Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking: Vegetable and Salad Recipe Reviews

[redwood2bay]

September 2006 Cookbook of the Month: Please post your reviews of vegetable and salad recipes from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking here. Please mention the name of the recipe you are reviewing as well as any modifications you made to the recipe.

A reminder that the verbatim copying of recipes to the boards is violation of the copyright of the original author. Posts with copied recipes will be removed.

[Breadcrumbs]

Sauteed Mushrooms w Olive Oil, Garlic and Parsley – Method 1 – p. 509 (Vegetables)

The footnote to this recipe indicates that this dish can be prepared then cooled to room temperature and served as antipasto. In this case, I was preparing it as a component of another recipe in the book; the “Sauteed Snapper w Mushrooms” I’ll include a link to my review of that dish at the bottom of this post.

Mushrooms are cleaned and sliced into ¼” thick pieces. I chose to leave my mushrooms a little thicker since they were small. Garlic and parsley are chopped. I found it interesting that Marcella starts you out by placing the garlic and oil in a pan and then placing the pan over medium-high heat. In my experience most recipes have you heat the pan first then add the oil. Once the garlic is golden, the mushrooms are added and the heat is turned up. Once the mushrooms have soaked up the oil, salt and pepper are added the heat is reduced to low and the mushrooms are stirred. Once the mushrooms shed their juice then the heat is turned back up to evaporate it. Dish is seasoned again prior to serving.

Given that Marcella indicated this recipe could be made as antipasti, I thought I should give it a taste before incorporating it into my fish dish. Nothing earth shattering here, just mushrooms w garlic and parsley flavours in oil. I think the quality of the olive oil you use would be critical if you were serving this on its own as it is a key flavour component. If I wanted a simple mushroom dish for an antipasti spread, I’d consider this recipe.

Here's a link to the fish dish:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/3257...

[MMRuth]

I always use her method of cooking mushrooms.

[buttertart]

I do too - in the Bolognese in "Marcella Says" she has you cook them for a long time - it really makes them taste fantastic. La divina Marcella...

[Breadcrumbs]

I'll have to take a look at that bt, I have that book as well. btw, I just got the "deal of the century" on some amazing baking books. I'm going to post my list in the "what were your last cookbooks thread" I thought of you right away, let me know if there are some you like.

[buttertart]

Can't wait!

[bertabetti]

I just bought the Essentials cookbook and am going through it now.
I have found that when I have followed the recipes for the braised vegetables, they end up being over cooked because the recipes ask for way too much water and cooking time than is necessary to braise the veg.

I was also disappointed by the chard torte recipe (tegliata di biete), as it says to saute the chard "until it starts sticking to the bottom of the pan", well, that ended up being way over done in my opinion. There are other recipes too from this book, where the dish would have turned out better if I just went with my instinct instead of following the exact directions. Am I too used to using recipes from epicurious (which are really detailed and written for the most beginner cook)?
Im wondering if others have experienced this in using the Essentials book. Thanks!

[fame da lupo]

There is a simple explanation for this: Italians cook their vegetables a la morte, or in other words, to a degree of doneness that most Americans would consider over-cooked/mushy/soggy. The concept of "toothy"-outside and tender-inside isn't really in the traditional Italian understanding of cooking veggies, which is interesting to me because of their obsession with al dente (to the tooth) pasta and rice.

[MMRuth]

Yes, I think her recipes, from what I understand, generate results that Italians would know and appreciate, rather than what Americans, and others, might prefer or think is correct.

[roxlet]

Having grown up in an Italian home, I frequently find that al dente vegetables taste almost raw to me. My feeling is that there is a transformation in taste that goes on when vegetables are cooked to doneness, unlike when pasta is overcooked. Asparagus and green beans are two vegetables that tend to be very undercooked in most restaurants and just not that tasty that way, IMHO. MMRuth is correct.

[fame da lupo]

Funny you mention asparagus, because to me that is the best example of American taste regarding how to cook a vegetable.

[MMRuth]

I meant to add that, I taught myself how to cook 20 years ago by using two books - Essentials, and J. Child's "The Way to Cook". What I liked about Hazan's book was what I perceive as her very precise instructions, and opinions about ingredients etc. The only recipe that I recall having made that I didn't think worked out was the pork in milk, which many other people have made and loved.

Have you had troubles with recipes aside from vegetable ones? A lot of her pasta sauce recipes are ones that I've now been making for many years and just love. It's great to see these old COTM threads brought back to life!

[fame da lupo]

My only problem with her veg recipes is that they typically follow the same formula, Veg + Parm, which isn't a big problem in that they are always delicious (esp. swiss chard stalks + parm roasted in the oven) if a little redundant.

