Category: Recipes

Torrone Molle

, Valentina Rice

 

I do not come from a family of bakers. Great cooks, yes, but not bakers. My first attempt at baking was when I was about 7 years old and my mother wanted to keep me occupied so sent me to the kitchen with some baking ingredients. I decided to put my “cake mix” in a fish shaped tin and was beyond excited when I removed it from the oven as I thought I had struck gold with the idea of a fish shaped cake. As I turned it out on to the serving plate, my “cake” slipped and fell to the floor only to bounce an impressive foot before wobbling to its final resting place. In my defense, I think the whole meal flour was to blame.

 

That’s why I love this recipe so much – you literally mix the ingredients and put it in the fridge – no baking required and no fear of rubber fish. My mother made Torrone Molle for me every year on Valentine’s Day having got the recipe from her friend Anna Del Conte. Saint Names Days are a big deal in Italy and being called Valentina, I’ve managed to have a lifetime of cards on February 14th even if they are rarely from romantic admirers. My father once got all the assistants in his office to sign cards for me and send them from their homes. I got 15 cards that year from all around England.

 

I made Torrone Molle for the first time the other week – it’s very rich but also very delicious. A little goes a long way. Since it’s raw, please make sure to use the freshest of eggs and you might want to leave out the alcohol if you’re serving it to children! As far as portions, it is a versatile dessert. You can cut in slices as you would biscotti, cube as you would for bite size brownies or slice a larger portion to be served with a dash of whipped cream after dinner.

 

Torrone Molle

Ingredients

8oz. unsalted butter, softened

8oz. granulated sugar

4oz. good cocoa powder

1 egg plus

1 egg yolk

4oz. almonds coarsely chopped (blanched peeled cooking almonds work well)

4oz. plain cookies crumbled (you can use Lu’s Le Petit Beurre)

2 or 3 tbls. Brandy or rum (optional)

 

Method:

1. Cream together butter and sugar till light and fluffy.

2. Add cocoa (a little at a time) until all is absorbed.

3. Beat egg and egg yolk together lightly and add slowly to the mixture until well mixed.

4. Add all the rest, mix well and spoon into a 12” loaf tin lined with greaseproof paper.

5. Refrigerate overnight or for at least for 4 hours.

6. Turn out onto serving dish. It is not the most beautiful looking of deserts so I recommend cutting it into cubes or slices before serving.

 

Lamb and Chorizo Stew with Royal Corona Beans

, Valentina Rice

 

I’m so ready for Autumn. I’ve got a bunch of hearty dishes that I want to try, not to mention a beautiful new turquoise coat that it’s been too hot to wear. Today it finally felt like Autumn had arrived so I wanted to post the first of a few dishes that will warm the cockles.

 

A couple of weeks ago, I finally managed to give a long overdue ‘thank you’ dinner for my “Nightingales” (as in Florence). The Nightingales are three incredible women who nursed me back to health after I had my tonsils removed last year. I won’t go into the gory details but I really needed help and the three of them were absolutely amazing. They rallied a group of friends, sat with me and arranged scheduled visits with strict instructions to the point that our friend Hal renamed them “The Gatekeepers.” This year, during another tough time, I discovered they had all been back in touch with each other to once again work their healing magic.

 

So how to begin thanking three people who have cared for me like family and feel like sisters? I’m not sure they’ll ever know how grateful I am but I thought an evening with all of us where we weren’t discussing medical issues might be a good start. And what to cook? Selfishly, I wanted to be part of the fun so it had to be something that was all done ahead of time and I’m not brave enough to risk something new. I’m a big believer in having as much as possible ready before guests arrive so you can enjoy the evening too. No last minute flambéing for me! An old classic it would have to be; one that would conveniently let me use up packs of Rancho Gordo beans and Schaller & Weber Chorizo left over from testing.

 

I’ve been making this Lamb and Chorizo Stew with Royal Corona Beans which I’ve adapted from the Dean & Deluca Cookbook for years and it’s great for a big group and stays true to the Nigel Slater philosophy of a successful dinner having the focus on the people and not the food. A large casserole with a big salad and hunks of bread seems to usually do the trick.

