A {Fig} Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Yet another excellent installment in the Gran Fran birthday lead-up.I have included a recipe from my own kitchen using figs, as I don't ever recall her cooking with them. Rather, they were served alongside Prosciutto di Parma and maybe some almonds.

From Gran Fran's Lips to Your Ears: My brother moved to Oklahoma City to plant a fig tree. He plans to bring a bit of Brooklyn Italian to the home of the Cherokee, the Choctaw, and the Chickasaw. He’s lived without a fig tree for well over half a century, but now that he’s retired the view from his West Side condo lacked tangible proof of his childhood.

For him and for me, the longer we’re grown-ups, the more magnetic is the lure of childhood. And I yearn for those things that spelled home and comfort, and miss the loving embrace in the hefty arms of a strong solid grandma, a neighbor’s pat on the head and her admiration of my dark thick curls as I take a walk—a passegiatta—with my grandfather, and even the cheek-scraping kiss of the rosey rotund (very flabby armed) cumare with her whiskery chin. Those who peopled our childhood are now gone, but I continue to search out the scents, foods, and traditions that I grew up with so I can share them with my children and so that I can remind myself of where I came from –a Brooklyn neighborhood teeming with street-level stores, open cellar doors, ill-lighted tenement hallways, and a fig tree in every backyard.

Now every August I search greenmarkets to find a green cardboard container filled with figs. I touch the fruit and it yields enough to expose its seeds and its sweet sticky scent. And I'm in Brooklyn, sitting on a folding chair at the curb eating the sweet fruit and planning what I'll wear to the first day of fourth grade.

Fig Puff Pastry Tart ala Gran Fran's Daughter

adapted from Bon Appetit, 1993

Ingredients

• 1/2 17 1/4-ounce package (1 sheet) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
• 1 egg, beaten to blend (glaze)
• 7-ounces of nuts, pulverized in a food processor
• 3 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1/2 cup apricot jam (any jam works well here, experiment a little!)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Sliced assorted fresh fruit (such as kiwi fruit, strawberries and figs)

Method

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Roll out thawed pastry square on flour dusted work surface to 9 1/2-inch square.
• Pull edges of dough up slightly, to form a higher edge then the center of the tart.
• Brush edges of square with egg glaze.
• Pierce center of pastry all over with fork.
• Bake until pastry is golden brown about 25 minutes.
• Melt jam with ginger in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, blend nut paste and cream in processor until almost smooth. Spoon almond filling into center of tart and spread evenly. Bake 5 minutes.
• Arrange fruit decoratively atop tart, and brush jam glaze over fruit.
• Place back in the oven for 10 minutes until fruit has softened.
• Enjoy!

C'mon, it's Ham, that's OK for Vegetarians, Right?

My friend S. is a Vegetarian 98% of the time, with some fish here or there. But, she has a weakness....ham.

I found this out one evening when I came home (S. was babysitting Ms. Iz) to find her chowing down on a big bowl of my split pea with ham soup. After the shock wore off, she told me that ham is her achilles heel in regards to the meat world. And that, there were some lovely ham biscuits that came from Virginia that she treated me to. Pure deliciousness!

The first time I made the split pea with ham soup, I had a bit of a mishap. The hamhock I chose was subpar, too salty, not enough real flavor, you know, none of Gran Fran's best quality ingredients at the Safeway that day. Sadly, it did not make my soup any better, and nowhere near Gran Fran's. But, I perservered (and started buying nitrate free hamhocks) and am now an expert split pea with ham soup.

When I was little, Gran Fran usually made us a batch around Thanksgiving. As with everything, which I believe I have mentioned before, there was so much that it lasted for at least a week. I cherished every last drop. By watching Gran Fran, I learned that you need to brown the hamhock first, and use cloves, not the powder, the whole ones, for the best flavor.

One thing I've realized is that there is an alternative to the hamhock....left over Honey Baked Ham on the bone. It makes a much sweeter soup (welcome, honey), but it's a nice rich alternative, and a good use of a bit of leftovers.

