September 2012 Cookbook of the Month: My Calabria

[blue room]

Hello all!

Along with scenes and stories, this is a book presenting Italian food from southern (“toe of the boot“) Italy. Please feel welcome to take part -- cook, post, read, comment -- we’ll all enjoy and benefit.

Past books and group basics are here:

http://www.chow.com/cookbook_of_the_month_archive

More information and discussion can be found in these three links -- September nominations, voting, and winner announcement:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/862619 nominations

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/863519 voting

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/864379 winner announcement

I’ve divided the recipes into three parts, following the progression of a meal, as in the book.

MY CALABRIA

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/866186

Antipasti…..21 - 44

Pasta…..45 - 92

Soup, Rice, Polenta…..93 -112

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/866187

Bread, Cheese, Eggs…..113 - 156

Seafood…..157 - 190

Meat…..191 - 232

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/866188

Vegetables…..233 - 268

The Calabrian Pantry…..269 - 310

Desserts…..311 - 360

*** Happy Birthday COTM ………..6 years old!

Sept. 2006.………..Sept. 2012 -- http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8643...

Chowhound policy requires us to paraphrase recipes not your own. No verbatim copying of recipes, please -- it's a copyright violation, and the post will be removed.

Have some delicious fun this month, it's a beautiful month and a beautiful book.

[ChiliDude]

The history of the region is almost as interesting as the recipes. My late mother-in-law's family came from that region, and I'm finding recipes in the book that my wife of 52+ years prepares on a regular basis.

[blue room]

Nice!
Do you have any favorites?
The very simple tomato sauce in the book (page 53) got a lot of respect from several posters.

[Novelli]

I don't know how pertinent it is to these COTM threads, but Rosetta has a blog site:

http://www.calabriafromscratch.com/

On her site, she takes you on video tours of her garden, step by step instructions on certain recipes, and she even posts some stuff that didn't make it into her book. A cool site to help pick up some extra info.

[blue room]

It's very pertinent, Novelli! With resources like that, COTM enthusiasts can participate even if lacking the actual cookbook. A perfect situation for some months, when buying/borrowing the book isn't in your plan. ("Leite's Culinaria", a blog, not a book, was once a COTM.)

[Quintious]

I'm kind of sad to admit, I've had this book for like....I dunno, a year now....and I've not opened it up one time. I think I might have to change that in the near future.

[smtucker]

This COTM addiction can get just a bit expensive. I have borrowed My Calabria from the library and I am really hoping that no one notices that the book was splashed with water while making the tomato sauce. At that moment it became clear that I had to purchase this book. Once I get up to 5 recipes that I want to make again and again, it only seems fair.

But now I am fixated on the cavatelli, which means I need a gnocchi board. So a google search found a family-run business that not only has a lovely board, but the kind of rolling pin I have wanted, and a ravioli stamp to make my favorite shape. I am such a sucker for kitchen tools!

[MelMM]

You might as well share the Web site with us, as we all want to support a family-run business and we all want more beautiful stuff in our kitchens. Bank account be damned!

[smtucker]

Since you asked:
http://www.fgpizza.com/

[MelMM]

Neat site! Thanks

[painperdu]

I havent had much time with this book...it took some time to get it from the library, and now we are off to Italy tomorrow for three weeks (Piedmont and Alto Aldige, not Calabria, but still...). I know I will get no sympathy. We were able to do one fish recipe, which I will post in the appropriate spot. I did want to say that I regret not having been able to do more with this book, I really enjoyed browsing through it and I learned a few things. I am sure I will come back to it with the benefit of all your experiments and reports.

[smtucker]

My book has been in the house for about an hour, and I should just mark the recipes I don't want to make. All looks so very good, but all this pasta making might take some time!

[Breadcrumbs]

Time is the enemy isn't it smtucker? Like you, I found so many dishes in the book that we'd like to try. The Parmigigana di Zucchine is in the oven as I type. Happy reading & looking forward to having you cook along w your new book!!

[Breadcrumbs]

Thanks very much blue room, I'm really looking forward to this month and have a number of recipes tabbed in the book. The vegetable recipes seem to make good use of the produce currently available in our markets so that's especially appealing.

We actually kicked off the month last night and I made a Rigatoni dish that I'll report on asap. I've also posted reviews of a couple of dishes I made prior to this being a COTM.

Happy cooking everyone and Happy Birthday COTM....with deepest gratitude to all the wonderful cooks that have made this such a remarkable community. Thanks for the inspiration...I am a better cook because of all of you. (and I have a few more books on my shelf because of you but we won't get into that!!!).

[blue room]

This book wasn't exactly a runaway vote-getter, so I'm not expecting a huge month. (Everyone's got their mind on meatballs, I'm afraid!)
However, today I'm tackling the trompe-l'oeil peach cookies (p. 333). Prepare to be fooled haha.

[Gio]

Well, BR, one cannot live on meatballs alone so I expect there will be meatballs, vegetables, salads, soups and everything else on the table this month.

I like your division of the bounty. T'will make reporting easy to find. Well done !

[BigSal]

I love the story behind the this book. As a busy professional, Rosetta Costantino shares that she mostly watched her mom cook, only helping on occasion, and as her parents aged, she realized what would be lost if she didn't master the techniques and recipes of Calabria. I've done the same in my life and started writing down my mom's (Japanese)recipes. The thought of them being lost forever makes me sad.

Gio,

The sugo di pomodoro (quick tomato sauce) reminded me of your marinara recipe. Curious to see what you think.

FWIW- During Spanish month I made a number of sauces with canned tomatoes and discovered that my former everyday tomatoes (Muir Glen) tasted acidic compared to my other brand of canned San Marzanos (which only contain tomatoes). In My Calabria, Rosetta Costantino advises against canned tomatoes with citric acid and calcium chloride.

[Gio]

Yes, Sal, Rossetta's Sugo di Pomodoro is almost exactly like the one I make. My mother was born in Andrea near Bari in Puglia then the family move to Trieste when she was a little girl, and my father's family was from Abruzzo in the mountains but his immediate family immigrated to the US long before he and his siblings were born. When my parents married they brought with them all the culinary memories they had but they both cooked virtually the same style. Curious. My style probably evolved from everything I was, and am still, exposed to...

[blue room]

BigSal, you mention your "other brand of canned San Marzanos", could you post the brand name? It may be enough to just avoid the chemicals, no matter the name.

[BigSal]

The canned San Marzanos that I used were a special treat from gustiamo.com. Because they are a splurge, I use them sparingly when the pure taste of the tomato is needed (mostly just tomato sauce). I don't use them for chili, soup or other dishes where tomato is not the dominate flavor.

Although, I did not use these in my tomato taste test during Spanish month, I have had good results with Pomi (not San Marzanos) which are just tomatoes. I'd be interested in hearing what everyone else uses.

[Gio]

I'm using Pomi. The only canned San Marzanos I've ever liked are produced by Muir Glen, which I use infrequently. Other brands just don't appeal to me.

[qianning]

can't wait to hear about the peaches!

[smtucker]

Still waiting for my inter-library loan book to arrive. Then I can hope to dive in.