - it makes a lot (5 cups). We ate it 4 or 5 times before it was finally finished off. Mind you, it is so tasty that you won't care! Even better, it just improves with each passing day.

This is one of those recipes that is flexible - you could likely add any roasted veggie, mix in some fresh herbs . . . whatever and you'll be thrilled with the results!

Farro Salad with Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli

Kosher salt
3/4 cup farro (either pearled or whole-grain)
1 lb. broccoli
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbs. red wine vinegar; more as needed

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. In a 4-quart saucepan, bring 2 quarts of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Boil the farro in the water until tender, 20 to 30 minutes for pearled and 45 to 60 minutes for whole grain. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, remove the broccoli crown from the stem and cut into bitesize florets. Peel and halve the stem lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the broccoli florets and stems with 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Roast until tender and browned in spots, about 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, feta, scallions, red pepper flakes, and parsley to the farro. Sprinkle with the vinegar and 1 tsp. salt and toss. Drizzle with the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil and toss. Season to taste with more vinegar and salt. Serve warm or at room temperature

Fettucini with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

I read an article recently that decried the trend for chefs to use fresh local ingredients - suggesting that it gave rise to a proliferation of dishes that were all the same. The writer was in New York City and the examples she used were extreme - ramps everywhere in the early spring and kale salad on every menu in January. I understand her concern in those periods when the only thing growing in the local area is a drift of brownish snow and melancholy.

However, while I appreciate the concern in those periods, the generally premise is stupid. We should be reducing the global footprint of our food by using what we have on hand in the local area as much as we can. We should be supporting the efforts of our local farmers. We should be eating ingredients that are popping with freshness and flavour because they were recently in the ground or near the sun.

The perfect example of this is a tomato. We have all bought tomatoes in the dead of winter that had the consistency of an apple. Compare that to one fresh from the garden, still warm from the sun, bursting with flavour.  I'll take fresh and local any day.

I used to grow tomatoes in the garden but as plants grew I had less and less room for the tomato plants. I've moved instead to growing smallish heirloom varieties in large pots on the terrace. On most days during this time of the year I can go outside and pick a handful to toss into a salad.

Recently they have gotten out of hand. I found this recipe for a quick pasta on the cover of the most recent Cooking Light magazine and decided to combine my tomatoes with the basil that is also a tad out of control right now and some garlic grown by a local farmer and call it dinner.

The results were fab; a true testament to the joy of cooking with ingredients that are at the peak of their game.

Fettucini with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

1 tablespoon kosher salt
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 pints multicolored cherry tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved
1/4 cup small basil leaves

Preheat oven to 450°.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add 1 tablespoon salt. Add pasta; cook 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 6 tablespoons cooking liquid. Return pasta to pan. Combine reserved cooking liquid and 2 tablespoons oil in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil 4 minutes or until mixture measures 1/3 cup. Add oil mixture to pan with pasta; toss to coat.

While pasta cooks, combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil, tomatoes, and garlic on a jelly-roll pan, tossing to combine. Bake at 450° for 11 minutes or until tomatoes are lightly browned and begin to burst. Add tomato mixture, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to pasta; toss to coat. Top with cheese and basil.

Photo Hunt - Jokster

This week's Photo Hunt theme is 'jokster'.

When we were in Napoli last fall we saw this odd painting in the Civic Art Gallery . . .

Noticed the jokster present in the Nativity scene . . .

 

Grilled Salmon with Plum-Cucumber Salad

The farmers' market is flooded with wonderful stone-fruit this time of the year. Last week I picked up a big basket of plums which were amazing. Generally I will munch away on peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums but I don't often use them in cooking for some reason. Don't get me wrong, there isn't a thing the matter with munching away on them but I feel I do the short season a dis-service but not featuring the wonderful fruit in some dish.

I resolved to do something about that this week!

I found this recipe from the folks at Fine Cooking saved in my e-mail. It fit the bill - allowing me to showcase the amazing plums in something other than my lunch. of course, the fact that it only has 360 calories per serving was grand as well . . . just what I needed after my three burger and fries trip to San Diego last week!

The original recipe called for pan-searing the salmon. Given that it has been hotter than hades here I had no desire to turn on the stove. I brushed the salmon with oil, sprinkled it with salt and pepper, and grilled it instead. I doubt that I will try the pan searing method since whenever it is cool enough to heat a pan on the stove to searing the only plums available have traveled 5000 km and taste mealy. BAH

Recipes like this call out for fresh ingredients at the peak of their game.

This sunset-hued dish is as delicious as it is gorgeous, so it's sure to impress whether you serve it on a weeknight or to weekend dinner guests. The seasoned rice vinegar enhances the sweet and tangy salad for a lovely counterpart to the salmon.