So, in closing, enjoy the hammy-goodness as we had more fully into Fall!

Split Pea with Ham Soup ala Gran Fran serves 8 as a side dish

Ingredients:

• 1 Package Green Split Peas (or about 12 ounces), rinsed
• 1 Ham Hock (nitrate free is best)
• 1 Large Yellow Onion, sliced
• 2 Large Carrots, sliced
• 4-6 Whole Cloves
• Thyme
• Bay Leaf
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Cloves Garlic, peeled and smashed

Method:

• Saute onions and carrots in the olive oil in a large non-reactive pan.
• Place hamhock in the pan and brown on all sides.
• Add washed peas, stirring over meium heat.
• Pur boiling water to cover, about 4 cups, into pan (or as much as you need to actually cover the hamhock).
• Add cloves, thyme, bay lead, pepper and garlic. Wait until the soup is further along in its cooking to add salt, since the handhock is fairly salty on its own).
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, partially cover the pan and simmer for 3 hours, stirring every now and then.
• Let cool and refrigerate. Then skim all of the fat off the top.
• Remove hamhock, dice the meat, and return to the soup.
• Reheat soup and serve with toasted baguette and a nice glass of wine.

roasted veggies

"Kids will eat anything if you broil them in oil (the food, not the kids). Heck, you could probably get her to eat cardboard prepared that way."

So said my oldest sister D. when I reported that my daughter Iz, at the ripe young age of 2 was eating sweet potatoes, cauliflower and brussels sprouts. D. was especially impressed, having a son just one month younger than Ms. Iz, who would not think of touching any of these foods.

I recall Gran Fran making all kinds of food (that might have been considered odd for a home cook, even in NY in the late 70's and early 80's), such as okra, paté, bagna cauda, and any number of other off-the-beaten-path items she was inerested in trying out that week.

There were no options, as I mentioned in some earlier posts. You ate what the parents made. No questions, no exceptions. So, if a plateful of broccoli rabe with red pepper flakes showed up on the table, you ate it. I am not a fan of cooked spinach, never have been , never will be, but that is how it was served in those days on Gran Fran's table, so I had to eat it.

In my own adulthood, I have come to love okra, broccoli rabe and spinach (but uncooked, please). And, I've found a foolproof way to create veggies any kid (almost) will eat: roast the heck out of them. The longer they roast (or the higher the oven heat), the sweeter they become. To be fair, some of the important nutrients do disappate if you cook the veggies too long, but as an introduction to the different flavors and textures of a good variety of vegetables to a young one's palette, you can't beat this.

It is now possible for me to serve brussels sprouts and cauliflower just steamed, hence preserving their vitamins and minerals, to Ms. Iz, and she loves them. Of course, she likes it best when I add some olive oil to either a baking dish or a hot pan on the stove, and saute or roast her veggies, but she will eat them either way with pleasure.

Roasted Veggies

serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Brussels Sprouts (or caulifower works well, too), shredded or well chopped
• 3 Tbsps Olive Oil (best-quality, of course)
• Salt to taste (you can add pepper, but not for the little ones

Method:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Take a sheet pan, add some olive oil and salt.
• Place the vegetables in question, and toss to coat with olive oil.
• Roast in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the veggies are nicely browned.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients:

• 2 Large Sweet Potatoes
• 4 Tbsps Olive Oil (best-quality, of course)
• Salt to taste (you can add pepper, but not for the little ones

Method:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Take a sheet pan, add some olive oil and salt.
• Place the vegetables in question, and toss to coat with olive oil.
• Roast in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until the potatoes are nicely browned.

Popcorn, Popcorn Get Your.....I Mean, Bring Your Own Popcorn

The weather here in SF has been nothing if not confusing these past few weeks. Not only have we had rain, including thunder and lightning (which rarely, if ever, occurs here), but in a span of 3 days, we have gone from 95° to 55°, with no knowledge of which way the wind will blow next (literally, folks, I mean it).With the hope that Fall is really coming to us, and all of those great new releases, I've been thinking a lot about popcorn. Not the microwave kind, nor the Jiffy-Pop stovetop popper kind, and most certainly not the air popper kind. No. The Joe kind. My Dad makes the best oil-popped popcorn around. And I should know, since popcorn was a bring your own affair to movie theaters and baseball games alike.