Pork + milk is the best thing in that book!

[bertabetti]

thank you for your replies. yes, she even comments herself about the Italian preference for "overdone" vegetables. I still think there is too much water and cooking time for the leeks and the celery, for example. I cook them for half the time with half the water and the are plenty cooked and delicious. I guess that's just my taste.

Another recipe was the olive oil cake, which says to bake at 400 for 50 minutes and I found it ready in 25. Everything I have made has been good, do not get me wrong! and I do like her explanations and introductions. I think Ill go and try the meat and fish dishes next.

[MMRuth]

Crisp-Fried Zucchini Blossoms, p. 538

I made these last summer as well, but never reported here, so thought I would now. I love the really light pastella (water and flour batter) that you use. I did 6 flowers, so halved the recipe to 1/3 cup flour, gradually sifted into 1/2 cup water, while stirring with a fork. This is the first time that I'd fried in a while, and I think they got a little too brown. Tasted great though.

Also, I have NO idea what she means by "make a cut on one side of each blossom's base to open the flower flat, butterfly fashion". Last year I just didn't see that and didn't cut them at all. I ended up just cutting one petal down to the base, so that I could open them up. If any one has any insight as to what she means, I'd appreciate it - cutting one side of the base did nothing helpful that I could tell!

Last year's photos:

http://www.chowhound.com/photos/81847
http://www.chowhound.com/photos/70045

[fame da lupo]

Swiss chard torte (tegliata di biete). One of the most tasty things I've ever made.

[JoanN]

That looks marvelous. I often stir fry Swiss chard, adding pine nuts and raisins, but this looks a great step up. Thanks for posting.

[MMRuth]

Do you add any vinegar? I love vinegar with swiss chard, and love the idea of pine nuts and raisins - sounds like a combo in one of the Lucques' tarts.

[JoanN]

Yes, Lucques has a currant and pine nut relish that she serves with a Swiss chard and goat cheese tart using puff pastry. Mine isn't even a recipe; just something I toss together when I want a quick, healthy dinner. I cook it in garlic, but never thought of adding vinegar. Sounds bang on. I'll definitely try it next time.

[fame da lupo]

Welcome! The parmesan, nuts, and raisins go incredibly well together with the chard. Harmony.

[iL Divo]

I saw this cookbook as showcased on MM on his TV show. He said it was such a great cook book and since Mario said that, I figured it was a must have. I went to B&N and although they had it, it was way too much money so I went online and thought I find a used version which would be fine with me. I found it NEW on ebay and INCLUDING shipping, it cost me exactly $11. What a find, I love this cook book

[Rubee]

Sauteed Green Beans with Parmesan Cheese (p. 472)

Another very simple but tasty dish. Green beans boiled, drained, then warmed in a pan with butter and tossed with grated Parmesan cheese. I served them with Veal Milanese (p.375).

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47...

[Carb Lover]

Looks like the perfect simple supper! I'm so impressed w/ how many recipes you have managed to make out of Hazan's book over the past couple of weeks! Thanks for the photos too...

[Rubee]

Thanks! I work at home, so that makes it easier, but I really like how Marcella has included advance prep tips, and I ended up trying the simple dishes I wouldn't have before. And of course, it was your first photos that inspired me. :)

[AppleSister]

I am really impressed, too. Thanks for contributing so much!

[faijay]

I made a simple cauliflower gratin with parmesan to go with my aquacotta (See posting in soups). It was very simple and very good. Her instruction for boiling the cauliflower was right on. I never knew that the more water used for boiling the sweeter the cauliflower.

[NYchowcook]

Made the 1-1/2 hour smothered cabbage last night (to accompany braised pork chops -- posted on meat thread). It turned out fine I thought, though my meat-and-potatoes husband barely touched it.

Marcella says you can use any kind of cabbage -- I used ordinary green. I've made it in the past and used red cabbage, and I think red is preferable.

[MMRuth]

Fennel Salad

Very simple - just fennel, olive oil, salt and pepper - refreshing and a recipe I will use again.

[redwood2bay]

Eggplant Parmesan

I took advantage of some lovely small round purple eggplants at the markets this weekend to try out Marcella's take on Eggplant Parmesan. I've made this dish many times but this is the first time I've used the recipe in Essentials-- the others were based on the Moosewood cookbook recipe, which calls for a lot more breading.

One thing I noticed when frying the eggplant is that the flour tended to fall into the oil and collect at the bottom of the pan, so that by the end there was a layer of browned flour in the pan. Have others had this experience? It didn't seem to interefere too much with the finished product. At the end of frying, the eggplant was very lightly breaded and crisp.

