Black Cod in Sicilian Olive Sauce (Merluzzo Nero alla Olive Ghiotta)

Black Cod in Sicilian Olive Sauce

I went to Sicily.  Give me a second, I just want to read that last sentence and breathe deeply.

 

Yeah, I went to Sicily.  Wow.  First, the food - as you've probably heard before- amazing. Second, the people were so friendly.  They were so open.  They were so patient while I mangled the Italian language.

There was inspiration everywhere I visited and I covered a lot of country.  My husband and I are thankfully alike in wanting to see as much as possible on vacation.

 

We never stop.  It's upsetting to many of the hotel, apartment and agriturismo owners that we meet in Europe. They always ask, "why do you stay only one night, why not stay more, relax?"  They often look hurt that we aren't soaking in their lovely city and homes for longer. I love them for that spirit.  It's just not how we're engineered.  We want to see it all, do it all and we only have a limited time, so it's go, go, GO.

 

The upside is we eat at a lot of different places and experience classic and modern takes on their traditional dishes. Then I return with ideas and passion for creating them myself.

One of the terms used a lot in Sicily was "ghiotta" [ghee-OH-tah.]

There was Pesce alla Ghiotta, and Tonno alla Ghiotta, and even Panna Cotta alla Ghiotta.  At first I thought it just meant a well-known Sicilian collection of tomatoes, olives and capers (sometimes with raisins thrown in, too.)  After returning to the States and asking my fav Italian teacher (Lorena Bignamini) and a scholarly buddy that teaches Italian at UCLA (Erika) about the word, "ghiotta", I'm ready to pass along these really fun facts:

** Ghiotto and Ghiotta are adjectives that can mean curiosity or interest in something scrumptious.

** It can also mean gluttonous person, but in Italian it means in a good way.

** Our literal translation could mean glutton, but in Italian it's only positive - meaning something like a person really liking something.  Lorena said you could be "ghiotta di Nutella, ghiotto di proschiutto, ghiotta di dulce and on and on.."

** If someone is a "ghiottone" it means they really appreciate food, like a gourmand, or a foodie (yay!) Although literally in our language it means a little wolverine.  Hahaha.

I've decided the best way to remember this is to think of our slang "Gaga" for something.  If you are "Ghiotta" for something you are "Gaga" for it.  Capisce?

Sicily, having a history of being owned by so many different countries along the way, is a mixture of Arab, Africa, Greek, French, Italian and many other influences.

 

A meal may have olives in one dish and cinnamon in the next.  Sweet pastries are combined with savory spices, sausages are soaked in onions one dish, and fruits the next.  The country is covered in rolling hills, but dotted with palm trees too.

 

A city may be buzzing with commerce and just outside of it looms the ruins of a Greek temple built before Christ.

But, this is definitely Italy and almost every hillside has olive trees and every table a bottle of wine.

One of the "ghiotta" dishes that inspired me was enjoyed in Palermo at Trattoria Biondo.

Just before I left for Sicily, the sweet folks at Lindsay Olives sent me a few cans and jars of their Natural and Sicilian collection of olives.

It was wonderful timing and I was excited to return and play with my food (what a Ghiottone, huh?)

I'm using Black Cod because it's so easy to cook with and a good sustainable choice.  I'm using two different kinds of Lindsay Olives for a very full flavored sauce.  I minced the black olives to use instead of capers for a really nice tang and balance to the fish.

Until you or I get to return to Sicily, I hope you'll visit through your kitchen with this recipe:



Black Cod in a Sicilian Olive Sauce- (Merluzzo Nero in Olive Ghiotta)

1 Fillet Black Cod (cut into large pieces)
1 small Onion (cut in thin slices)
3 Garlic Cloves (peeled and smashed)
Olive Oil
1/2 Cup White Wine
2 large Tomatoes (cut in chunks or 6 strawberry tomatoes halved)
2-3 Cups Tomato Passata (Tomato Puree or Stock)
1 cup Lindsay Black Natural Olives (drained and minced)
1 cup Lindsay Sicilian Olives (drained and hand torn)
1/2 cup Fresh Parsley (chopped)
1/4 cup Fresh Basil (chopped)
salt/pepper
*Crushed Pistachios for garnish*

1)  In a large pot, add a nice layer of Olive Oil to the bottom and heat on Med.
2)  Add onions and garlic and cook gently until soft (about 8 mins.) ** optionally a few slices of slivered Fennel is delicious, too**
3)  Add the White wine and continue to cook down for about 10 mins.
4)  Place the Fish pieces in a single layer on top of the onions. Sprinkle in the minced Olives. Hand tear the Sicilian Olives and distribute those in the pot also.
5) Add the Tomatoes, Parsley, Basil and season with salt and pepper.