This was as much out of necessity (imagine buying popcorn for five kids and two adults...it could cost as much as a downpayment on a small house), as it was out of personal taste. It is yet another example of Gran Fran and Joe's unerring level of taste, which extended even to snack foods.

Getting everyone out the door for the movies, not only involved a final trip to the bathroom for all (which always led Gran Fran to yell out "Gotta go to the bathroom Anthony?", apparently this was something she often overheard as a child in her Brooklyn neighborhood, being yelled from a window to kids on the street), but also to the preparation and packaging of everyone's popcorn.

There were two packaging methods, plastic quart bag with a twist tie, or a brown paper lunch sack. I am unclear to this day as to whether or not these co-existed, or if we transitioned from one type of bag to the other over time. Regardless, the popcorn went with us in a lare purse, and somehow we always made it into the theater with our secret stash intact until the lights went down.

To this day, even though I have been known to consume huge quantities of movie theater popcorn, it never quite lives up to Joe's. The secret, I believe, is his use of olive oil as teh cooking medium. It leaves the popcorn just moist enough to not burn, but no too soggy. And, there is no butter served or offered. Instead, salt, cayenne pepper or just black pepper are accompaniments for Joe's popcorn. I don't think I even realied that butter was an option until I was grown and buying popcorn at the movies myself. I do sometimes add butter at home, but usually, just sprinkle some more olive oil over the top when cooking is complete.

I can no longer keep popcorn kernals in my house. Many a night has passed without dinner while I watch movies at my house. Instead, I can be found on the couch with a mixing bowl large enough to hold a small baby in it, filled with popcorn, covered in olive oil, salt and cayenne, alongside a big glass of water. Needless to say, my belly isn't well for hours afterward, but it is sually worth the slight stomach upset in return for the goodness of JoeCorn (I just made that name up, but I think it might stick).

JoeCorn (or Popcorn: The Joe Way)

from Joe: 

I pretty much follow the instructions on jar, except that I don't put the corn in until the pot is hot. So, do the following once you have determined how much corn you shall pop:

Three generous tablespoons of oil and four or five kernels into the pot. High heat until one of the kernels pops. Then add the rest of the corn and lower the heat to medium-high.

Jostle the pot every 20 seconds or so, even after the popping begins. When the popping slows, turn the heat off and leave the pot on the burner until the popping stops.

If you want to surprise your guests, offer cayenne along with the salt, both to be administered in bowls filled from the serving bowl.

Hot Enough For Ya? Hot Peppers Here

"Sorry, no, that is just not hot enough. May I see the chef?"So said Gran Fran on a visit to a now defunct Asian Fusion retaurant in the Castro, on one of her many visits to the San Francisco familia. Though it didn't happen often, this kind of phrase passed Gran Fran's lips often enough for us to quietly await the chef's appearance, whereupon Gran Fran would make it abunduntly clear how spicy she told the waitperson she wanted her food to be. The chef would debate with her, telling her that there was no way she would be able to handle the full load of spicy that she requested.

But, in the end, the mighty Gran Fran would prevail and the chef would concede defeat, go back to the kitchen, and make her the hottest, spiciest chicken dish she could imagine. He would then stand tableside and witness my mother eat the whole plate, with a bit of watery eyes, but no other huge side affects. After episodes such as this, Gran Fran would leave with a handshake from the chef and accolades from all about her spice-enduring palette.

Back at home, while we were growing up, whenever there was entertaining going on, a nice antipasta spread would appear on the coffee table. The usual suspects were always there: salami, pepperoni, fresh mozarella, Italian bread or homemade focaccia (made from the local Italian baker's pizza dough at our house). My favorite amongst these treats, though, were the freshly fried Italian hot peppers. They are oily, spicy, salty and oh-so-satisfying all at the same time. Nothing tastes better than these on a piece of fresh Italian bread, with a bit of the cooing oil soaked into the bread.