 

So a big shout out to great friends and friendship which as corny as it sounds are, in my opinion, what make the world go round.

 

Lamb and Chorizo Stew with Royal Corona Beans

Serves 8

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons of olive oil

3lbs of boneless leg of lamb (ask your butcher to cut it into 1”cubes)

1lb of chorizo cut into 1/2 “ slices – you may need to peel the chorizo first.

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2/3 cup of red wine

3 tablespoons of sherry vinegar

1 ½ cups of beef stock

2 cups of canned plum tomatoes

1 teaspoon paprika

3 cups of cooked royal corona beans

1 teaspoon arrow root (optional)

 

Method:

1. Heat half the oil in a large Dutch oven and sauté the chorizo until it’s brown on both sides.

2. Add the onions and garlic and reduce heat so that they sweat and become translucent.

3. Remove everything from the pan and set aside – I use the lid of the casserole dish upturned next to the stove.

4. Add the rest of the olive oil and heat.

5. Add the lamb in batches and brown thoroughly. Don’t overcrowd the pan as the meat will steam rather than get that nice crust that keeps all the flavor in.

6. As each batch is browned, you can add to the chorizo and onions.

7. When there’s no lamb left, you can put everything back in the pan along with all the juices that have collected.

8. Increase the heat and add the wine and vinegar whilst scraping the bottom of the pan.

9. Add the stock, paprika and tomatoes along with their juices and season.

10. Bring to a slow boil and reduce heat to a simmer.

11. Cover partially and let cook for at least 1 ½ hours.

12. Remove lid and cook until sauce begins to thicken and lamb is tender. Approximately 45 mins.

13. Add beans, stir and heat through.

14. If the sauce is still too thin, add a teaspoon of arrow root dissolved in a little water and bring stew to the boil. This will thicken the sauce in just a few minutes without affecting the flavor.

15. Check for seasoning and serve with French bread and a large salad.

 

Cooking dried beans:  It is, in fact, one of The Nightingales who taught me how to cook dried beans. Bring the beans to a boil in a large pot of cold water. Add a handful of salt, cover and turn the heat off. Let them soak as long as possible – I did overnight. Rinse the beans and replace with fresh water before bringing to a low simmer and cooking for at least an hour until beans are ready. You can add more salt when you’re cooking and other aromatics.

75 Years of Schaller & Weber

, Valentina Rice

 

My godmother’s husband, a foodie in the truest sense of that overused word, has been buying his sausages and smoked meats from Schaller & Weber since he first moved to Manhattan over 50 years ago. Walking into their store on the Upper East Side, which has been open since 1937, is like stepping back in time. Everything from the floor tiles and ceiling to the friendly expert butchers behind the counter make you feel like you’ve not only walked into a different era but a different country too.

 

 

Aurora and I had the same experience when we visited their factory in Queen’s. On the office’s wooden planked walls hangs a wonderful photograph of the company’s founder, Ferdinand Schaller with his wife Marianne and you get the feeling that he is still presiding over the daily activities and ensuring that the standards he put in place in 1937 are maintained to this day.

 

 

Ferdinand was a master butcher who emigrated to the US in 1927 from his hometown of Stuttgart in Germany. Today it is his grandson, Jeremy Schaller, who runs the business like his father did before him – making sure that, even as their reputation has grown to receive International awards, it still has the feel of a family run business.

 

 

Seeing the operations behind our producers has been one of the most rewarding parts of starting this business. The Schaller & Weber factory tour was no exception and the tasting that we were given in the (now retro chic) office of Jeremy’s grandfather was definitely the highlight. The obscene amount of products laid out before us, made me wish I had skipped lunch and the goody bag I was given as we left, will feed me and my friends for weeks!

 

 

Everything from the Swedish Party Ham to the Bratwurst was superb but if I had to choose just one thing to leave with, it would be the Double Smoked Bacon. I have used it in every pasta sauce and then also simply sliced and fried for a couple of minutes on each side along with creamy scrambled eggs and hot buttered toast. I come from a long line of bacon lovers and it is without a doubt the best bacon I have ever tasted. UK Customs Officials please avert your eyes – I’m taking some home to England for the holidays!