6)  Pour in the Tomato Passata. Increase heat just til it simmers, then cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook for about 30 minutes.  Now and then, gently stir a bit and move fish around to cook evenly.
7) Remove Fish, ladle sauce into bowls, then top with Fish and garnish with Pistachios.

Chef Becky Selengut (author of GOOD FISH) gave this buying tip for Black Cod (also known as Sable Fish): Buy pieces that are center cut rather than tail because it's thicker and more resistant to over cooking.

Bacon Studded Polenta with Tomato Gravy - Ciao, Yawl!

Bacon Studded Polenta with Tomato Gravy~

Some of us were born to color outside the lines, inside the lines and sometimes draw our own lines.  Combining Italian Polenta with crispy bacon bits, then smothering it with a deep Southern Tomato Gravy is one of those meals where the lines between the countries get blurred.  What comes out of this marriage of "Ciao and Chow" is good country eating, no matter what country you're talking about.

And speaking of countries, this month the Lets Lunch Bunch (my virtual lunch buddies from all over the globe) are celebrating a very special debut of a new cookbook:

Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French accent.

Ellise (Cowgirl Chef) is a true Texan who has been living, learning, teaching, growing and loving in Paris, France for the last few years.  Her story of how she embraced her authentic and true self, talents and dreams by meeting the challenge of a brand new environment is inspiring (and the recipes are down right "must-makes.")  Ellise is one of the original foodbloggers to start our unique monthly lunch meeting online several years ago.  I was there for the very first one and we all made our own versions of a BLT sandwich.  It's a great example of one of the good things that come from our tech-driven journey.

This month's challenge was to create and share a meal that represented our own past experiences and another country, too (ala: Texas and France.)  

Picking something Italian was a no-brainer for me.  I've been obsessed with all things Italian for many years and will be fortunate enough to be packing this week to visit our good friends in Cossignano, Italy and stay at their Organic Agriturismo (Fiorano.)  Paolo and Paola are part of the Slow Food Movement and are very active in Organic wines, foods and conservation. 

Agriturismo Fiorano in Le Marche

I speak a little Italian from years of studying and soaking it up, although it seems to be with a good ol' Southern twang no matter how hard I try to pretend.

My grandmothers in North Carolina made Tomato Gravy and poured it over biscuits, toast, rice and grits.  It's a poor man's marinara sauce and it's packed with tomato bits, bacon flavor and rich roux.

Polenta is ground corn meal and considered an Italian comfort food.  Depending on the region, it's served warm and loose like soupy grits, or thick and cut into sections or even baked.  If you've seen the pre-made tubes of something they call Polenta in grocery stores, please don't judge Polenta by that gross congealed yellow tube food product (smiling, but serious.)  

Making Polenta is as easy as rice. There are just a few tips for making it successfully:

1)  When the liquid begins to simmer, rain in the Polenta grains.  This means do NOT pour it all in (that makes it clump.)  Rain it in, sprinkling it gradually and stirring while it goes.

2)  Reduce heat and stir often so not to scorch the Polenta.

3)  Keep in mind, it's easy to add a little more liquid if it's too thick, but not so easy to make it thicker if you add too much liquid too quickly.

4)  Adding butter makes it a little bit looser, cheese will make it a bit thicker.

The liquid used in Polenta, like rice, can be water or stock, milk, or something in your imaginative recipe developing "coloring book."