Grilled Salmon with Plum-Cucumber Salad

4 small ripe plums (12 oz.), pitted and thinly sliced
1/2 cup seeded, small-diced English cucumber
1/4 cup small-diced red onion
1/4 cup small-diced orange bell pepper
Scant 1/4 cup small fresh cilantro leaves
4 tsp. canola oil
2 tsp. seasoned rice vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Four 6 oz. skin-on salmon fillets (preferably scaled, each about 1-inch thick)

Stir the plums, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, cilantro, 2 tsp. of the canola oil, the vinegar, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside at room temperature.

Season both sides of the salmon with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Heat the remaining 2 tsp. canola oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat. Swirl to coat the pan. When the oil is shimmering hot, add the fillets skin side down and cook without moving for 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to medium high and continue to cook until the skin is well browned and the sides of the fillets are opaque about halfway up, 2 to 4 minutes. Turn the salmon and cook, without moving, until the fillets are slightly firm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes more. Serve skin side up with the salad.

A Fun Night in the City

We had a message on facebook recently from one of our California friends who was going to be in the city this week. She wondered if we had time to get together while she was in town.

Silly question - if we're in town, we can always find time to get together who are visiting!!!

I messaged back and asked if she was interested in seeing the Picasso exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario. She was keen,  so I got three more tickets (one has to love the perks of being a member of the gallery) and we arranged to go last night.

Then Sharon offered to take us out for dinner. After much discussion between Paolo and I we settled on Frank, the restaurant in the Art Gallery of Ontario for an after-art meal.

It was an oddly planned day that saw me drive in and out of the city twice - normally I would have rearranged my schedule but I had two long planned appointments so that wasn't happening. Paolo had an orthodontist appointment so I picked him up there, drove him home and we got ready to go out. When Sharon arrived we headed into the city.

Of course we ran into unusual traffic. Normally I would have been annoyed but our tickets were for the 6 - 7 entrance period and our dinner reservations were for later in the evening. We had LOTS of time. Plus, we were having a great time chatting in the car so the time flew by.

I've already blogged about this brilliant exhibit - yes, you must go if you're in TO before August 24th.

After filling our minds and soul with the amazing art it was time to fill another part of our anatomy at Frank. I've been here about 10 times, since it is located about 5 minutes form my office it is my 'go to restaurant' when I am entertaining for business. I like that the menu is seasonal, featuring locally sourced ingredients. I have always found the service to be unobtrusive and attentive. I like that the wine list features a great number of well-selected Canadian wines and the drink list is an ever-changing listing of inventive concoctions featuring house-made syrups, infusions, and herbs.

It's funny, I have suggested to Paolo that we go there on numerous occasions and he has already wanted to go somewhere else. By the end of the evening he declared that he had a new 'favourite restaurant' in the city.

We all ordered different drinks while we perused the menu. I tried a cocktail featuring gin, vermouth, muddled basil and mint, and house-made lavender lemonade. The mixologist who pulled that together deserves a gold medal! (look at me with a opical Olympic reference) Sharon and Paul ordered different drinks and we all sampled each . . . not a dud in the mix.

Our menu choices was a complex task - we wanted it all! There wasn't an overwhelming listing of dishes but every one sounded amazing.

Paul and I ordered from the Spanish inspired prix-fixe menu that was designed to go hand in glove with the Picasso exhibit.

For my appetizer I selected the gazpacho del dia, which was a chilled gazpacho featuring seasonal Ontario produce served with crisp fennel grissini. This version featured tomatoes and roasted red peppers. It was unlike any gazpacho I have ever eaten before and absolutely amazing! We all ordered this and it was a highlight of the evening.

My main was the grilled flat iron steak with spiced patatas brava and roasted corn salsa. It came perfectly cooked and deliciously spiced with the perfect level of heat. I'd order steak in more restaurants if I knew it would come out of the kitchen like this.

Dessert was a challenge - it all sounded good (yes, you HAVE heard that before). We all ordered something different and shared. My selection was the churros con chocolate which is a plate of cinnamon-sugared fritters served with dark chocolate and caramel dipping sauces. YUM, YUM, YUM!

What a wonderful meal.

We practically closed the restaurant down. When it was time to head out the rain was teeming down - I suggested that Sharon and Paul wait for me to get the car. It was actually nice to dash through the rain to the parking garage - just the refreshing jolt I needed after a wonderful meal.

Thanks Sharon for the treat! It would b wonderful if more of our out-of-town friends could visit so we could have an excuse to drag ourselves out of the house. Such a lovely excuse. *smile*

Shrimp Roll with Tarragon and Chives

One of the classic tastes of summer to me is the lobster roll - it brings back memories of vacations in Maine with the delicious treats sold everywhere from sea side stands. The taste of fresh lobster. the surf. The gulls. The sound of mom screaming at me as I spat the lobster out . . . Happy memories (and I certainly aquired a taste for lobster later in life. *smile)

When I saw this recipe in an e-mail from the folks at Fine Cooking I thought 'hmmm, shrimp instead of lobster?'

I checked the freezer and I had 7 bags of shrimp there. There was no lobster. My 'taste of summer' over the weeknd was going to be a shrimp roll!