 

 

Behind the Scenes with Many Kitchens

, Valentina Rice

 

Below is our mixed leaf and herb salad photographed “al fresco!”

 

 

It’s incredible what a little cropping can do.

 

 

Here’s to the merits of resourcefulness. Below, get the recipe for this delicious salad. Make sure to wash your lettuce before eating!

 

 

Mixed Leaf and Herb Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
Serves 4

Ingredients:

(A mix of leaves and herbs – I like the following:)

Romaine Hearts

Belgian Endive

Frisee

Radicchio

Dill

Chives

 

Dressing:

1 garlic clove (peeled and smashed)

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Catskill honey

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Method:

1. Mix all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and let rest for at least an hour. When ready to dress the salad, strain out the garlic.

2. Wash all the leaves and cut into bite seize pieces.

3. Dry and leave in fridge to crisp up for at least 30 minutes.

4. When ready, toss the salad with the dressing and serve.

Wild Rice Salad with Mango and Pecan

, Valentina Rice

 

You may have figured out from previous posts that I feel very strongly about pasta and could blind taste the difference between most brands. The same, I’ve discovered, is absolutely true of beans and grains which I’m trying to eat more of. I came across Rancho Gordo on a food foraging trip in San Francisco and after tasting, quickly understood why they are so universally beloved. Steve Sando founded Rancho Gordo out of a frustration of not being able to find ingredients especially those native to the New World. And we’re very grateful that he did! Their beans and grains are so versatile that I’m constantly thinking up new ways to use them.

 

This wild rice salad is adapted from a Christopher Schlesinger recipe. The flavors and textures are as vibrant as the colors; sweet, tart, spicy, nutty, crunchy and juicy all rolled into one. It is just one of the many ways, I’ve incorporated Rancho Gordo products into my repertoire – more to come soon!

 

 

Wild Rice Salad with Mango and Pecans

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup of wild rice

Salt to taste
2 mangoes
1 red pepper
1 cup of pecans (roasted)

 

Dressing:

1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 crushed garlic clove
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup of lime juice

 

Method

1. In a medium sized sauce pan, mix rice with 2 cups of cold water.

2. Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer on a low heat for 45 minutes or until the rice is chewy but still has a bite.

3. Drain excess water and let the rice cool, adding salt to taste.

4. Cube the mango and red pepper.

4. In a small bowl, whisk all the dressing ingredients together.

5. In a large serving bowl, mix the rice, mango, red pepper and pecans.

6. Pour the dressing over the rice, mix well and serve at room temperature as a side dish to pretty much any grilled meat or fish.

 

Perfect Scrambled Eggs and Bacon

, Valentina Rice

 

Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best. I learnt how to make these scrambled eggs from my father who is a firm believer that you never add milk and you have to take your time.

 

 

Creamy Scrambled Eggs and Bacon

Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 organic eggs

2 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Bacon (Schaller & Weber’s Double Smoked Bacon is my favorite) Just pan fry slices until crispy and blot on paper towels before serving

 

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and reduce to the lowest heat possible.

2. Meanwhile break the eggs into a bowl, add salt and beat with a fork.

3. Add eggs to the saucepan and keep on the lowest heat possible.

4. With a wooden spoon, gently scrape the bottom of the pan continuously. This part takes the longest but is worth it!

5. The eggs should begin to slowly solidify.

6. Turn the heat off just BEFORE you think they’re done. They will keep cooking once the heat is turned off.

7. Serve with hot buttered toast and bacon.

Getting Ready for Fall

, Valentina Rice

 

This last weekend I took advantage of the gorgeous weather for a Sunday hike with my father. The air was crisp, jazz music reverberated up the hills from a local festival and the sweet smell of BBQ was in the air. We hiked the Delaware Water Gap and conquered Mount Mimsi (which sounds more impressive than it was. Imagine more of a nice stroll through the woods with a slight incline to the peak). We enjoyed a picnic in front of a lily pond and it was marvelous: an heirloom tomato, crusty french bread, an assortment of cheeses, potato salad and a killer Oregon red to wash it all down. It felt like the beginning of a new season- full of possibilities.

