Anatra con Zucca e Vin Santo

This is a very simple looking & tasting dish, that has a lot of attention to detail in order to make it truly special. Reminiscent of Northern Italian cooking, we incorporate some of my favorite flavors of the holiday season. If you can't find vin santo or it's not in your budget, there are plenty of other dessert wines you could use such as: jorge ordonez, marsala, etc.

TT = to taste

Serves 4

For Duck & Sauce:
4 Duck Breasts, scored
2T Duck Fat
2 cloves garlic,
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 cup Duck Stock, or Chicken Stock
1/2 cup Vin Santo
1T Butter, unsalted
TT Salt
TT black pepper

Method:
Heat duck fat in large skillet over med low heat
season duck breasts with salt & pepper
place breasts in pans skin side down
cook low and slow until fat renders and skin crisps, about 15 minutes
once rendered properly turn up heat to med high to crisp skin
turn over and remove duck from heat
baste the duck with the fat
remove duck from pan after a minute or so after it was flipped
allow duck to rest for 5-10 minutes
remove excess fat in pan and save leaving 1T of fat left in the pan
Add the garlic clove & rosemary and return to stove over medium heat
add vin santo and reduce by half
add duck stuck and reduce until sauce consistency (50-80%)
add the butter and season with salt if needed
By the time the sauce is complete, the duck shall have finished resting

For Squash:
1 small butternut squash, split in half & seeds removed
1 cinnamon stick, broke in half
3T butter
TT Nutmeg, freshly grated
TT Cinnamon stick, freshly grated
TT salt

Method:
preheat oven to 350F
place squash in roasting pan, cut side up
place 1.5T of butter in each dug out spot of the butternut squash
place 1/2 cinnamon stick on top of the butter
season cut side with salt
pour 1-2 cups of water into the roasting pan
cover pan with aluminum foil
place in over for 1 hour or until squash is fall apart tender
remove cinnamon stick
scoop out flesh along with the butter & put into food processor
season with a little fresh cinnamon & nutmeg as well as salt if needed
puree until very smooth
set aside and keep warm

Finish Plating:
Spoon some of the butternut squash puree on the plate.
slice the duck and plate over the puree
spoon sauce over and around the plate
serve immediately

Insalata Emiliana

This is a recipe that uses some very decadent ingredients from Emilia Romagna to make a very simple yet luxurious salad. If you don't have homemade bread, you can always use any well made country loaf as a substitute.

TT = to taste

Serves 4

6 cups mesclun mix greens
4 slices prosciutto di parma
12 fresh figs, quarterd
1/8# parmigiano reggiano
4T 25yr Balsamic Vinegar, or best possible quality
2 cups homemade or store bought bread cut into 1/2"-1" croutons
Extra virgin olive oil
TT salt
TT coarse ground black pepper

Method:
Preheat oven to 400F
toss croutons with a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
sprinkle with a pinch of salt
toast in the oven until golden brown (5-10mins)
toss greens with the vinegar and a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
season with salt and pepper
lay a slice of prosciutto down on the plate
divide salad evenly among the plates
garnish with croutons & figs
use a vegetable peeler and shave off thin slices of the parmigiano reggiano on top of the salad
serve immediately

Vitello alla Valle d'Aosta

This is a refined take on a classic dish from this region. Traditionally this recipe calls for a veal chop that is topped with fontina(the most notable cheese of the Aosta Valley) and served with polenta. Instead I take a fresh seasonal approach to it by sitting the chop on top of a grilled corn puree.

TT = to taste

Serves 2-4 people

Corn Puree:
2 ears of sweet corn
1/4 cup cream
TT salt

Method:
Pull back husks leaving them intact, and remove silks
cover corn back up with husks and place in water for an hour
Preheat gas or charcoal grill on high
place corn in the husk on grill and char all over until corn is tender and has a little charring going on, NOT A LOT
remove from grill and discard the husks
cut corn of the cob and place in small sauce pan
add cream and then simmer med low on stove for 20-30 mins until corn is super tender and there is only a slight amount of cream left
transfer mixture to a blender season with salt and puree until smooth
strain through chinois or fine strainer
taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary
cove & set aside
reheat over low heat on the stove while the chop is resting

Veal chop:
2 Veal Rib Chops, about 1-1.5# each
1/4-1/2# fontina cheese, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, not peeled, pounded once with hand
4 lg. sprigs of thyme
3T butter
TT coarse salt
TT coarse pepper