Recently, I asked Gran Fran how old we were before she allowed us to eat the hot peppers. Her recollection is that they were just there, on the table and if you were interested, you could have some. In my mind, I think I was about ten years old when I first tried the peppers. It is unclear to me if I imagined this next part, if maybe it happened to one of my siblings, or if it was in one of the many Italian-American movie food scenes where I may have picked this up. But, I do recall spitting hot peppers across the dining room with them landing splat on the wall. Regardless if this did happen or not, I loved the hot peppers right from the get-go.

Another hazy recollection I have with my love affair with hot peppers, was the fact that while I was pregnant, I decided I had to have these peppers. Now, if you have ever been pregnant, it is safe to say that if you have a yearning for something, the desire to eat that something outweighs whether or not said something is a good idea for your little bambino. If memory serves me right, I recall having a very jumpy baby on the inside, and the feeling that a hole was being burned through my stomach.

But, I also remember being momentarily sated and contented by the familiar flavors and warm aromas of Gran Fran's Hot Peppers.

Hot Peppers

• 1 pound hot peppers, mixed, sliced in 1/4-inch rounds (No habaneros, their taste is too pronounced.)
• 4 cloves garlic, diced, not too small
• 1 cup (yes, one cup!) olive oil
• Generous sprinkling of coarse salt.

1. Place everything in a pan that should hold them in one layer. If you must, as they start cooking, spread them around.

2.  Place pan over low heat. Let them cook undisturbed for about 15 minutes; stir and spread out in pan. Stir  and spread every 15 minutes. Watch closely after about 40 minutes to avoid burning. They should come crisp and tasty with the garlic a nice color and all ready to eat.

Two Pounds of Best Quality Cheddar

The title says a lot here, especially in this day and age of eating healthy, not too much fat/carbs/sugars, or whatever people are avoiding right now. I am as much a victim of this behavior as anyone. Just ask A & R who are subjected to my ever-changing food beliefs every lunchtime (at one point, I went so far as to only eat leafy greens, nuts and herbal tea for a week...ah, but I digress).

So, there is not much of an opportunity to feel okay making a dish that calls for "two pounds of best quality cheddar" (BTW, "Best Quality" is another Gran-Franism, that ranks almost as high as non-reactive pan in her lexicon). There is really only one event that continues to allow me to make this dish: Childbirth.

What new parent could refuse a huge batch of Best Quality Mac and Cheese? I certainly couldn't when two of my sisters made enough to fill my freezer when little Iz was born. The joy of pulling out a nicely wrapped (in waxed paper then in aluminum foil, ala Gran Fran) chunk, throwing it in the oven at 375 degrees to reheat and waiting for the cheesy goodness to be ready, cannot be described.

The biggest bonus to new motherhood is that there is a small window where you are licensed to eat just about whatever you want.  So I ate with abandon, my lovely gift from my sisters. Since I can no longer eat with abandon (read: cholesterol, age), I have found a very receptive group who do appreciate the greatness that is Gran Fran's Best Quality Cheddar Mac and Cheese: new parents in our friends and family circle.

Ah, let the cheesy goodness prevail!

Gran Fran's Best Quality Cheddar Mac and Cheese Serves 6 (4 if you want to eat huge portions like a maniac!)

