Recipes

December 2008	Peperoni Imbottite (Roasted peppers stuffed with eggplant, olives and capers)
photograph by Ed Anderson	*adapted from Cucina Napoletana,* Interlink Books, 2008 Serves 4-6 6 red peppers 1 pound 2 ounces eggplants, cut into ½-in cubes olive oil for cooking 6 slices of good-quality stale bread such as ciabatta or pane casereccio, cut into ½-in cubes 3 ounces olives, pitted and halved 2½ ounces salted capers, rinsed and squeezed dry 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 salted anchovy filets, chopped handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, picked and chopped Preheat the oven to 300°F. Char the peppers over an open flame or on a hot grill until the skins are blistered and blackened in places. Carefully peel off the skin and discard. (Use rubber gloves if the peppers are too hot to handle; you can also put them in a plastic bag for a few minutes after charring, to help make the skins easier to remove.) Carefully remove and discard the stem, central membrane and seeds, taking care to keep the peppers whole. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and sautŽ for a few minutes until it starts to brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. Using the same pan, gently fry the bread cubes until golden, adding a little extra oil if necessary. Remove the bread to a bowl and carefully mix in the eggplant, olives, capers, garlic, anchovies and parsley to make a stuffing. Season with salt and black pepper. Using a spoon, fill the peppers with the stuffing until they are nice and plump and the stuffing is slightly mounded at the top. Arrange on a baking pan or dish, drizzle with extra olive oil and roast in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot or cold. Pairing recommendation:** Marisa Cuomo Costa d'Amalfi Ravello 2007 vintage of Ravello rated by W&S* critic Wolfgang Weber, 93 points, Best Buy

December 2008	Maccheroncelli Arrabbiati (Pasta with Tomato and Chile)
photograph by Ed Anderson	*adapted from Cucina Napoletana,* Interlink Books, 2008 1 pound 2 ounces maccheroncelli, such as bucatini or ziti, broken up into pieces, or shorter dried tubular pasta such as penne rigate 2 ounces lard or olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 3½ ounces pancetta or bacon or ciccioli, diced 10 ounces fresh ripe tomatoes, preferably plum, chopped 1 fresh red chile, seeded and finely chopped freshly ground black pepper Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino for grating Bring a large pan of slightly salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, melt the lard or heat the olive oil in a heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sweat for a few minutes until soft, then add the pancetta, bacon or ciccioli along with the tomatoes and chile. Season with black pepper. Cook for a few minutes, stirring all the time so the sauce does not stick. Drain the pasta, add to the sauce and stir through. Sprinkle with lots of grated Parmigiano and pecorino and serve immediately. Pairing recommendation:** an aglianico or piedirosso; try Terredora di Paolo's Aglianico or La Sibilla's Piedirosso

December 2008	Pork Loin Spiedino with Pine Nut, Garlic, and Currant Soffritto
photograph by Ed Anderson	*adapted from A16 Food + Wine, Ten Speed Press, 2008* Serves 6 2 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 1-inch cubes About 1 tablespoon kosher salt ½ cup dried currants ¾ cup pine nuts ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil ⅔ cup garlic cloves, minced 3 ounces arugula In a bowl, toss the pork with the salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least overnight or up to three days. To make the soffritto, soak the currants in just enough warm water to cover for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, add the pine nuts and ½ cup of the olive oil to a small, heavy pot and place over low heat. Gradually bring to a low simmer, stirring frequently, and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until the pine nuts have started to brown. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook on low heat for about 8 minutes, or until the garlic is a light golden brown. Watch the soffritto carefully; the pine nuts and garlic will burn easily. Drain the currants, add them to the pot, and then remove the pot from the heat. Let the soffritto cool to room temperature. It will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for two weeks. About 30 minutes before cooking, remove the pork from the refrigerator. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water to cover to prevent them from scorching. Prepare a hot fire in a grill, stacking the coals to one side so you have two areas of heat, one with direct heat and one with indirect heat. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the pork and toss to coat evenly. Drain the skewers, and thread about 5 pieces of pork onto each skewer. Place the skewers over the coals and grill for about 1 minute on each side, or until well seared. Move the skewers to the cooler side of the grill and continue to cook over indirect heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until cooked medium-well but still juicy. Arrange a bed of arugula on a platter. Place the pork skewers on top. Drizzle some of the soffritto over the top of the pork and the arugula. Pass the remaining sauce at the table. Serve immediately. Pairing recommendation: an aglianico, such as the De Conciliis Donnaluna Alianico

