Searching4Zen

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  • Pasta With Fried Lemons and Chile Flakes

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    You probably already have a favorite pantry pasta dish that you habitually whip up when there’s nothing in the house for dinner. Next time, try this one instead. It has all the usual players – olive oil, Parmesan, flaky sea salt — along with fried lemons for brightness and chile flakes for heat. Don’t skip […]

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  • Sausage and Peppers Pizza

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    Ingredients 1 ¼ cups warm water (95° F) One ¼ ounce package active dry yeast 1 ½ teaspoons sugar 3 ½ cups of “00” flour Scant 2 tablespoons salt ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil Semolina for dusting Sausage and Peppers Pizza Topping (see recipe below) Instructions Whisk the warm water, yeast and sugar together in a bowl. Let stand in a warm place […]

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  • Leek and Sausage Pie

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    Sausage and onions make a dynamite combination that we all know well. But here, instead of onions, I use the sweeter leek as the foil for spicy sausage meat, and place it over a soft preparation of béchamei and cheeses. The invention is based on a familiar version of lasagna. In essence, I’ve taken one of […]

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  • Pesto Swirl Bread

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    Ingredients Unsalted butter, for the pan 1 ½ pounds/680 g (small cantaloupe-size piece) of Master Recipe Unbleached all-purpose our, for rolling 4 tablespoons Pesto (do not let it sit out before you spread it) 1 egg white mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash Instructions Butter an 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch (21.5-by-11.5 cm) nonstick loaf pan. Sprinkle […]

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  • Spezzatino della Nonna con Polenta / Veal Tips with Polenta

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    This is hearty Italian comfort food at its best. Served with some crusty country bread and a full-bodied red wine, this will take the chill off of any fall evening, whether in Viterbo, Italy, or in Alabama, where I live. Ingredients Veal Tips 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 small […]

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  • Spaghetti con Aglio ed Acciughe / Spaghetti with Garlic and Anchovies

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    This is one of those great, quick pasta dishes — you prepare the sauce as the pasta cooks. And remember, in Italy, the pasta waits for nothing. It would be culinary high treason to have the pasta not used and served immediately after being cooked, which is why when Nonna announces the pasta has been […]

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  • Arancini Siciliani / Sicilian Rice Balls

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    This is an easy dish, but it is an involved one–I will be right up front about it. The origin of this dish no doubt came from a frugal nonna’s desire to use up leftover risotto and sauce to avoid any waste. If you find yourself with leftover sauce or risotto, then you will cut […]

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  • Polpette di Melanzane / Eggplant Meatballs

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    Some may consider this recipe difficult–it isn’t. It is short on ingredients but a little long in process–it is one of the few Italian recipes that requires some time to prepare. The secret to its success is in removing as much water from the cooked eggplant as possible. Eggplants are spongy and readily absorb liquids, especially […]

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  • Zesty Cucumber and Onion Salad

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    Ingredients 1 small cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced 1 small onion sliced ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or 1 teaspoons minced jalapeño 1 teaspoon sugar 1 ½ tablespoons cider vinegar 2 tablespoons oil ⅓ teaspoon pepper Salt to taste Instructions Do NOT leave the combined salad marinate for more than one hour. Notes This is […]

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  • Winter Red Slaw

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    Ingredients ½ cup thinly sliced red onion 2 tablespoons chopped almonds 2 cups finely shredded red cabbage 1 large red apple, cored and coarsely chopped ¼ cup unflavored yogurt ½ teaspoon grated lemon peel 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons berry preserves ¾ teaspoon ground coriander Salt and pepper to taste Instructions Soak red onion […]

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