One Large Non-Reactive Stockpot (nonstick if you have it) One Large Baking Dish (I usually use a 9x12" Pyrex)

Ingredients

• 1 pound  Elbow Macaroni, cooked and drained
• 3 Tbs Butter
• 3 Tbs Flour
• 3 Cups Milk
• 1 and 1/2 pounds Best Quality Cheddar, crumbled or shredded (preferably white, it just looks better!)
• 1 Tsp. Dry Mustard
• 1 Tsp. Cayenne (you can add more it you like it spicier)
• 1/4 cup Bread Crumbs (may need a little more or less here, it's to cover the top)
• Butter for the top, and for greasing the pan

Method: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

• Make a roux (which is just the butter and flour mixed together over medium heat in the stockpot, until it turns brown).
• When roux has browned, add the milk. Stir well over high heat for 1 minute, then reduce the heat.
• Add the dry spices.
• Simmer 10 minutes on low, stirring occasionally.
• Add crumbled or shredded cheese. Stir until melted
• Add cooked/drained macaroni. Stir until well coated.
• Butter the baking dish well. Pour in the mixture of Mac and Cheese from the stockpot into the baking dish.
• Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top, and butter in small pieces as well.
• Bake at 375 degrees on top of a baking sheet for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling up at the sides.

Enjoy!

The Comforts of Home

OK, I have sent Ms. Iz back to school already, and am now posting my summer vacation musings. So very sorry for the long absence, but I am back, so please enjoy!!"It's Summer Vacation!!!!"

You get to say this just after the last bell of the last day of school rings. And, I prefer to scream if at the top of my lungs, in public, to the dismay of my daughter, Iz. But, it starts off the summer with a bang.

Just after school ends, it is likely you will find me and Iz on an early morning flight to NY for an extended stay. This year, it has been two weeks long. With the number of cousins, aunts, uncles and the famous Gran Fran and Joe to visit, we can use as much time as possible here.

Oh, and let's not forget about the meals. I believe I ate enough over the last two weeks to comfortably miss a month's worth of food. Not only did Gran Fran and Joe outdo themselves with copious amounts of food and drink on offer at any time of the day or night, but my siblings did as well.

Each house offered up it's own special dish, each excellent in it's own way. So, my friends, here is an ode to my many family members and friends who made with the love and the food while we were in NYC and gave us a trip to remember.

The highlight at Gran Fran's house was the Linguini with Clam Sauce. I have made this countless times, but it never, ever, turns out like Gran Fran's. She manages to get the sweetness of the clams to come through alongside a little bit of spice and tangy flavor of the Anise flavored liquor. I recall this being a favorite birthday meal while growing up, and such a comfort food to me. Delicious!!

That's not to say that Joe didn't also deliver the goods. Take, for exmple, his Tuna or Egg Salad, and you will never need to buy pre-made again. I recall eating either of these after school on Peperidge Farms White Sandwich Bread. There is a kick from the cayenne that is offset by the mellowness of the celery. I have yet to find a better or equal salad of this nature. But, these days I tend to eat it over salad greens (I have already discussed the carb intake, in direct relation to keeping my girlish figure at my age...need I say more?).

Bacon, which always factors heavily into my vacation breakfast rotation was another standout on this trip home. Iz, who should just be rena,ed "Little Miss. Bacon", was in Pig Heaven (yes, pun intended, thank you very much). Gran Fran offered up bacon everyday, which Miss Iz gladly accepted.

Not only was our bacon always cooked perfectly, but it was also cooked with no mess and no fuss. The secret?? Cook it in the oven at a fairly high heat for a bit longer than it would take on the stovetop. I have tried his new-fangeled idea, and oh the joys of bacon -tastic flavor without the slippery floor/stovetop/walls to deal with.

It's a dawning of a new bacon era around my house!

Last, but most certainly not least, The Roast Beef. Joe mqde this for us one evening, under the tutelage of Gran Fran (via phone from her office), though I believe he can make this one without the phone calls. Talk about juicy, flavorful meat. Oy! It was just divine. I donùt have much more to say on this, except that you must make it, and come to the table with an empty stomach so you can be sure to eat as much as possible. And, I would say some nice horshradish mayo would be the only addition I would make to Joe's recipe.

I could go on and on here, but that might tap me of recipes for posts to come (OK, thqt is highly unlikely), but this is enough to give you the flavor of our summer vacation.

You can never get enough of your old-time childhood favorites, and with Gran Fran and Joe around, I will never have to!