 

Coming back to the city I wanted to get excited for autumn again, so I took a quick stroll to the Union Square Farmers Market. Stalls offered ripe and luscious heirloom tomatoes, a selection of brightly colored peppers and a vast assortment of fresh flowers. A couple of pumpkins and gourds dotted the tables but despite the chill in the air, autumn still felt a long way off. Who knew the next couple of days would bring a heat wave?!

 

 

Desperate to celebrate the coming Fall and inspired by the Farmers Market, I headed home with some cider donuts and decided to take advantage of the remaining flowers in my garden to make a bouquet.

 

For the bouquet, I used a simple mason jar and twine and snipped some of my favorite blooms: a wild delicate pink rose, a stalk of spiky pink celosia caracas and the blue delicate conoclinium coelestinum (these flowers, by the way, far outperformed others in my garden and graced me with blooms for most of the summer).

 

A Pretty Big Week

, Valentina Rice

 

As weeks go, the last one was pretty eventful. What surprised me was the event I thought would be emotionally difficult was actually fun and the one that I thought was no big deal, was the one where I teared up. You just never know.

 

I had been dreading my 40th birthday since midnight on New Year’s Eve and when it finally came last week, I found myself surrounded by great friends in my favorite place and loved every minute of it. 40, it turns out, is just a number.

 

My birthday had many highlights but the true star of the day was my friend Adam, who flew from New York to Italy for a grand total of 12 hours. He arrived at 2.30pm and by 2.30am was back in the car for the long drive back to Rome for a 7am flight back to New York (via Frankfurt!).

 

 

Ben, who had given the the most creative gift, a blog post mentioning Many Kitchens, started our dinner off by grilling 3 Florentine steaks that were so large that they barely fit on our barbecue. I made a huge potato gratin with leeks and pancetta, some roasted zucchini and a large salad. And Leda, without whom, our house would have fallen down years ago, had brought over the most delicious cake. The obligatory midnight dip and a round of my favorite board game, Articulate made for a fantastic birthday. It was our last night in the house and it was perfect.

 

 

The following morning, a little bleary eyed, we packed up and closed the house and went our separate directions. Kate and I headed off to Florence for one night in my favorite hotel in the world, Torre di Bellosguardo.

 

 

It sits on a hill just outside the city and the views are kind of ridiculous in their perfection. I kept searching for an Ikea or something to remind you that it’s the 21st Century but it’s impossible. Storms threatened but stayed away long enough for us to have rooftop cocktails looking over the River Arno and back to the hotel to admire a comically large moon over the city with all the main buildings lit up.

 

 

So back to reality and NY after a couple of days seeing family in London, extending my birthday celebrations. Event number 2 was my Swearing In Ceremony for my US citizenship which was scheduled for the Friday of Labor day. Many friends were naturally away and those in town, I told not to bother coming. I was just going to go in there, do my thing and run to the train to head up to Cape Cod. As I stood in a room with hundreds of people and their extended families, I began to realize that it was actually a pretty big deal.

 

I think because the process had been so easy for me that I hadn’t taken on board how hard people fight and how long people wait for this enormous privilege. I texted my friend Camille a slightly desperate message asking her to come to Federal Plaza if she could. She hopped on her bike and my friend Leigh who happened to call at just the right moment, hopped on the subway. They both got there just in time. 150 people from 53 different countries all about to become naturalized together. We were each asked to stand when our country was called out until all 150 of us were upright and ready to pledge allegiance. I think that’s the point that the tears came as all the relatives rushed around us to take photos of us with our right hands firmly in place for the oath. Camille and Leigh were in the crowd and beaming at me like proud parents.

 

 

I felt the need to celebrate with my two witnesses in a very American way so we rushed to The Corner Bistro for a juicy burger (my favorite in NYC) and fries before I headed off to Penn Station. I had been ignoring the fact that I had a hacking cough and a bit of a fever as there was just too much to do. I figured a sleep on the train would fix me up and I was still on a high from all the day’s excitement.