When I made this Bacon Studded Polenta smothered in Tomato Gravy, I also ate almost the whole plate of it.  So, be careful. :D

Check below to see the many varied and delectable recipes of country fusion cooking from other Let's Lunch pals: 

Chery's Goin Pork Curry Tacos at Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan
Eleanor‘s  Wok Picadillo at Wok Star
Ellise‘s Salty Lime Sablés (Margarita Cookies) at Cowgirl Chef
Emma‘s Kimchi Bulgogi Nachos at Dreaming of Pots And Pans
Felicia‘s Mexican-Lebanese Hummus at Burnt-Out Baker
Grace‘s Taiwanese Fried Chicken at HapaMama
Jill‘s Southern Pimento-Stuffed Knishes at Eating My Words
Joe‘s Grilled KimCheese Sandwich at Joe Yonan
Karen‘s Ukrainian-German Cabbage Rolls at GeoFooding
Leigh‘s Venezuelan-Italian Cachapas Con Queso at Leigh Nannini
Linda‘s Project Runway Pelau: Rice & Beans Trinidad-Style at Spicebox Travels
Linda‘s Edible Salad Totes at Free Range Cookies
Lisa‘s Sunday Night Jewish-Chinese Brisket at Monday Morning Cooking Club
Lucy‘s Coconut Rice Pudding with Mango at A Cook And Her Books
Nancie‘s Chili-Cheese Biscuits with Avocado Butter at Nancie McDermott
Rashda‘s Mango Cobbler at Hot Curries & Cold Beer
Renee‘s Asian-Spiced Quick Pickles at My Kitchen And I
Steff‘s Chicken Fried Steak at The Kitchen Trials
Vivian‘s Funky Fusion Linguini at Vivian Pei
*********

Recipe: Bacon Studded Italian Polenta-

3-4 pieces of Bacon

1 cup Nonfat Milk

1 cup Water

2 Tbls. Butter

salt, pepper

1)  In a skillet, cook the bacon on Med. until crispy, remove and chop into small pieces. Pour off the fat/grease and save for the Tomato Gravy.  Save the bacon coated skillet for cooking the gravy in also.

2)  In a deep saucepan, bring the water, milk, salt and pepper to a low simmer, stirring so the milk doesn't curdle.

3)  Rain in the Polenta, stirring constantly until the Polenta is creamy.  

4)  Reduce the heat to low, stir often so it doesn't scorch.  Now is when to add a bit more liquid if needed. Stir in the bacon pieces now.  Cook and stir often for about 15 minutes.  The Polenta should be thick for this recipe.

5)  Stir in the butter and turn out into a buttered 8x8 baking pan. Leave to room temp or chill for later.

Press into a buttered baking dish

6)  Before serving, cut into squares and triangles and broil or fry for just a couple minutes until crisp on the outside. *It can also be used without this step.

Recipe:  Tomato Gravy

1/4 cup Bacon fat (use butter if there's not enough bacon fat)

1/4 cup Flour

2-3 Tomatoes (peeled, chopped)

2 cups Stock (veggie or chicken) warmed

salt/pepper

1) Using the same pan the bacon was cooked in, add the bacon fat/butter and the flour, salt and pepper.  Cook and whisk on Med. until light brown and a nice roux has been created.

 

2)  Add the chopped tomatoes and any reserved juice from chopping.  Lower heat to Low/Med and Whisk together.

3)  Slowly whisk in the warmed stock and continue cooking on Low for about 15-20 minutes.  If it's too thick, add a little water or more stock a little at a time.  Season to taste.

4)  Serve poured over the Polenta or biscuits, rice or scrambled eggs. Mmmmm.

Congrats to Cowgirl Chef!  Hope to see you on tour!

Lemon Sauced Pizza with Fresh Arugula, Salumi and Pecorino

Lemons. Shallots. Fresh baby Arugula. Salty-sweet Cheese? Put it on the Pizza!

As I write this the weather in Los Angeles is "end-of-summer hot and dry" days with oddly chilled nights. I was craving food with bright and light flavors (hello, lemons) and yet comforting and fun (gimme bread dough anytime.) That multi-craving inspired this tangy disk of crispy goodness.

Lemon Sauced Pizza w/ Fresh Baby Arugula,
Salumi & Pecorino

My friends and family love my Lemon Pasta that I serve using Handmade Fettucini or Dandelion infused Stracchino. So, I figured, why not try it on Pizza? With all flavor combining, striking a balance that allows the flavors to shine through, but also not overwhelm is the really tricky part.Yes, the lemon here is tangy, but the shallots and butter warm it up and the fresh greens keep it crisp. The slivers of Salumi or Prosciutto add the earthy umami and the salty protein punch. The cheesy dough keeps it all familiar to our palates. For the Pizza dough, I used the last of some bread dough I had in the refrigerator (made from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day.) I rolled it out, let it rest and relax, and started my layering of flavor.This is light enough to serve as appetizer slices, game-day food and brunch fare, too. Feel free to change up the topping greens to spinach or field greens and leave off the meat for a vegetarian choice (maybe crumbled smoked tempeh would be a great addition.)
Recipe: LEMON SAUCED PIZZA

