The Scariest Italian Food You'll Ever Eat

My decision for this week's snack went something like this:  "I want to make something scary for Rebecca."  I knew Rebecca was supposed to be creepy, and I knew it was Hitchcock, so I wanted to make scary, creepy, delicious food.  Obviously it was also important that we would want to eat it. I had many ideas, most of them involving chocolate.  I went on the Hershey website and found recipes for "Chocolate Sloppy Joes" and "Cocoa Currey."  I even found a recipe for "Chocolate Pasta."  But I think it was when I was seriously considering "Chocolate Chicken" that my friend AMS decided to step in.  She said, "That sounds terrifying."  And while that might be what I was going for, this was a friend I had invited over to eat my food.  But before I could snap that if she was so smart, she could should up with something--she did.  She said, "You know what's scary looking but really hard to make? Pasta with squid ink."

Now at first I wasn't amenable to this idea.  I don't want to ink a squid!  I also happen to dislike shellfish.  And when I pitched the idea to my roommate she said, "Absolutely not!  We are not going to have the apartment smelling like squid for days."  (Our apartment has a notorious lack of circulation.)  But as it turns out Squid Ink Pasta is not actually squid pasta.  It's a type of pasta with squid ink added.  So in fact all it does is turn the pasta black and give it a slightly salty taste.  According to AMS, this is an authentic Italian dish.  And upon further research, this recipe only became impossible if I was the one making the pasta.  Where does one find squid ink?  And so I trekked out to the North End in search of my scary looking pasta.

Thank God for Google.  I found a small homemade pasta shop with everyone that I needed (and quite a few things I didn't).  My arms full of yummy Italian produce, I hurried home to prepare.  And I think I turned out my best dish yet.  In any event it looks really, really cool.  Best Halloween pasta ever, despite it being July.

Scary Squid Ink Pasta
(serves 6)

Pancetta

You'll need:
Squid Ink Pasta (I used 3 of the containers above, about 2.5  pounds)
Pancetta (about 1/4 pound)
2 Red Bell Peppers
1/2 stick of butter
1/3 cup white wine
Garlic
Salt and Pepper
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving

1. Start boiling the water for the pasta.
2. Dice the pancetta into small cubes, pulling away the fat.
3. Slice the red peppers into small strips and chop the garlic. 
4. Combine half the butter and all of the pancetta into a sauté pan on medium heat, stirring frequently until  the pancetta is browned, not burnt.

5. Add the garlic, then the peppers.  Cook until the peppers are soft, not squishy.  

6. Add the white wine and cook until simmering.
7. Add the pasta to the water when it has reached a roiling boil.  The pasta should only be cooked for a few minutes, this pasta in particular needed about 5 minutes maximum.  Drain the pasta when it is al dente.

8. Add the pasta to the sauté pan. Mix everything together and season with salt, peppers, and cheese.  Serve and enjoy!

The finished product!

Terrifying.  And the credit goes to AMS.  Thanks!  I think this meal went a long way towards fixing an overly long, sometimes dull movie.  And of course my other ill-gotten, expensive North End gains didn't hurt.  Mmmm...buffalo mozzarella.....

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Grittier than Scarlett...

When I thought of Southern food, my brain immediately went to grits.  I had never tried grits.  In fact, I really had no idea what they were other than some vague idea they had something to do with cornmeal.  But what better reason to make them?  I invited some friends, luring them with promises of fried chicken, while trying to hide the fact that they were about to undergo a four hour movie.  Everyone contributed, bringing corn muffins, fried chicken, creamed spinach and sangria.  And I made the grits from an Alton Brown recipe, which turned out well...like grits...

I'm not sure if this is a good thing.  Perhaps I just neglected to add enough cheese.

It was hard to compare, these being my first grits.  My friends insisted that these were grits, and were in fact, quite good.  And they weren't exactly bad, more like glorified polenta than anything else.  My final verdict?  Not bad, not good, just a kind of starchy side dish.  Next time I add jalapeno.