Method:
Remove veal from refrigerator and allow to temper for half hour
Preheat cast iron pan on high
season veal chops with salt & papper
add 3T of canola or grapeseed oil to pan once smoking
turn on broiler
sear veal chops on one side until very well caramelized
turn over and sear for 10 seconds
turn off heat on stove
top veal chops with fontina cheese
add butter and garlic cloves & transfer to broiler
cook for 5 more mins or so until veal has reached med rare and cheese is caramelizing
remove from broiler and add fresh thyme to pan
baste the top of the chops with the brown butter
remove chops from cast iron pan and set on a plate to rest for 10-15 mins
while resting reheat the corn puree on med low heat until warm
stir occasionally so puree doesn't scorch
place a little of the warm puree on each serving plate
place the veal chop on each plate and serve immediately

Insalata di Mare alla Siciliana

This is a fabulous fresh recipe that showcases the fresh flavors of Sicily. The pesto of Sicily usually has tomatoes in it which differs from the Ligurian style pesto that most people are familiar with. It matches beautifully beautifully with the seafood and the delicate zucchini blossoms. The result is a very bright and bold dish full of flavor and texture.

TT = to taste

For filling:
1/2# Sea Scallops, dry pack
1/2# Squid, tubes & tents cleaned
10 heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
1t pine nuts, toasted
1/2 sm. garlic clove, minced
1T Capers, soaked and rinsed
1/2 lemon juiced, and zested
sea salt
10 zucchini blossoms, cleaned

Method:
Bring a small pot of water to a boil
drop basil in and blanch for 5-10 seconds
shock in ice water
squeeze dry
put basil in food processor with pine nuts and garlic
start blending
add extra virgin olive oil until thick paste forms
set aside
season scallops and squid with salt
sear separately in hot pan or on hot grill
scallops should be well caramelized and still rare to med rare
squid should have a little char and just barely cooked through
allow scallops and squid to rest on a plate
once scallops and squid have cooled, cut scallops into 1/4-1/3" dice
chop the squid
combine seafood in a bowl with the extruded cooking juices on the plates
fold in pesto, tomatoes, capers, Lemon juice & zest
season with sea salt if needed
Use a spoon or piping bag, and fill the zucchini blossoms with the seafood mixture

For Puree:
1 Large Eggplant
olive oil
sea salt
2T Marcona Almonds, peeled
1T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pinch of Valrhona cocoa powder
Water if needed

Method:
Rub eggplant with olive oil and sprinkle all over with salt
place on sheet pan and put into preheated 350F oven and roast until mushy tender, about 45 minutes
remove from oven and allow to cool slightly
remove skin and place flesh in blender
add almonds and olive oil
Puree until very smooth, adding water if needed
Season and set puree aside

For Salad:
1/2 Fennel bulb, shaved paper thin
Spring Mix or Arugula, washed and dried
2 ripe Heirloom tomatoes, seeds only
2T Aged Red Wine Vinegar, Best Quality
1/2 lemon, juiced
2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Coarse Black Pepper

Method:
Combine tomato seeds, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper
combine fennel and salad mix in a bowl
dress with vinaigrette and season if needed

For Finishing:
Set up steamer bath for squash blossoms.
Once water is boiling and steaming, place the stuffed squash blossoms on the perforated pan above the boiling water and cover
Steam until until blossoms are tender and filling is hot (about 3 minutes)
Carefully remove and set on individual serving plates
garnish with salad and the puree
Serve immediately

Pappardelle con Funghi, Pancetta e Bagna Cauda

This is a pasta dish that uses some favorite seasonal ingredients of mine. I've been really busy lately so this recipe is a few weeks late on the seasonality of the morel mushrooms, yet substitutions can easily be made. This dish emulates more of central to northern Italian cooking. More specifically, shows what Italians would make if they lived in Wisconsin. Everything is from the market. My pancetta is homemade, but the pork is from the market. This is also a slightly more refined recipe than most normal types of pasta dishes you would find. I suppose that is my creative license as a chef though.

