These tips and tidbits were shared at the Thursday night Italian Cooking class for students who are traveling to Florence this summer. They can be downloaded and printed on 4x6 cards or referenced here on the Madison House Chef website.
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~The Key to Italian Cooking
Italian food is ingredient driven and focuses on local, fresh, and seasonal products.
Italians use a variety of ingredients in Italian cooking, but there are some ingredients chefs use more than others. The five key ingredients used in Italian cooking are: pasta, extra-virgin olive oil, real balsamic vinegar, prosciutto and parmesan cheese.
Some of the other main ingredients used in Italian cooking are: wine, tomatoes, onions, garlic, marinara sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, capers, rosemary, thyme, basil and oregano.
~Antipasto as a Meal
Ordinarily, the antipasto course is served first, however, these foods go together in any combination to make a meal or picnic.
bread
cheese, buy it by the slice
pecorino, fresh mozzarella and feta
olives
pickles
pickled red peppers
fresh vegetables, sliced/cut
fresh fruit, sliced/cut
meat, buy un etto (about 100g or 1/4lb)
prosciutto
turkey breast
salami
crackers
bread sticks
Italian cookies for dessert
~Tips for Cooking Pasta
There is no secret to cooking pasta except to make sure you use in abundant amount of salted water, bring to a rapid boil, and use a high quality of pasta. If using dried pasta cook, stirring frequently, until al dente. When al dente, drain and either add to the sauce or if holding for a later date, Never shock pasta in cool water! If using fresh pasta, the cooking time will be far less. Here are some basic cooking tips for your next pasta dish:
1. Before adding your pasta, let the water come to a full boil first. Also, to keep the noodles from sticking together, add a teaspoon of oil or butter.
2. Cook pasta at a continuous boil for even cooking, but make sure that you stir the pasta noodles continuously or they will stick to the bottom of the pan.
3. Don't rinse the pasta.
4. Don't let pasta stand in water or sit around -- serve immediately.
~Pasta
cooking time
dried pasta, el dente (to the tooth)
thin: 4-6 minutes
medium: 6-8 minutes
thick: 9-11 minutes
fresh pasta, el dente
average is 3 minutes
when it floats to the top, it’s done
stuffed pasta
when it floats, it’s done
HINT: Make 2 days worth of pasta at a time. To reheat the pasta for the next meal: bring the water to boiling, them immerse the (already cooked) pasta for 1 minute.
~Italian sauces
There are two basic white sauces throughout Italian cookery: balsamella, related to the French béchamel, for which a light roux (a combination of flour and a fat, often butter) is liquefied with hot milk; and salsa bianca, which uses stock in place of milk.
Everyone can make a basic tomato sauce and a ragu with meat or mushrooms. (Bologna is particularly famous for her meaty ragus which never top spaghetti.)
There are many other sauces: green sauces built from herbs, such as basil for pesto; nut sauces made from walnuts, pine nuts, or almonds; bread crumb sauces; giblet sauces; to mention only a few. Unlike French sauces, however, Italian sauces are rarely in danger of breaking. All sauce preparation calls upon the measurement, technique, and all-around philosophy of life known as quanto basto -- "the right amount." The philospher-cook must always know and use precisely quanto basto.
~Pasta Sauce
ingredients for quick sauces for pasta
start with...
olive oil, garlic/onion, black pepper
plus...
cheese (pecorino, romano, parmesan)
fresh basil leaves
fresh oregano
asparagus
olives
tomatoes, fresh, diced
tomato puree
mushrooms
white wine, cream, butter
crushed red pepper
add a protein…
chicken, shrimp, fish, sausage, pancetta,
ground meat (cook in same pan first)
eggs (can be cooked first or at the end)
~Quick and Easy Ideas
anytime meals:
grilled cheese (with fresh, sliced tomato)
scrambled eggs
add: cheese, herbs, meat, veg
soup (buy the box or from a deli)
toasted/grilled (fresh) bread with anything on it
salad with leftovers on top
add soup or salad to any protein for a meal
when in a pinch for time, check out the prepared foods that can be warmed at a deli or in a small market
don’t forget about yogurt, granola (usually sold in a bag),
~Simple Proteins
chicken, shrimp
1. dredge protein in bread crumbs
2. heat pan (gently, medium)
3. add olive oil (once around the pan)
4. spread oil about pan
5. put protein in pan
6. cook for ½ of cooking time (don’t peek)
7. turn over
[option: add veg / drop already-cooked pasta]
8. cook until cooked completely (cuts easily with the side of a fork; flesh is white)
alt protein:
beans – soak beans overnight, then cook for 1 hour on lowest setting or until tender.
~Salad Dressing
why buy an expensive bottle when you can make it fresh (and cheaper)
White-Wine Vinaigrette
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon each fresh parsley and minced shallot (onion), and 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Red-Wine Vinaigrette
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 small garlic clove, minced, and 1/3 C olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
~Notes, Ideas, Thoughts
Pack a lunch BOX
quick, easy, guaranteed food, $$
great way to use leftovers
salad + bread
antipasto + bread
Take your own bag(s) to the market/grocer or buy a reusable one on your first trip – this makes a nice takehome keepsake or gift
Don’t touch the produce. Greet the seller (bwon-jor-no), say please (per favore), point, hold up the number of fingers you want, say thank you (grazie) twice.