December 2008	Arugula Salad with Almonds, Olives and Tangerines
photograph by Ed Anderson	*adapted from A16 Food + Wine, Ten Speed Press, 2008* Serves 6 4 ounces arugula ¾ cup green olives, pitted and sliced ½ cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped ¼ fennel bulb 4 tangerines, peeled and separated into segments ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Ricotta salata for grating Place the arugula, olives, and walnuts in a large bowl. Cut the fennel quarter in half lengthwise, and then cut away the core. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, shave the fennel lengthwise into paper-thin slices. Add the fennel slices and tangerine segments to the bowl. Drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice into the bowl, and season the salad with pinches of salt and pepper to taste. Using your hands, toss the salad gently, mixing well. Transfer the salad to a large serving bowl. Using a Microplane or other fine-rasp grater, grate a generous amount of ricotta salata over the top. Serve immediately. Pairing recommendation: a falanghina, such as Feudi di San Gregorio's Sannio or Villa Matilde's Falerno del Massico Falanghina

June 2008	Green Papaya Salad
illustration by Rose Forshall	from Bordega Bistro, San Franscico Serves 4 1 green papaya (about 1/2 pound) 10 fresh basil leaves 10 Vietnamese mint leaves 1 cup water 1/2 cup white vinegar 1/2 tablespoon honey 1/2 tablespoon sugar Salt Hot chile sauce (Sriracha) Crushed peanuts Diced beef jerkey* Peel and shred the papaya with a papaya shredder* or grater; discard the seeds. Put the shreds in a large bowl. Coarsely chop the basil and mint leaves and add to the papaya. In a separate bowl, mix the water, vinegar, honey, sugar and a pinch of salt. Pour over the papaya and toss well. To serve, put the salad on each of four plates and top with chile sauce, peanuts and beef jerky. *Asian-style beef jerky is available in Asian food stores. Papaya shredders are available at importfoods.com.

June 2008	Jamón Ibérico di Bellota
illustration by Rose Forshall	Pan y tomates 4 thick slices country bread, lightly toasted 2 garlic cloves, peeled 2 ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half crosswise Extra-virgin olive oil Coarse sea salt Spanish ham, olives and Marcona almonds (see Note) Rub the bread with the garlic. Then rub the bread with the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Serve with Spanish ham, olives and Marcona almonds. Jamón di Bellota can be mail-ordered from latienda.com and despanabrandfoods.com

June 2008	Cabbage Salad
illustration by Rose Forshall	from Café Katja, New York 4 cups thinly shredded red cabbage 1 tart green apple, unpeeled, julienned or grated 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted 2 tablespoons lingonberry preserves 1/2 cup lingonberry vinaigrette (recipe follows) Salt and pepper In a large bowl, combine the cabbage with the apple, walnuts, preserves and vinaigrette, reserving a few walnuts and some apple julienne for garnish. Let the salad stand at room temperature until the cabbage wilts, 3 to 4 minutes, then taste and season with salt, pepper, vinaigrette or preserves. Strew salad with reserved walnuts and apple and serve. Lingonberry Vinaigrette 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 1/2 tablespoons lingonberry preserves 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar Salt 1/2 to 1 cup canola oil In a medium bowl, whisk together the mustard with the preserves, vinegar and a little salt. Add the oil in a thin stream, blending until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning.

June 2008	Chimichurri
illustration by Rose Forshall	from Palacio Duhau-Park Hyatt, Buenos Aires 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced 1 small chile, finely chopped 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves 1 tablespoon coarse salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon chopped bay leaf 1 teaspoon chopped thyme 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the bell pepper and cook over moderate heat until softened. In another skillet, combine the remaining 7 tablespoons of olive oil with the chile and warm over moderate heat. In a small saucepan, combine the water with the vinegar, garlic, parsley, salt, black pepper, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, thyme and red pepper flakes and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the bell pepper and chile oil and let stand at room temperature for at least two hours or overnight to develop flavor. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to five days.

June 2008	Souvlaki
illustration by Rose Forshall	from Greece Serves 4 For Meat: 1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons dried Greek oregano 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt Freshly ground pepper A day or two ahead: Thread the meat onto 4 large metal skewers. Place them in a single layer in a large glass baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil with the vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour over the pork and refrigerate, turning the skewers occasionally. Thirty minutes before cooking, remove the skewers from fridge to come to room temperature. For Condiments: 4 thick, fluffy pitas ("pocketless") 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced 1 cucumber, peeled and diced Tzatziki (recipe follows) Preheat the grill or broiler. When hot, add the meat skewers and cook until lightly charred, turning to cook all sides and basting with the remaining marinade. Warm the bread lightly (do not toast). Remove the bread and meat from the grill. To serve, remove the meat from the skewers. Holding the pita in one hand, fill it with the meat and top with tomato, onion and diced cucumber and douse with tzatziki. Roll it up as tightly as possible and eat out of hand, being careful not to get sauce on your clothes. Have lots of napkins and plenty of Kourtaki Vin de Crete or other simple, juicy, affordable Greek red on hand. For Tzatziki: 2 garlic cloves 1 16-ounce container Greek yogurt (such as Fage) 3 mint sprigs Grate the garlic using a microplane. Add it to a large bowl. Stir in the yogurt. Tear the mint into tiny pieces and add to the yogurt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.