The Grits
You'll Need:
2 cups whole milk
2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup coarse ground cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons butter
4 ounces sharp Cheddar, shredded

1. Place the milk, water, and salt into a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.

2. Once the milk mixture comes to a boil, slowly add the cornmeal while continuously whisking. 

3. Once all of the cornmeal has been absorbed, decrease the heat to low and cover. 
4. Remove lid and whisk frequently, every 3 to 4 minutes, to prevent grits from sticking or forming lumps; make sure to get into corners of pot when whisking. 

5. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until mixture is creamy.  Remove from the heat, add the pepper and butter, and whisk to combine. Once the butter is melted, gradually whisk in the cheese a little at a time.

Remains of the southern fried meal...

Serve immediately and enjoy!   Side note to this recipe: like with most things, you can never have enough cheese or butter with this recipe.  Feel free to experiment!

And now for something completely different...

This doesn't have anything to do with the movie, except that I really wanted to make it!  But it is one of my favorite appetizers to make for guests, especially around the holidays.  I guess this falls into Capra's "happy family" mentality in You Can't Take It With You.  Holiday Brie en Croute is easy, fast and delicious.  But I can't take any credit for it, my mother and I got the recipe years ago from the Pepperidge Farm's Puff Pastry box.  Read my instructions or go to website and see for yourself!

http://www.puffpastry.com/recipedetail.aspx?recipeID=24034&rc=181 

You'll Need:

1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets  (1 sheet), thawed
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/3 cup dried cranberry
1/4 cup toasted sliced almond
1 (13- to 16-ounce) Brie cheese round

1. Heat the oven to 400°F.   Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork to make egg wash.
2. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface.  If it's too frozen, it will crack, but too warm and it will squish together.   Roll the pastry sheet into a 14-inch square. 
3. Spread the jam on the pastry to within 2 inches of the edge in a circle. Sprinkle with the cranberries and almonds.Trim the sides so the entire pastry is a circle.
4. Brush the non-jam part of the pastry with the egg wash.
5. Place the cheese in the center of the pastry. Fold the pastry up over the cheese to cover. Trim the excess pastry and press to seal. 
6. Brush the seam with the egg wash. Place seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Decorate with the pastry scraps, if feeling fancy. Brush the entire pastry with the egg wash.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

The recipe says to let stand for 45 minutes, but I've been fine serving it after only letting to sit for 10.  You can serve this with crackers, crustini, or other forms of bread.  Or...you can just eat it!  But try to have more than two people eating, otherwise, as CAS and I discovered, you'll eat the entire thing and hate yourself for it.

 I also tend to vary the jam I use.  Pepperidge Farm recommends apricot preserves or seedless raspberry jam.  But feel free to use whichever jam or preserve strikes you.  This time I used "Raspberry Peach Champagne Jam" from Stonewall Kitchens.  Yum.  Still confused on the process?  Watch this helpful video from Pepperidge Farm.

A Real Artichoke--About as complex as a Ziegfeld show?

As the title suggests, this time around I decided to make artichokes, a vegetable that I've found few people I know have ever eaten whole.  Most people I know have only encountered the heart of the vegetable, and usually only as a topping on pizza or as a dip ingredient.  But artichokes on their own are delicious, and while slightly labor intensive, not impossible for the average person to make.  And it's not just because I'm Italian, both my dinner guests enjoyed them too.  Even if you think you don't like artichokes, eating them this way makes them taste very different.  So try it!

How to Prep an Artichoke:

There are numerous videos on this, just google how to prepare an artichoke if you're still unsure.  Here's how I do it, as taught by my grandmother.  I'm using miniature artichokes here, this may be easier your first time around.

You'll Need:
Scissors
Sharp knife
Melon baller/or spoon equivalent

Rinse off the artichoke and use the scissors to trim the stems.

 

Using the scissors, trim the tops of the leaves until you reach the final leaves in the center.