Tuna Salad or Egg Salad a la Joe:

• Celery, two stalks, cut into small pieces
• Scallion, two, cut into small pieces
• 12 oz can of Tuna, washed and drained or 8 boiled Eggs
• 2 Tbsps Mayonnaise
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper

Combine Tuna with Celery and Scallions, mash it with a fork, add salt, pepper, cayenne. Mix in about two tablespoons of mayo, and then determine how much more you need as you mix.

For Egg Salad Variation:

1. Put the 8 eggs into cold water, bring to a boil, then set the timer for five minutes.
2. When that time is up, turn off the heat, leave the pot where it is and set timer for 10 minutes. Then run the eggs under cold water for several minutes.
3. Slice them (I use an egg slicer), add them to the celery and scallions, mash them with a potato masher, add the seasoning, and slowly mix in mayo until you're satisfied.

Roast Beef a la Joe:

serves 4 to 6 people

• 3.5 pounds of eye round beef
• Kosher or Coarse Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method:

1. Dry the eye-round with paper-towels.
2. Slather with salt and pepper.
3. Cook on a rack to allow drippings for gravy.
4. Although recipes call for 20 minutes a pound, I cook it not for 1:10, but for 1:35.

Amazing Bacon Cooked in the Oven:

serves 4 as a side dish

1 Lb Bacon (best quality that you can find)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Spread bacon out on a rack set in a sheet pan with sides.
3. Bake for 20 minutes or so.

Linguine with Clam Sauce

serves 4 people

• 1 pound thin linguine
• 2 1/2 pounds baby clams
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 tablespoons anisette
• 1/4 cup dry vermouth or other dry white wine
• 3 cloves garlic, quartered
• Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup finely minced parsley

1. Set pasta water up to boil. Sprinkle with not too much salt; clams are salty. 2. Clean clams thoroughly under cold running water; scrub with brush 3. Warm the olive oil gently with the garlic, until garlic turns golden 4. Over medium heat, carefully add liquors 5. When alcohol evaporates, add clams and turn heat high and put a lid on pan. 6.Clams should cook in less than 5 minutes. 7. Add pasta and a dollop of pasta water. Stir over medium heat to combine. Add parsely; serve.

Ribollita: It's A Stew & Soup All-In-One!

"How many more days are we going to be eating this?"Ah, the familiar refrain from many years ago, of me questioning Gran Fran about the never-ending quantity of our beloved Ribollita.

Literally reboiled, this stew-y soup got us through many a cold evening. Gran Fran started making it when I was in college and the last one I made was very recently, seeing as it goes from 90 degrees to 40 degrees from one day to the next, out here in San Francisco lately.

And so, I am now the proprietor of many plastic lidded containers to friends and family of said soup. I cannot make fewer than 15 servings. No matter how hard I try, how small the pot is that I use, or how many ways to Sunday that I reduce all of the ingredients, I always, always end up with a huge pot of soup. The only saving grace in having gallons of this soup is that I have plenty of friends, vegetarian, vegan or otherwise who seem to never get enough of my Ribollita.

I would gladly eat this hearty soup for every meal, especially since you can alter the flavors just by adding or subtracting herbs, changing the kinds of beans you use or sometimes adding a little red wine. But, the issue here, is not the awesome taste of all the ingredients coming together. No, it's the huge amount of carbs included in the recipe, which of course makes the soup even more tasty. Not only are there beans, pasta and potatoes, but also a good hunk of white or Italian bread.

Remember when only doctors or scientists used the term "carbs"? Sometimes you'd hear about it on the news, but it made no never-mind to me. I just wanted me some good, filling soup, you know? Now, I have to worry about all manner of ingredients and how they come together to create some kind of evil within. It was nice to come home and see Gran Fran working on her soup, without a care in the world about whether or not she might be struck down for combining bread with pasta, let alone then adding potatoes.

Well, all I know is that when I moved out to San Francisco 17 years ago, I had to get some recipes stored up for inexpensive, filling meals. And, if they reminded me of Gran Fran and Joe, then all the better. So it was that the Ribollita became my first foray into large scale cooking for roommates and a revolving cast of characters. At 22, I had no worries about weight or nutrition, but plenty to worry about when it came to cashflow.