1 pizza dough (bread machine, artisan recipe or favorite dough recipe)
2 Tbls. butter
1/2 shallot (minced)
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
2 Tbls. White Wine
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt/pepper
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup grated Asiago or Pecorino Cheese
Fresh Basil (or Lemon Basil)

1) In a large skillet on Med. heat - melt the butter and add the minced shallot. Cook til soft, about 3 minutes.2) Add the lemon juice, zest and white wine. Continue stirring over Low/Med heat (to de-glaze the pan and incorporate the flavors.) Season with a pinch of red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

3) Add the cream and stir until the sauce is thickened (about 5-8 minutes.) Remove from the heat and let cool.

4) Preheat the oven to 475F. (Put a Pizza stone into the oven on Middle rack if using one.) Roll out your Pizza dough to a 12-14" circle and allow to rest for 5 minutes on your corn meal dusted Pizza paddle or oiled pizza pan. 5) Bake the Pizza dough for 5-8 minutes as a way of par-baking it. It shouldn't be enough time for the edges to brown, just for the middle to firm. This will help seal the dough and support the sauce better. If you're using a Pizza stone, slide the dough off the paddle onto the heated stone to bake it. If using a baking pan, put the pan into the pre-heated oven.

6) Remove the par-baked Pizza and reduce the oven temperature to 375F. Spread the lemon sauce over the Pizza edge to edge (use the amount to your taste, you may not want all of it used.)

7) Sprinkle half of the cheese over the Lemon Sauce and return the Pizza to the oven to fully bake (about 10" or until crispy edges and bubbly cheese.)8) Remove the Pizza and top with Fresh Baby Arugula, torn leaves of Basil, slivers of Salumi or Prosciutto and more cheese (grated or slivered). Finish with a light drizzle of good Virgin Olive Oil.

Remembering the Soprano's - A Ziti Pasta Casserole

Were you a Soprano's fan? I was the longer version of "fan", called "fanatic." My whole family was crazy for the craziness, hating ourselves for liking the bad guys, sucked into the television for every episode. We even went as far as having "Soprano Nights".

Ziti Casserole with Peppers and Mushrooms

Each person (above 12-years-old) would have a night to be in charge of the meal we ate before the show came on. One night, my middle son (about 17 at the time) was not comfortable enough to cook something up so ordered 4 giant Pizza and set up his boom-box with Italian music playing throughout the meal. It was so fun and we sang along while eating.

Every time someone on screen stopped into Vesuvios or Satriale's I got hungry.

(photo HBO promo)

The hardest thing to watch without drooling was when Tony Soprano would just reach into the refrigerator and pull out a great Ziti Casserole that Carmela had whipped up earlier. It was always there. That's when I started having Ziti Casserole in our refrigerator for the taking - anytime - lunch, dinner or in-between.In the last season of the Sopranos, my husband was in New York writing on "30 Rock" over at the Silver Cup Studios and got to sit in Dr. Melfi's chair, and walk through the sets of the show and even saw Tony (Gandolfini) with blood all over his face during a shoot (shooting?). Even though my husband is not easily thrilled by celebrities, seeing a Soprano gave him a rush, too. We were definitely fans. For his birthday, I bought him a brick from Satriale's in New Jersey. Can you say, "obsession"?It has been years, but for some reason my husband and I were talking about that casserole the other day and it seemed like a great one to share on my blog. It's an adaptation of a Sara Moulton recipe from way-back, and it's worth the bit of prep to have a few days of this golden pepper and mushroom cheesiness at my beck and call.