Save $$: Remember that uncooked foods are always less expensive than the ready cooked. Avoid items put in fancy packaging e.g. spices and nuts in small, glass jars.
~Notes, Ideas, Thoughts
When in Rome, do as the Romans – or Florentines…
Eat like an Italian, not an American
No ice, warm beer, and fizzy water
Water, not soft drinks
Eat like an Italian peasant. The basic American meal centers on meat; The Italian meal centers on fresh, local, in season ingredients.
salt your water not your pasta
Think/plan 3 days of meals at a time.
Sauce should to cling to the pasta,
not drown it.
For heavy sauces, use thick pasta.
For light or delicate sauces, use thin pasta.
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~Oven Temperature Equiv. |
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European |
U.S. |
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Gas Mark - C° |
F° |
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1 - 140 |
275 |
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2 - 150 |
300 |
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3 - 170 |
325 |
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4 - 180 |
350 |
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5 - 190 |
375 |
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6 - 200 |
400 |
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7 - 220 |
425 |
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8 - 230 |
450 |
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9 - 250 |
475 |
~In Season (June)
strawberries
cherries, melons, apricots, figs?
tomatoes
peppers, eggplant
fresh borlotti beans, green beans, pole beans .
field greens
fennel-flavored salumi, pecorino cheese
fava beans
zucchini flowers
~Numbers
helpful in telling the market owner how many of something you’d like
uno (OO|noh), due (DOO|eh), tre (treh), quattro (QWAH|troh), cinque (CHEEN|kweh),
sei (say), sette (SEHT|teh), otto (AWT|toh), nove (NOH|veh), dieci (dee|EH|chee).
~Spaghetti Bolognese
Ingredients: 170g/6oz spaghetti (or other pasta), 250g/8oz ground beef (preferably round steak), 1 medium sized onion, 1 carrot, 1 tin chopped tomatoes (or two cups fresh tomatoes, chopped), teaspoon dried herbs (mixed herbs, oregano, or basil), half cup red wine (optional)
Brown the ground beef in a frying pan. Set aside.
Fry the onion and carrot on a medium heat until soft.
Add the tomatoes, wine (optional), herbs, and the ground beef.
Bring to the bubble, then simmer for 15 minutes.
While the other ingredients are simmering, boil the spaghetti until al dente,
Drain the spaghetti and serve with the Bolognese sauce.
~Pasta with Feta Cheese (v)
Ingredients: 170g/6oz pasta, 85g/3oz feta cheese, 16 cherry tomatoes, handful fresh basil (or teaspoon dried oregano), 3 tablespoons whole olives, half cup olive oil (preferably extra virgin)
Boil the pasta until al dente.
Drain the pasta and add the feta cheese, tomatoes, basil or oregano, olives, and olive oil.
Mix well and serve.
Note: Cherry tomatoes are best, but you can use larger tomatoes if you slice them. You can also add tinned tuna or pine nuts.
~Almond Chicken
Ingredients: 2 breasts chicken (or 4 chicken thighs), 2 medium sized onions, 2 handfuls green beans, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, handful whole or sliced almonds
Slice the chicken and brown in a frying pan. Set the chicken aside.
Fry the onions on a medium heat until soft.
Add the green beans, chicken, soy sauce, and a drizzle of honey.
Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the almonds and simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve with crusty bread, pasta, or rice.
Note You can substitute red or green peppers, sliced courgette (zucchini), or carrot for the green beans.
~Spaghetti with Pesto Sauce - Spaghetti al Pesto
The word pesto derives from pestare, to step on or mash, and therefore can be applied to a number of different sauces. However, to an Italian the word pesto by itself means the classic Ligurian summer sauce made with basil, garlic, pine nuts, and cheese.
45 leaves freshly picked basil (about a packed cup)
1/4 cup grated aged pecorino (Tuscan or Sardinian, because Romano is too sharp)
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano (increase this to 3/4 cup if you cannot find the pecorino)
2 cloves of garlic
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pine nuts (technically optional though almost everybody includes them)
1/3 cup walnut meats (optional)
1 pound (500 g) spaghetti
If you have a marble mortar and wish to use it -- put the salt, garlic, nutmeats and basil in it and grind the mixture, firmly crushing the ingredients against the sides of the mortar, rather than striking sharp blows with the pestle. When the mixture is ground, add the cheese, a bit at a time, continuing to grind, and when it is all worked in, add the oil in a slow stream, stirring with a wooden spatula. The resulting pesto should be smooth and creamy.
If you are using a food processor instead, chop the garlic, basil, nutmeats, and salt, being careful not to let the mixture liquefy, then transfer it to a bowl and stir in the grated cheese and the oil.
Cook a pound of pasta in lightly salted water, and just before you drain it stir two tablespoons of hot water into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the pasta and serve.
*these cards come from personal notes from my own clippings and cookbooks. I have not re-researched their sources, but am more than happy to credit the originator of any of the items.