I kid you not, for a mere $6.00 a pot, you can easily feed 8 people. And, it's veggie and vegan friendly, so as the new one in the house, it made for a great first meal to be able to cook for the varying diets of my roommates. I recall having Gran Fran on the phone (well before my cell phone made an appearance so of course, the phone had a cord, which flowed from my tiny room through the hall into the kitchen) advising me how to make the tomato paste puree with the herbs, oil and garlic.

All the while, Gran Fran would ask things like "Are you making a nice roast beef to go with it? Or, of course you could serve tofu, but, you know, I don't go in for those sorts of things." I knew then, just as much as I know now, how important it is for us to cook "together". All these years later, we still call each other when we're cooking, going over ingredients, temperatures, serving suggestions.

Enjoy your Ribollita tonight, tomorrow night, the next, and maybe well into next week. Oh, and don't think about the carbs, just the excellent goodness of the soup!!

Serves 8

3 large Idaho or other baking potatoes, peeled, sliced, washed and dried 3 carrots, peeled, washed, diced 1 large onion, minced 5 Tbs. Olive oil Salt and pepper 16 to 18 cups boiling water 1 cup elbow macaroni or other small pasta. 1 package frozen corn 1 package frozen peas 1 can chick peas, drained and well rinsed 1 can pink kidney beans, drained and well rinsed 1 can cannelini beans, drained and well rinsed 2 slices country bread

Seasoning Ingredients: 1 large bunch basil, stems removed, finely minced or 1 ablespoon dried basil 2 T tomato paste 6 T olive oil salt pepper crushed red pepper flakes 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Optional Garnish: Shards of Reggiano Parmigiano or Asiago cheese Additional crushed red pepper flakes

1. Soup: Heat olive oil in a heavy, nonreactive stockpot. Add potatoes, carrots, and onion. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Add bay leaf. Cook vegetables over medium heat, stirring often, until golden. 2. Pour boiling water over vegetables. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir. Reduce heat to medium low. Partially cover pot and simmer soup for 45 minutes 3. Bring soup back to the boil over high heat. Add pasta. Stir. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for 8 minutes or until pasta is almost cooked. 4. Add corn, peas, chick peas, cannelini, and kidney beans. Stir and cook for about12 minutes over medium heat or until corn and peas are cooked and beans are hot. 5. Break bread into very fine pieces bread .Crumble into soup. Stir, incorporating bread bits into soup by pressing them against the side of the pot. Remove soup form stove. 6. Seasoning: In a small bowl, combine tomato paste, olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Fold seasoning mixture into soup. 7. Serve soup, with grated cheese if desired

get yer pies here!

I'm at my desk, working. A package arrives. It's from N.Y.C. I don't even need to look at the address, due to the way it's packed, I know it's from Gran Fran.Her typical packing-box style requires a recycled box from Amazon, or some other online retailer, and a piece of 81/2 x 11 printer paper with my name and address written on it in large black Sharpie. The final touch, which is the real reason I know it's a Gran-Fran delivery, is the copious amounts of packing tape she uses. I think she believes someone will tamper with her precious cargo, whether it's books, food or toys. The tape is layered on so thick and tight you can't get into the box without a very heavy duty box cutter. No scissors can make a dent in her packaging.

What is in the box this time is well worth protecting, with as much packing tape as one has available. Gran-Fran has sendt her yearly Easter package complete with bread baskets with Easter eggs nestled inside, chocolates for Iz and little trinkets. Oh, but the best food in the package are the Italian pies.

Gran-Fran's Pizza Rustica and Pizza Grana are like nothing I've ever tasted. And, I can re-create them (see the recipes below), but it is oh-so-special to receive these in the mail every year. It's like a little gift just for me, since Iz does not like either of the pies.