Place the artichoke sideways on a cutting board and slice off the top.

Use your fingers to stretch and separate the leaves until the center is more open. Watch out for the "choke," the spiky center leaves can hurt if you're not paying attention.

Using the melon baller or its equivalent, scoop out all the purple stuff in the center.  Again, watch your hands.

Where to go from here...

Apparently the French steam the artichokes upside down, without first digging out the purple center and opening the leaves.  They eat them dipped in melted butter as well, which is how I first had an artichoke.  But my grandmother's recipe involves stuffing them with homemade bread crumbs and I highly recommend this.

To make the bread crumbs you'll need:

About a loaf of fresh white bread (Ciabatta, Italian, baguette, etc)

3-4 large cloves of garlic (more depending on taste)

1/2-1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3 Tbsps olive oil

1. Boil about1 1/2 inches of water in a large stockpot.
2. Rip up the bread into small pieces into a medium sized bowl.
3. Chop or press the garlic into small pieces and add it to the bread along with the olive oil and the cheese.  Toss everything together.
4. Stuff the bread crumbs into the artichoke's center and in between the leaves, filling as much as you can.
5. Place the artichoke stem side down in the pot, leaning again the side.
6. Cover the pot and let steam for at least 30 minutes, until the leaves are tender and dark green.

Last, but not least, is my section on how to eat an artichoke. Read carefully.

Pull one of the leaves out (it should easily break away if it is cooked right) and bite down on the end with the "meat."  This is the white fleshy part near the stem.  Hold onto the leaf and grip it using your teeth, before pulling the leaf back out of your mouth.  DO NOT EAT THE LEAF.  Apparently some people do, but you're really not supposed to.  It is gross and will seriously discompose your digestive system.  You want the white, meaty part of the artichoke.  You should be able to use your teeth to scrape off the white part.

 When you finish the artichoke, the center contains the "heart" probably the part you're most familiar with.  You can eat that, and it should taste all cheese-bread-garlic yummyness.  I also enjoy dipping the leaves in butter before eating  the white part.  Yet another example of how cheese and butter can make anything good.

If you're still confused, here is a helpful video on how to eat artichokes.  But again, don't eat the leaf.  According to family legend, my step-grandfather once went out to dinner with a co-worker he disliked.  They ordered artichokes, and the co-worker popped the leaves in his mouth, chewing and swallowing them.  "Hey, these are pretty tough!" he said.  And my grandfather didn't say anything, just gleefully laughed on the inside.  Don't make his mistake!

BBQ Beef and Cornbread Casserole (I swear it's better than it looks)

Cimarron is an old-time western, so I thought I would make Chili and Cornbread to fit the western theme.  I may, however, have gotten more than I bargained for.

BBQ Beef Casserole
You'll Need:
2 small jalapeños, seeded and diced
1/2 large onion, diced
1 (15.25 ounces) can sweet corn, drained
1 (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, partially drained
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
1 box corn bread mix and corresponding ingredients
1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican flavored cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.
2. Brown beef in a large skillet over medium high heat. Drain excess oil. 
3. Add peppers, onion, corn and tomatoes. Cook until veggies are soft (about 5 minutes). Meanwhile, mix the corn bread according to the package directions.  Set aside to let rise for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Remove the meat mixture from the heat and mix in BBQ sauce and cheese. Pour into a 9×9 pan (or 13×9 if doubling the recipe). Spread the cornbread mixture evenly over the top of the casserole. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, or until cornbread is golden brown and passes the toothpick test

 

So it seems easy enough.  And actually it was.  I added pinto beans as well with the vegetables to give it more of a chili feel.  There was only one slight problem...I think the dish I used was too small.  Or maybe I made too much cornbread?

In any event, just make sure that whatever you do you don't let the cornbread spill over the sides.  It still tasted good so I guess that's all that matters.  It wasn't the easiest to store, so I recommend making this for guests on a cold, rainy day.