Summer is here! Time for vacations, fun, and traveling… one the most highly valued experiences among travelers is immersing themselves in culinary adventures. Cuisines tell a lot about the history of a region, its traditions and culture. They literally give a taste and flavor to traveling.
Unfortunately, for many of us, the pandemic hindered the opportunity for these adventures. So, for summer 2022, we decided to invite you on a gastronomic tour from your own home!
Our first stop is Italy… and our trip starts from Tuscany.
The great thing about Italian cuisine is that it’s an extremely diverse set of recipes, cooking techniques, and multi-generational traditions.
Italy, as the country we know today, didn’t come into existence until the middle of the 19th century. Until that point, Italy was made up of 20 different regions that developed independent cuisines based on local traditions, climates, and availability of diverse ingredients.
Although the styles of Italian food are many and diverse, they all have one common feature: eating the Italian way means sharing and conversation. Delicious Italian cuisine often serves not as “the star of the show,” but as the background to long, lively conversations with family, friends, and neighbors.
Breakfast in Tuscany
Tuscan cuisine is famous and simple. Its rustic dishes are always made from fresh and seasonal ingredients.
Ingredients:
• 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 2 tsp. finely minced garlic
• one 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 T chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 T freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 T chopped fresh chives
Directions:
Break the eggs into the ramekins and let come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 450 F.
Cook the red onions and garlic in a bit of oil. Add the can of tomatoes and the thyme. Cook until the tomatoes have thickened.
Add equal amounts of the tomatoes, while reserving some, into the bottom of two casserole dishes. Carefully add the room temperature eggs, and season with salt and pepper. Add the remaining tomatoes and bake for 5-7 minutes.
Remove from the oven and bring the oven to a broil. Sprinkle with Parmesan and broil for 1-2 minutes.
Sprinkle with chopped green onions or chives.
Buon appetito!
Lunch in Florence
Florentine cuisine is earthy and even austere at times. Not extravagant, but reliable, and modest. It makes particularly good use of bread and olive oil, two of the cuisine’s staple ingredients.
Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons shallots, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen cut-leaf spinach, thawed, drained
Directions:
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat lightly. Shake off any excess flour. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep it warm.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until the shallots are translucent, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, about 1 minute. Add the wine. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and boil until the sauce reduces by half, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices to the sauce, and turn the chicken to coat in the sauce.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in another large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and saute until heated through. Season the spinach, to taste, with salt and pepper. Arrange the spinach over a platter. Place the chicken atop the spinach. Pour the sauce over and serve.
From Giada DeLaurentis
Dinner in Sicily
Insalata di Arance, Orange Salad
Ingredients:
2 peeled blood oranges, sliced thin
1-2 ounces arugula
2 green onions, white part only, sliced thin
1/8 teaspoon chia seeds (optional)
1 slice Lemon
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt
Pinch of dried or fresh oregano
1.5 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Directions:
In a small bowl, squeeze the lemon and blood orange juice and add the extra virgin olive oil, salt and oregano. Toss with the arugula. Divide the orange slices among two plates, and top each with the dressed arugula. Layer with spring onions, chia seeds and a drizzle of good balsamic vinegar.
Buon appetito!
Parmigiana di Melanzane
Ingredients:
4 Medium eggplants
2 Cans of tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
1 Red onion
2 Handfuls of basil leaves
200g-300g grated pecorino cheese
Sunflower oil
Flour
Instructions:
Make the tomato sauce by simmering gently for at least 30 minutes the tomatoes in a pan together with the onion halved and the whole garlic cloves; season with the basil leaves and some salt. Slice the eggplants– 1/3 inch thick – and pass them in flour. Remove any excess of flour and then fry them – 4/5 at the time – in hot vegetable oil. When they are tender drain them and leave them to rest on kitchen paper for a few minutes. Sprinkle some salt over them. Spread some of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the tray. Arrange a layer of eggplants slices, cover with tomato sauce and the grated pecorino. Repeat this process until you have used up all the ingredients ending with a layer of sauce and pecorino on top which will crisp up under the grill. Make sure you arrange your slices in a lattice pattern. Bake in the oven at 390F for 30 minutes and under the grill for the last 5 minutes.
