Andy's Diner

Highlights from a Busy Week...

Nope, I wasn't IN Gubbio this week, but I was reminiscing about my trip there in 2003. I made a really nice chicken dish from Mary Ann Esposito's site "Ciao Italia" - which I LOVE because of how trustworthy and delicious her recipes always are.

This is "Fricco di Pollo all'Eugubina" which is a really nice dish and allowed me to use a wine in cooking that I love: Orvieto Classico.

Tuesday night was Simplicity Itself: Spaghetti al Aglio e Olio... I was really excited about making this because I have made my own Spicy Oil by soaking hot peppers in Olive Oil for weeks. That and a touch of crushed red pepper added a nice zing!

Outta the Park...

Every Friday night is pizza night, which means an obligatory pizza or two that the kids like. Then there's always one, usually the 3rd out of the oven, that's made just for the adults who want something special to go with the red wine. This one was shockingly good: sauteed mushrooms with rosemary, crushed red pepper flakes, Parmigiano and the secret... crumbled and crunchy pieces of prosciutto.

Home Sweet Home...

Back from a wonderful trip and back in the swing of things...

Baked chicken, sauteed broccoli and mashed sweet potato with crunchy bits of American Prosciutto (see prior post detailing the goodies from Iowa).

Our Happy Place...

Always involves pasta! Penne with meatsauce, made with short ribs over the weekend and simmered for hours upon hours. Had to add a little drizzle of pesto on top too. When the week is busy, it's always so nice to have cooked up a storm on the weekend for a fridge full of leftovers!

From Miami With Love...

We had a reunion dinner of sorts tonight with the same gang as 3 months ago... but we were missing the center of attention. Our dear Cugino was stuck in Iowa and couldn't make the dinner. He sent some lots of pork products in his stead (see prior post) and we put them to the test. We served a risotto made with shallots and fresh corn with a crispy piece of speck on top that was then broken up and mixed into the risotto. Ok, and we also made al'Amatriciana. And a poached pears in red wine with vanilla icecream and pistachios... Lastly, we took a photo to show our friend how much we miss him.

That's you in the middle Cugino... and it wasn't the same without you!

Del Cielo Mismo...

Well, actually from Iowa... but it felt like it fell from Heaven. My dear Cugino from Iowa sent a spectacular care package today including...

packages of pancetta...

packages of speck!

packages of prosciutto

and a big chunk of pancetta!!!! Oh, the meals we're going to make around here... Grazie Mille Cugino!

Over the weekend, we picked up some Ditalini from a brand famous for their olive oil and hailing from none other than "the fields of Molise". We made a ditalini with butternut squash and pancetta then (with far inferior pancetta, I'll have you know!)

And speaking of Molise, my daughter had to do an art project that celebrated her family heritage. She asked for photos of the family ancestral town and then reproduced the church from there along with some of the elements from the original town crest...

A most beautiful day all around!

With a Twist...

We make homemade pizzas at least once a week for more than one reason: they're a crowd-pleaser, the kids participate in the choice of toppings, they're cheap and hearty. And they are the perfect accompaniment to red wine! The kids chose pepperoni tonight...

The star of the show - for the adults - was inspired by the cooking and flavors of the Italian region of Molise. My ancestors are from there and a list of their favorite foodstuffs was eerie to read - as it is a perfect match of the items I innately love to eat: lamb, artichokes, garbanzos, fennel... amazing. The pizza tonight was more of a focaccia bread made with no sauce, a roasted garlic spread, Pecorino Romano cheese, fresh rosemary and julienne strips of sundried tomatoes...

A little crushed red pepper flake sealed the deal. This one will be repeat FREQUENTLY!

All Over the Map...

From Pad Thai to BBQ pork to Halibut estilo Veracruzana for fish tacos

We have truly been all over the map this week!

How We Roll...

Life in the Italo/Cuban Brady Bunch home is a beautiful thing... sometimes it is Potaje de Chicharo with Tostones and Mojo. And at others, it's...

Pizza Napolitana with fresh tomato and garlic. Or a pizza with Italian Sausage, oil-cured black olives and pesto...

Whatever it is, it's a WONDERFUL LIFE, full of love and happiness.

This Weekend's Theme was: "Innovation and Productivity"

We've tried a lot of new recipes lately, including a raspberry chipotle marinade and sauce on roasted lamb with roasted Yukon Golds.

That was very nice, but the two recipes from CiaoItalia.com proved that Mary Ann Esposito is ALWAYS a go-to source for sensational ideas and food. The first was a fettucine with cannelini beans, sage and pancetta...

Unbelievably delicious, simply and hearty. The sage-infused olive oil and the creaminess of the beans makes this such a winner. And when we thought that we couldn't improve on that...

we made the Leek, Fennel and Sausage Tart, which I assure you could be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. INSANELY good. I modified the recipe a bit due to one of our family member's allergies (the original recipe calls for artichokes as well), and I left the top crust off, but this one is a keeper for sure!

In between cooking, we did a little drywall repair. There's nothing like checking off big items on the "To-Do" list to make you feel productive... and I made a huge pot of chicken soup for one of the kids with the flu...

Making homemade chicken soup even better was the pasta I used: lemon pappardelle that my sister sends me from Trader Joe's. It works really well in a soup like that. All in all, a VERY productive weekend.