Ziti Casserole with Peppers and Mushrooms
(adapted from Sara Moulton)

1/2 onion (chopped)
2 yellow peppers (seeded and chopped)
2-4 garlic cloves (chopped)
1/4 cup olive oil (used as needed)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 red peppers (seeded and cut into thin strips)
2 orange peppers (seeded and cut into thin strips)
1 cup mushrooms (sliced)
1 pkg. Ziti pasta (cooked and reserve 1 cup pasta water to use if needed) salt/pepper
3-5 spring onions/scallions (sliced, including the green parts)
2 cups grated or shredded Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

1) In a large stock pot, cook the yellow peppers, onion and garlic in a drizzle of olive oil on low/med. heat, covered until soft. This should take about 20-30 minutes 2) Add the cream to the stock pot, stir together, add salt and pepper. Then puree with an immersion blender (or you can use a blender). Reserve this Yellow pepper sauce for later. 3) In a deep skillet with a drizzle of olive oil, cook the red and orange pepper slices with the mushrooms, salt and pepper on low/med until just cooked through (about 10 minutes). 4) Add the red pepper mixture to the yellow pepper puree, and include the cooked Ziti, the scallions and 1 cup of the cheese. Stir all together (use the reserved pasta water as needed.) 5) Pour this Ziti pasta and peppers, etc.. into a large casserole dish (or I made a pyrex 9x12 plus another 8x8.) Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake on 350F for about 20 minutes til heated all through and the cheese on top is golden. Serve or cool and hold in refrigerator.

This is SO good cold for a quick lunch or if you're a die-hard Soprano fan - an anytime snack.(photo HBO promo)

Italian Flatbread: La Cecina, French Street Bread: Socca - Simple Saturday

This Simple Saturday flat bread is called La Cecina or Farinata in Italy, Socca in France and the same basic bread is eaten in hundreds of places around the world. I've tried it in France, Italy and Barcelona - different names, same basic ingredients. I can't imagine a homemade flat bread easier than this.

La Cecina or Socca
or Farinata Flat Bread

Not only is it toasty, earthy, and filling - it's naturally gluten free, high in minerals and fiber and can be eaten alone or made into a pizza, sandwich or crepe. It can be chewy and soft, thin or thick, dense or a crispy cracker. No wonder it has been embraced and renamed to represent so many peoples.

There seems to be two ways to see our world: how much we are alike, or how much we differ. I see us as the perfect feast. We include varied courses, some of us are challenging to the taste buds, others make us feel cozy like home, and some of us are better digested with a good wine.There are songs written about "love" being all we need, there are a thousand commercials showing how much families are alike, there are science books listing how we all need water, food and light. And, if you've ever seen a group of young children together you know neither language or politics come before chasing, playing and laughing together. Often, food is the great emulsifier that brings us all together, even when we would normally be like oil and water.

The flour used for this easy flat bread is called Garbanzo Flour or Chickpea Flour and is made from the beans (if you've never bought any flour other than All Purpose or Self-Rising - here is a no risk, easy way to venture out just a bit.) So many grocery stores in the United States now carry more varieties of flours, don't be afraid to ask for this, or give a look in the specialty area of the baking aisle. Bob's Red Mill is a well known and widely carried brand. After you use some of the Garbanzo/Chickpea Flour, roll up the bag and store in the freezer; it will last for months that way.

RECIPE: La Cecina or Socca or Farinata or Flatbread

1 cup Garbanzo Flour/Chickpea Flour
3/4 - 1 cup of water
2 Tbls. Olive oil
salt/pepper to taste
**Optional (used in the bread pictured): 1 Tsp. minced Jalapeno, 1 Tbls. minced shallot, Pinch of dried thyme, pinch of minced fresh parsley

1) In a bowl, pour in the flour and add a little of the water. Whisk to make a paste, then add the rest of the water and whisk to incorporate and work out lumps.
2) Add the rest of the ingredients (you may also cook the pepper and onions first to give them a roasted flavor, then add them.) Let this sit for 30 mins to several hours to soak and bloom.

3) Drizzle just a covering of Olive Oil into a flat bottom skillet (cast iron works great) and heat over Med/High heat on the stove top.
4) Pour the batter into the skillet and allow to cook until the bottom is set. Then move the pan into a preheated oven on 375F, continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes or browned to your taste.
5) Remove and slide flat bread onto a towel or board. Cut into triangles (a pizza cutter works great), and serve. This is a perfect pairing with spreads, sauces, dips, eggs, salad or plain snacking.On the streets of France, Socca is poured out very thin onto a giant cast iron pan and cooked at a high heat to be served up more like grilled crispy crackers. Try it thin and thick to discover which way you prefer this global flat bread. I'd love to hear about other foods you have discovered that are basically the same around the world.