For Pasta:

Note: Make both doughs at the same time so you can roll them both out one after the other

-Standard Dough
1 1/2-3/4 cops AP Flour
3 lg. Eggs, room temp
1T EVOO
1t sea salt

Method
Make a well with flour & salt
Add the eggs & olive oil in the center
combine all ingredients for pasta together
knead for a few minutes, then wrap in plastic and set aside for half hour
unwrap dough and cut into 2 pieces
wrap pieces not being used so they don't get dried out
Using a manual pasta roller, start on largest setting - #1
knead pasta through machine ten times
then roll out 3 times on largest setting - #1
then drop down 2 settings to #3, and run through 3 times
then drop down 2 more to second thinnest setting - #5
run through #5 one time, use flour as needed when rolling through the pasta machine, but try not to add too much or dough will get dry
set aside and roll out ramp green dough

-Ramp Green Dough
1 1/2-3/4 cups AP Flour
2 Lg Eggs, room temp
1/2 cup ramp greens, lightly packed, then blanched, shocked & squeezed dry
1T EVOO
1t sea salt

Method:
Make a well with flour & salt
Add the eggs, ramp greens & olive oil to a blender & puree
Pour mixture in the center of the well
combine all ingredients for pasta together
knead for a few minutes, then wrap in plastic and set aside for half hour
unwrap dough and cut into 2 pieces
wrap pieces not being used so they don't get dried out
Using a manual pasta roller, start on largest setting - #1
knead pasta through machine ten times
then roll out 3 times on largest setting - #1
then drop down 2 settings to #3, and run through 3 times
then drop down 2 more to second thinnest setting - #5
run through #5 one time, use flour as needed when rolling through the pasta machine, but try not to add too much or dough will get dry
Place ramp green sheet on top of the standard dough pasta sheet and press them together
Roll out on setting 5 one time
Then one more time on the thinnest setting #6
You should have a sheet of pasta, green on one side & yellow on the other
cut sheets into 8" long
Use a fluted cutter and cut into ribbons 1"x8"
set pappardelle on parchment lined sheet tray dusted with some flour
cover with another sheet of parchment until ready to use

For Condimento:

1# Morel Mushrooms, cleaned & broken down into smaller parts yet are big enough to still hold some character
1/4 cup Cognac
1/2 cup pancetta cut into lardons
TT salt & black pepper

-Ramp Bagna cauda
4 Ramp Bulbs, with Purple stems, brunoise (1/8" dice)
3/4 cup Whole Milk
4T Butter
2T EVOO
1 container of Anchovies, rinsed & soaked in milk for 1 hour, drained then brunoise (1/8" dice)
1/2 Lemon, juiced

Method:
Make Bagna Cauda
heat butter and evoo in pan until butter milk solids brown
remove from heat immediately and pour into cold container and let cool
in a small pot combine the milk and bruinose ramps
cook over medium heat for 10 minutes making sure milk doesn't burn or boil over
remove from heat
add the butter & evoo mixture to the pot
add the anchovies and the lemon juice
taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary
let cool
In large saute pan add the pancetta and cook over low heat to render fat and crisp the pancetta (5-10 minutes) Pancetta should be crispy on outside yet succulent and tender on the inside
remove the pancetta from the pan yet keep the fat in the pan
turn up the heat to high
once just about smoking add the mushrooms
sear mushrooms so they get a nice rich brown color
turn heat down a bit and add the cognac
flame if you like & reduce until the cognac 75% evaporated and starting to get syrupy
season with a little bit of s&p
add the bagna cauda and bring up to temp
fold in the pancetta
taste for seasoning and adjust as desired
Bring 6qts of water to a boil
add 2T of salt
drop the pasta in batches
cook until it floats
let it cook for another 30 seconds then remove from water with a spider and add the pasta to the condimento
toss together
Adjust seasoning or consistency of the sauce if needed

For Garnish:
Ramp Greens, chiffonade
shaved Grana, sub Parmigiano

Serve pasta on individual plates
garnish with some of the shaved cheese & chiffonade ramp greens
serve immediately

Pane del Deserto

Here are a few different styles of artisinal breads that I make. Some are great with sandwiches. Some are great with butter & others are delicious with some good extra virgin olive oil.

Stecca - Very light airy crumb. Cracker like crust. It can have a variety of different toppings: Cheese, Sesame Seeds, Olive Oil & Sea Salt, Olives, Tomatoes, etc. Great for sub style sandwiches.




Pane al'Olive - Artisan round studded with good quality olives. The crust is brushed with extra virgin olive oil and topped with fleur de sel. Delicious toasted with some very good bold flavored olive oil.




Pane con Formaggi - Very light crumb, intense fermented aroma, filled with pungent raw milk cheeses. Great toasted with butter or just warmed on its own.