Best time saving tip: buying pre-sliced mozarella from an Italian deli instead of slicing it myself. Only omission: no fresh basil, as I'd forgotten to reserve a couple of leaves when we made pesto the day before. One nice surprise is that the actual cooking time (excluding the half hour for the salting of the eggplant) was only half an hour (though I had less eggplant than the whole recipe).

I was impressed with how intense the flavors were in this eggplant parmesan because of the reduced sauce and the way the eggplant is cooked (with a minimum of breading). Unfortunately, my eggplant was so tender that the top layer overcooked a bit in the oven. Overall, though, it was still delicious and certainly a recipe I'd try again. By the end of cooking, the eggplant was almost carmelized and falling apart tender. A great late summer dish.

[Rubee]

Mashed Potatoes with Milk and Parmesan Cheese, Bolognese Style

Another winner, of course. Like the carrots, I made this as an accompaniment to the Braised Meat Roll in White Wine. Used red potatoes, boiled them, and didn't bother peeling them as I was putting them through a ricer. Instead of using a double-boiler and whisking by hand, I heated the bowl of my KitchenAid over boiling water, added the butter, and then used the whisk attachment as I added the milk and cheese. The little bit of fresh grated nutmeg finished it off, and it was the perfect balance of cheese. I made no modifications. I hope the picture gives an idea of how fluffy these potatoes become:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47...

[beetlebug]

I really should read the recipes before hand ;-)

I don't have a ricer or a food mill. Do you think it would be ok if I mashed them and then added it to the butter? I can then use my immersion blender wisk to fluff them up. Does that sound completely crazy?

[Rubee]

I'm not sure, but I think maybe skip the immersion blender, and just mash them? Only because the immersion blender might make them gluey. I think I would mash them and then use a whisk while you add the milk....

[MMRuth]

Do you have a hand held blender - that would be better than an immersion blender ...

[Babette]

I used a Foley fork for these mashed potatoes, easy, quick & worked out fine; very tasty. Thanks to the people who made this thread happen. When I saw all the recs, I got inspired & made these and the braised carrots, huge success--yes the carrots are all that the choir sings-- (served with pork chops, will post appropriately). The family loved it.

[beetlebug]

I made this last night to go with the Tuscan Meat Roll. I liked it but didn't love it. I've made better mashed potatoes, but it was a perfect vehicle to eat the sauce from the meat roll.

I used yukon gold potatoes. 2 lbs of it. I ended up buying a ricer because I needed another kitchen toy. I really liked using the ricer. I liked how I didn't have to peel the potatoes and the little strips of potatoes that came out.

After ricing 2 lbs. of potatoes into the top of the double broiler, it was overflowing, so I used the kitchenaid bowl and plopped that into the simmering water. I started mixing the potatoes and milk with a wisk, but the potatoes kept getting stuck in the wisk (mashed potatoes in jail) so I switched over to a fork. None of us could taste the parmesan cheese in the potatoes itself. But then again, after the first couple of bites, we were scooping the tomato sauce on to the potatoes itself.

If I made this again, I probably wouldn't use the yukon gold potatoes, but would use a plainer potato such as the russet. I would also use more cheese. I would also simmer chopped fresh rosemary with the milk to give it a bit more flavor.

[Rubee]

Braised Carrots with Parmesan Cheese

Wow. I can't believe I never made these before. So simple, and so so so good (though it takes a bit of time tending the carrots on the stove). I can see why this is a favorite for many from this book. The recipe calls for cooking sliced carrots in a single layer for 1-2 hours with just enough water (and some butter) to concentrate their flavor. You then add a little bit of sugar. When done, toss with grated parmigiano-reggiano. I also love that you can cook them beforehand and just heat and toss with the cheese. This is what I did, and then garnished with parm shavings. These are some of the best carrots I have ever had, and will definitely be added to the repertoire for holiday side dishes. Even my husband looked at me and said, "have you ever heard me rave about carrots before?". Marcella is a genius.

BTW, the recipes says it serves 6, but we found it was just enough for 2, with no leftovers (though we both had seconds). I would definitely double it for 4 people.

Picture:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47...

[Robert Lauriston]

"Braised" doesn't really give the idea. They're almost caramelized.