Paul whipped these up on Sunday and declared the recipe 'easy' - always a good sign. Some of the reviewers on line felt that the tarragon overpowered the other ingredients. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. We both thought that these were amazing as is.

You can use a roll or hot dog bun, but we felt the need to rock the New England-style split top hot dog buns with the flat sides like they use out east on lobster rolls. Butter up the sides. Quickly crisp them on a skillet and toss together shrimp salad. This is about as easy as it gets folks.  Summer in a bun . . .

Shrimp Roll with Tarragon and Chives

Kosher salt
2 lb. large shrimp (31 to 40 per lb.), preferably easy-peel
3/4 cup finely chopped celery with leaves
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh chives
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice; more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
6 hot dog rolls, preferably New England-style split-top rolls

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until bright pink and cooked through, about 2 minutes.the water needn't return to a boil. Drain in a colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Shell the shrimp, devein if necessary, and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces.

In a large bowl, stir the celery, mayonnaise, chives, tarragon, lemon juice, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Stir in the shrimp and season to taste with more lemon, salt, and pepper.

Position a rack 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler to high. Toast both outside surfaces of the rolls under the broiler, about 1 minute per side. Spoon the shrimp salad into the rolls, using about 2/3 cup per roll, and serve.

Travel Tuesdays

It's no secret to those who have been reading this blog for a week or more than I enjoy travelling. Lately I have been on the road a lot for work. no matter how much you enjoy traveling there is nothing like coming home and relaxing in a big comfortable chair on the terrace with those you love . . .

Dark and Stormy

No, I have not taken up writing cheesy novels with the tell-tale line 'it was a dark and stormy night . . .' Instead I am sharing what may become my 'drink of 2012'. I first posted a picture of this drink last week and since then I have had a number of folks ask for the recipe.

I always play nice in the sandbox . . .

I love this drink - the ginger beer adds a spicy touch and the finished drink is perfect for battling these hot temperatures we have seen recently. Try one and you'll see why this is my new favourite beverage!

Dark and Stormy

8 oz ginger beer (NOT ginger ale)
2 oz dark rum (Goslings Black Seal rum is the best)

Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour ginger beer over ice. Pour the 2 oz of rum in.

Serve with a spoon.

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

It's hard to believe the blurr that has been the past three weeks; I've covered a lot of territory in that time! Even being home for two days last weekend didn't feel like I was home - likely because I knew I'd need to be heading to San Diego Now I feel like I am home.

One of the first things that pops into my brain when I am home is that suddenly  am able to get into the kitchen and cook again. I saw many wonderful markets in France and Italy that had me wishing I was near a kitchen of my own but it was not to be . . . this trip, anyway.

Yesterday Paolo had to go back to the dentist for a laser treatment on the site where one of his teeth as pulled. He showed me the hole AKA bloody mess as soon as I walked in the door on Friday and it was bloody awful - apparently being zapped by a laser make sit heel better. Anyway, on the way to th dentist we passed the market so I popped in and bought some fresh zucchini (as well as a whole bunch of other stuff). I had no idea what I was going to make with them but I was sure that something would come up.

Later in the afternoon I visited some of my favourite food blogs for the first time in weeks and I came across a recipe for sausage stuffed zucchini on Gina's Skinny Recipes - one of my favourite spots for low-fat and low-calorie recipes.

SOLD

These were easy to make and I had everything on hand - such is the joy of a well-stocked pantry . . . no doubt if I had had to dash out to the store I would have come home with ice cream, chips, and cookies!

We both thought that these tasted amazing! If you're like the rest of the world and over run with zucchini at this time of the year here is another idea for using some of those veggies up . . .

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

1 1/4 cups marinara sauce (I used a jar of Healthy Choice which has no added fat or sodium) 
4 (31 oz total) medium zucchini (mine were definitely larger than medium but it still worked)
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
14 oz lean Italian chicken sausage, removed from casing (I used the sausages that we made in the spring, they weren't chicken but they were home-made without any chemicals or additives and therefore better than any store bought crap!)
1/2 cup part skim shredded mozzarella
8 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and using a spoon or melon baller, scoop out flesh, leaving 1/4" thick. Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini in small pieces and set aside.

Drop zucchini halves in boiling water and cook 1 minute. Remove from water. Place in ice cold water to stop them from cooking further.

Place 1/4 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 12" baking dish, and place zucchini halves cut side up.

In a large saute pan, brown sausage, breaking up as it cooks into smaller pieces until browned; set aside. Heat oil and add onion, garlic and bell pepper. Cook on a medium-low heat for about 2-3 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add chopped zucchini, season with salt and pepper and cook about 2-3 minutes. Combine with sausage and cook a few more minutes.

Using a spoon, fill each hollowed zucchini with 1/3 cup cooked sausage, pressing firmly. Top each with 2 tablespoons each of sauce, 1 tablespoon each of shredded mozzarella cheese and 1 teaspoon each of parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked through.