 

I arrived in Cape Cod to stay with my friend’s Lolly and Tim to find a true American welcome. They had pinned a huge American Flag above my bed and prepared the perfect dinner of ribs (that Tim had been smoking all day), moist corn bread, juicy corn and crunchy coleslaw. Two all American meals in one day – not sure how my waistline will survive all this Patriotic eating!

 

 

Unfortunately, the American flag I slept under, while making me smile, didn’t give me quite the protection I needed from the next day’s Pneumonia diagnosis which put a bit of dampner on the weekend’s festivities. It was the first clam bake I had missed in 15 years but I can think of many worse places to be sick than being cared for by the incredibly maternal Lolly in such a beautiful place. So I’m using Pneumonia as my excuse for no recipe this week and some photos instead.

 

Sadly there is no photographic evidence of the other few dramatic/hilarious events that happened last week, such as me mistaking my bikini strap for an enormous viper in the pool and almost drowning from fear or the car breaking down 5 miles from Heathrow airport in the middle of a massive junction and my mother trying to hail any passing vehicle to take her daughter. You’ll just have to use your imagination.

 

Mixed Leaf and Herb Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

, Valentina Rice

 

This is such a versatile salad since you can use whatever leaves and herbs you like. The slight sweetness of the dressing goes really well with a more bitter leaf like the radicchio. The salad works all year round and I serve it with a heavier dish like a lamb stew (recipe coming soon).

 

 

Mixed Leaf and Herb Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
Serves 4

Ingredients:

(A mix of leaves and herbs – I like the following:)

Romaine Hearts

Belgian Endive

Frisee

Radicchio

Dill

Chives

 

Dressing:

1 garlic clove (peeled and smashed)

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Method:

1. Mix all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and let rest for at least an hour. When ready to dress the salad, strain out the garlic.

2. Wash all the leaves and cut into bite seize pieces.

3. Dry and leave in fridge to crisp up for at least 30 minutes.

4. When ready, toss the salad with the dressing and serve.

 

The Wall and Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

, Valentina Rice

 

I’m writing this from “the wall” — my favorite spot on earth and where I spend most of every day while in Italy. It overlooks olive groves and vineyards and is covered in our sofa cushions from the early 70’s that are falling apart at the seams but I can’t bear to replace. It’s where I fall asleep reading every afternoon, drink my gin and tonic while watching the sky turns its reds and purples and where, after a little too much wine, two lucky people get to “sit soft” after dinner.

 

The first couple of days of every vacation are spent getting into what Ben and I call “the zone”. It’s not hard to reach the zone when you’re sitting on this wall listening to the cicadas, watching the sun set and figuring out what you’re going to eat for the next 10 days. I had a brief set back taking me to Zone 5 (the outer boroughs of relaxation) when I drove the car into a ditch on day two and had to have it towed out by a kind Albanian but other than that, the days have been blissfully empty except for our morning trips to the local town to buy supplies and check emails. The menu never seems to change as we exhaust all our favorites and then run out of time to experiment. Top of the list which includes Saltimbocca, Sausage sauce and Bistecca alla Fiorentina is fried Fior di Zucca (zucchini flowers) stuffed with ricotta and basil.

 

 

Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

16 zucchini flowers

1 1/3 cup of all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups of beer

½ cup of olive oil

250g ricotta

16 basil leaves

2 lemons

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, Very carefully open each flower and remove the stamen. 2. Season the ricotta with salt and pepper and then also very carefully, insert a heaped teaspoon into each flower along with a basil leaf and twist the leaves to close.

3. In another bowl make the batter by mixing the flour and salt and then whisking in the beer until it’s the consistency of loose pancake batter.

4. Heat oil over a medium heat until a drop of batter sizzles when you drop it in.

5. Holding the stem, dip each flower into the batter and swirl to coat, then drag over the bowl’s edge to remove excess.

6. Add to pan and don’t overcrowd. Be extra careful of hot oil that will splatter. I use a splatter guard after some nasty burns!

7. After 2 minutes or when one side is browned, turn and cook for another 2 minutes.

8. Drain on kitchen towel and keep warm in the oven whilst you do the next batch.

9. When they’re all done, sprinkle with salt and serve with lemon wedges.