[jackie de]

I was really afraid this recipe was just going to be o-k, not nearly as good as say roasted carrots, but boy , was I wrong. Something with such simple ingred. and such a simple cooking method, is so great. I used the carrots my dh got from our veggie garden this afternoon. I didn't have 2 hours to devote to this recipe, so I only cooked the carrots l l/2 hours,but they were the best carrots I've ever had. Tender and delicious with an almost unbelievable flavor. Definitely company carrots. We too, had no leftovers and my husband wondered if we could have carrots again tomorrow nite. A truly brillant recipe!

[Robert Lauriston]

Somebody ought to come up with a convection-oven version of the recipe so you one do three or four cookie sheets worth.

[Katie Nell]

You are making me hungry, what with these and the potatoes! Is the carrot recipe in Essentials? (Sorry if that's been covered before!)

[Rubee]

Yes - Essentials p. 480. JulesRules links below to the recipe on-line. They are soooo good.

[Katie Nell]

Thank you, now I just need to get to the grocery store... I may make your exact menu, perfect for the cooler weather we're having right now!

[Katie Nell]

I finally made these carrots last night... OH MY GOODNESS! I can't believe how good they are! I kept overthinking the recipe, but if you follow the directions, they really are easy. It was like eating carrot candy!

[Aromatherapy]

Love love love these, and you're right about the serving size. ;) I usually start with 2 skillets and then combine into one. Allow the full 2 hours, you can always stop sooner.

[julesrules]

Wow indeed, you make those sound great, I found the recipe online and hope to make them with the meat roll too.

http://www.seasonalchef.com/roots.htm...

[meels]

I agree - it's such a good recipe!! but only makes enough for about 2 people...
~meels

[jen kalb]

the similar carrot recipe with capers, garlic and parsley in (I think) the More classic book is also superb.

[beetlebug]

These carrots were a hit. I had a few hitches, but they still tasted fabulous.

Taking heed of everyone's comments about portion size, I used 3 lbs of carrots for 4 guests. There was only one serving of carrots left over.

I had skinny carrots so I had to use 3 skillets to hold all the carrots. I added too much water to each skillet so it took awhile for them to boil down. I must have had the heat a little too high because I noticed that some of the smaller pieces began to blacken. I tasted them, and they were tender, so after an hour, I turned the heat off. (I did have water in the pan). I quickly stirred the carrots and every piece had a black bottom. I combined them into the biggest skillet and set it aside. When I re-heated them, I added some more water, then the parmesian cheese.

They were delicious, just not very pretty. This is a keeper recipe.

[cheryl_h]

I made these yesterday and they were wonderful. I'm a lifelong carrot hater but these would convert anyone. The carmelized, concentrated flavors are just superb. I would never have thought carrots could taste this good.

[Dommy]

I admit it, I jumped the gun!!! I loved this idea of all of us cooking from the same cookbook, so I started scouring recipes and picked the two perfect ones for what I have been craving recently. Since experiencing the Zuni Chicken and Bread Salad recently, it’s been in mind lately on how to recreate at home. So I decided to do the Two Lemon Chicken and Panzanella, or Bread Salad. This post of course is about the Bread Salad.... :)

We started with three little loaves of Ciobatta bread from the Bread Bar. Although the recipe called for the crust to be taken off, I kept it on as I like the chewy texture and the crust wasn’t that thick to begin with. As per the instruction we toasted them carefully in the broiler:

http://members.aol.com/pmgon/Chowhound/Life.jpg

Another reason why I chose this recipe, is that it called for lots of tomatoes. Tomato season has just about hit it’s peak here and I knew I could buy some lovely ones. The recipe calls for a tomato to be pureed inorder to soak the bread. So I decided a pump brandywine would be a great good sacrifice.

http://members.aol.com/pmgon/Chowhound/Sacrifice.jpg

Assembling this recipe really was easy. Except for one step...the Onions. Marcella does this thing of soaking and squeezing the onions which I had never heard of to take away the ULTRA sharp taste and enhance the sweetness. In keeping true to the recipe, did it a bit ahead of time while prepping everything together...

http://members.aol.com/pmgon/Chowhound/ADrain.jpg

I pretty much added everything the recipe called for EXCEPT the Anchovies. I can’t stand Anchovies. And once the onions were done (And Marcella was right, the flavor of them was more mellow and sweeter! YUM!!) the salad came together wonderfully!! :

)

http://members.aol.com/pmgon/Chowhound/Ensalada.jpg

Except for the onion thing, this recipe was simple and quick. The flavors played WONDERFULLY together, especially with those sweet heirloom tomatoes and crunchy cucumber. The taste was simple and fresh. Perhaps I’ll add more herbs in next time (Or use a Rosemary Bread!!) and perhaps cut the bread pieces a little smaller.