Birra Buia e Cumino - Northern Italian German influenced bread that has dark beer and caraway seeds in it. Light crumb, great with butter, great as a grilled cheese sandwich or as a reuben sandwich




Pane con Semi di Sesamo - Very simple flavored round, light crumb, topped with sesame seeds. Great with butter, extra virgin olive oil. Good for sandwiches, PB & J's.





Pane al'Diavola Pazza - This is my homage to the spicy cheese bread of Stella's Bakery. Mine is a rich & sweet bread that has aged provolone & young pecorino cheese in it. The crust is brushed with egg and topped with chili flakes. I serve it in the traditional way which is hot out of the oven and just torn into pieces with your hands.



Bachette del Deserto - Smaller versions of the famous French bread. They have a medium light crumb, very robust smell & taste, crunchy crust and are delicious with butter or as sandwiches.




Pane Inglese - Rustic Italian versions of english muffins. Light crumb, sweet, rich. Great with butter, jam, PB & J, sandwich bun & of course eggs benedict.



Pane Pancetta e Rosmario - Rustic bread that has my own homemade pancetta in it along with fresh rosemary. The top is brushed with olive oil & fleur de sel. Light crumb, very rich salty porky taste. Good toasted with good extra virgin olive oil



Pane Santo "Holy Bread" - Sweet bread that is flavored with dried cherries, raw cashews, honey, cinnamon & topped with oats. Great with butter & morning coffee



Ciabatta(e) - Classic rustic slipper loaf. Super light crumb, very crunchy crust, mild flavor. Great with olive oil, butter, or for sandwiches



Pane Seduzione - My take on the seeduction bread of whole foods. It has a denser crumb than some of my other breads because of the whole wheat flour yet it is lighter than the whole foods bread. There are sunflower, pumpkin, millet & poppy seeds in the bread. Great flavor & fantastic warmed with some butter.



Pane Miele Integrale - This is a honey whole wheat bread that has millet seeds & cracked wheat. It has a lighter crumb than traditional whole wheat bread yet not as light as some of my other breads. Great with butter or for sandwiches.



Bagels - Crispy crust with light & chewy crumb. I top them with some of my favorite garnishes.




Pane Uva Passa della Canella - Cinnamon Raisin Bread



Grissini - Artisan Italian Breadsticks flavored with parmigiano reggiano & sea salt



Pane Ricotta e Castagne - Ricotta & Chestnut bread that is topped with flax seeds. Great with butter, olive oil, more ricotta, or for sandwiches



Cudduredda - Artisan bread from Calabria that is in the shape of a giant doughnut. Good with olive oil. Best used as a table bread for special events

La Foresta Ricompensa - Verdure Primavera in Brodo

This is a very simple recipe that shows off the beauty of spring vegetables. This contorno is done in the style of Emilia Romagna, the home of Parmigiano Reggiano. Asparagus & fiddlehead ferns served in the famous broth of Emilia. It is usually made with a mix of chicken, beef, turkey or veal bones. The recipe changes with the different micro regional places you go to. To make it easy, I have just used a chicken carcass that is left over from a whole chicken I bought at the farmer's market. Then I garnish the vegetables with shaved parmigiano reggiano, the world renowned cheese of Emilia.

Brodo:

1 chicken carcass
1 large carrot peeled and cut into large chunks
1 onions with peels cut into large chunks
3 celery stalks, cut into large chunks
1 garlic bulb cut in half
1 T black peppercorns

Method:
Add all the above to a large pot
cover with cold water
slowly bring to simmer
simmer for 4-6 hours skimming occasionally
DO NOT BOIL!!! - stock will become cloudy
Carefully strain stock being careful not to push down on bones or this might make stock cloudy again.

Vegetables:
1# Farm Fresh Asparagus, cut into 2"-3" pieces
1# Fiddle head ferns,
Pamigiano Reggiano
1 sprig of fresh thyme
juice of 1/2 lemon
1-2T butter
Salt & Pepper

Method:
bring cold water to a boil, no salt
add asparagus to boiling water and blanch for 1-3 minutes depending on preferred doneness.
shock in ice water
repeat process with fiddlehead ferns.
shock in water
bring 2 cups of brodo to poaching temperature(160-180F)
drop in vegetables to heat through
add the butter, thyme & lemon juice
toss until butter has emulsified
season with salt and pepper
transfer to serving bowl
using a vegetable peeler, shave the parmigiano reggiano right on top of the hot vegetables so it tempers and just melts into the dish.
Serve immediately