Andy's Diner

The Goodies Have Arrived...

My wonderful sister sent me a big box of goodies for my birthday... and they are going to be rationed out!

Without question the coolest of them all (which, as you will see, is quite a statement!): Finnochiona from the Salumeria of Mario Batali's father in Seattle. Oh laaaaaaawdy this is gonna be good!

How about these?? Dark chocolate dipped tangerine wedges? Who even KNEW these existed? This will be opened on Thanksgiving.

Oh the potential uses for these! Amaretti are so good!

My father and I had these in Italy in 2006 and I haven't found them ANYWHERE in the US. I may wait on these and serve them with pesto when Auntie L comes to visit next... ok, maybe they just can't wait that long! ;)

And you gotta have dessert, right? The "broche de oro" is from none other than the Barefoot Contessa. I'd say that was a pretty amazing haul!

Haven't Hit Bottom Yet...

No reference to anything emotional, I'm talking about whether we can see the bottom of the pantry yet! And the answer is a resounding "No!" Even if you find yourself making the same dishes frequently in this economy - because they are filling yet not too spendy - you can do so many small things to make them really great.

Case in point: skirt steak with rice and beans. We have it a couple of times a month, and we could be yawning already, save for the addition of an amazing staple that makes all grilled meats THAT much better: Chimichurri.

Friday night pizza followed the normal order: for the kids, for the kids, for the adults. The latter being a pizza with Italian Sausage, fresh rosemary, Parmigiano and Pecorino cheeses and sweet Vidalia onions. The twist? Cooking the onions in Balsamic vinegar to make them sweet and interesting.

Saturday night dinner was an amazing recipe from Mary Ann Esposito that I have made before: Ground Lamb Ragu with orecchiette, but I left out the crushed red pepper for the youngest kids. No problem for the adults, as I have a secret weapon in the pantry:

Homemade spicy olive oil - made simply with decent olive oil that spicy red peppers (that were originally dried) have been steeped in. A tablespoon of that drizzled over ANYTHING is a wonderful thing!

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!