Recipe:

http://www.cooking.com/recipes/static...

--Dommy!

[Rubee]

That looks great Dommy! Rick Bayless has a similar technique of rinsing onions in cold water - he calls it "deflaming".

[AppleSister]

I also made the panzanelle salad last night, but substituted diced radish for the cucumbers since I didn't have any, and mashed my beautiful heirloom tomato with my hands since I don't have a food mill. I was too lazy to soak and squeeze the onions, but I let the onions sit in the vinegar/capers/anchovy mixture for awhile to take away some of the bite. And as dubious as I was about the merits of soggy bread, it was delicious. I was glad I was alone and didn't have to share :) A good way to mark the end of the summer.

[smtucker]

Panzanella Salad

As Fall is settling into New England, I have begun baking bread once again. Lately, I am been cultivating a natural levain which I use as the sponge. The results were two lovely loaves of bread, both only partially eaten before becoming stale. The tomato plants outside are desperately trying to produce more ripe fruit, so I had about 6 perfect tomatoes. What else could I make?

I admit, I have only see Panzanella Salad on food shows. I have never eaten it before. But that has never stopped me before, and this recipe couldn't be easier. I started with thinly slicing some locally grown, fresh red onion, and began the soaking and squeezing. And then began working on the bread. I sliced the loaf ends and put them under the broiler and set the timer. [I do forget things under the broiler.] Meanwhile, I created a paste with the anchovy, caper and garli in a mortar/pestle I did add a bit of sea salt to encourage the bits to get smoother. Flip the bread, squeeze the onions, and now to the tomatoes. I finished the dressing with a 1/4 cup of oil and the two tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Tasted, and added a bit more sea salt. The bread was done, so I created the cubes as directed.

I did not pull out my huge food mill to process just one tomato. Instead, I crushed the tomato with my hands, and then worked it through a mesh strainer. The bread drank up the tomato juice quickly, and I found that as I worked the tomato through the sieve, I needed to toss the bread to evenly coat.

Cubed the remaining two skinless tomatoes, and dropped the tomatoes and dressing into the bowl. Since my DH doesn't eat cucumbers, I omitted them, but I would have enjoyed that flavor. I think some fresh basil could be a good garnish as well.

Anyhow, this stuff was good! Having only seen this salad on food shows, I was surprised by the soft bread texture. Each bite of bread had this great burst of tomato flavor, supplemented by the dressing.

[iL Divo]

you just reminded me of the food mill that I'll pull out today and use it for my one really large tomato.

[Marge]

Sunchoke Gratin-one of my favorite comfort foods.
Baked Potatoes, Onion and Tomato Apulian Style-always a welcome potato side dish at my house.
Fried Zucchini in Vinegar and Garlic-time consuming, but Yum!! I even like cold leftovers.

[heidipie]

Fava Beans, Roman style: excellent. Worth the work (especially if your friends help you out). But if you double-peel them, they cook in only five minutes, I've found.

Braised Carrots with Parmesan Cheese: delicious. Easy.

Braised Finocchio with Olive Oil: delicious. Easy.

Baked Red Beets: I can't account for it, but Marcella is the only person who bakes her beets for as long as I find I have to. All these other recipes that have you wrap up your beets in foil and claim they'll be done in 30 minutes! Phooey!

Beans and Tuna Salad: delicious. Easy. Use canned beans.

[wally]

You're right on about the beet cooking time.

[NYchowcook]

Gratineed asparagus w/ parmesan. Very good.
Smothered cabbage. Yum, yum.
Gratineed cauliflower w/ butter & parmesan. Teenaged proclaimed cauliflower asked for it to be made again!
Eggplant patties – both variations – w/ onions & tomatoes & w/ mozzarella. Yum, yum.
** baked potatoes, onion & tomatoes, apulian style. Wow! I have made many times.
Sliced potatoes w/ porcini & fresh cultivated mushrooms. Molto yummy.

[kitchensalli]

Zucchini with Tomato and Basil:

I picked up the book a few days ago and was anxious to try something right away, using whatever I had on hand, which was zucchini.

This was a really big hit in the taste department. Even better the next day for lunch - served just slightly warm, with left-over rice.

In the preparation department- it took longer than I had anticipated for the final stage in the oven. If I had waited for the liquid to evaporate, as stated in the recipe, the zucchini would have been way over cooked. I did a workaround, by removing it from the oven, to take out some of the liquid, and then returned to the oven until the desired stage. The basil on top at the end adds a nice freshness and flavor punch.

I will make this again (family loved it), but will cook down the tomato mixture more to have less liquid.

All in all - very good.