The Pizza Rustica is a savory pie, which most will refer to as a heart-attack-on-a-plate when they hear what's in it, but well worth throwing caution to the wind to experience the salty goodness. It involves not one, not two, but FOUR kinds of meat, three kinds of cheese, ricotta and six eggs. Not good for those of us with high cholesterol (me) or high blood pressure (salt-tastic), but again it only happens once a year, so I make sure to eat light when I know the box is on its way.

The Pizza Grana is a sweeter pie, but not cloyingly sweet. It uses orange flower water, ricotta and barley in a lovely crust. This pie has a much lighter taste than it's cousin, the Pizza Rustica, but it is oh so satisfying.

Okay, back to the present day. Once the package arrives, and I spend hours removing the packing tape, I reach in and smell the goodness. Each pie is wrapped in its own wrapper. Again, in true Gran-Fran fashion, the pies are placed in waxed paper (2 layers, thank you very much) then wrapped in aluminum foil, then snuggled into plastic bags. She then scotch-tapes them closed with a small scrap of white paper identifying which pie is which. Again, the unwrapping begins, and once I have made it to the actual pie, I am in heaven.

To be clear, Gran-Fran is the reigning queen of freezing fresh goods and sending them across country. She once made several hundred cupcakes for a party here in SF, froze them, wrapped them in the above fashion and shipped them out. They got lost in the mail, arrived about a week later, and were still frozen. So, there is no need to fear the freshness factor of her shipped pies, since they are likely to still be slightly frozen, if not very cold, upon arrival.

I am back at my desk, with the box open, the pies unwrapped and a napkin on my lap. Even though they taste better heated up, I don't bother. I just eat them out of the box, Homer Simpson-style right there and then. So good! And, no sharing, either. I can make these pies last for two to three weeks, even though it's usually just a quarter of each pie.

So, a big thank you to Gran Fran for fulfilling my Easter wish of meat, eggs, cheese and deliciousness.

Buona Pasqua!!

PIZZA RUSTICA (also known as Pizza Chiena) Crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees

* 4 1/2 cups unbleached flour * 3/4 teaspoon salt * 3 sticks ice-cold unsalted butter, diced * 1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water

1. Combine flour and salt. Use a pastry blender or an electric mixer at low speed to work butter into flour mixture, and form coarse crumbs. 2. Gradually add enough water to form a dough that just sticks together. Wrap dough in waxed paper and refrigerate while preparing filling.

PIZZA RUSTICA FILLING

(All meats and cheeses should be thickly sliced and diced into 1/2 inch cubes.)

* 1/4 pound prosciutto * 1/4 pound Genoa salami * 1/2 pound soppresatta salami * 1/4 pound Sicilian salami * 1/2 pound conventional mozzarella, or scamorza * 1/4 pound fontina cheese * 1/4 pound asiago cheese * 2 cups whole-milk ricotta, drained well * 6 eggs * Freshly ground pepper to taste

For Glaze

* 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon milk

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine all meats and hard cheeses; set aside. In another bowl, beat together ricotta, eggs, and black pepper; set aside. 2. Divide dough in two, with one piece slightly larger than the other. On a lightly floured board, roll out larger piece of dough, and gently fit it into a 9 x 12 (approximately) nonreactive casserole dish; leave an overhang of an inch or two of dough. Roll out second piece of dough to fit over top; set aside. 3. Pour combined meats and cheeses into pastry-lined dish; pour ricotta-egg mixture over the filling. 4. Moisten the edge of the bottom crust with water. Add top crust. Roll edges of top and bottom crust together; flute edges. 5. Brush top crust with egg/milk glaze. Cut a circle in top crust to allow steam to escape. 6. Place casserole on baking sheet. Bake for 75 minutes or until the tip of a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. 7. Place on cooling rack; allow to come to room temperature before slicing. Serve at room temperature or cold. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Pizza Grana Crust 1 1/2 cups flour (Heckers or other all purpose, unbleached) 1 stick ice-old unsalted butter Pinch of salt Ice water 4 tablespoons or as much as you need

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

1. Mix salt and flour. Cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Add enough water to make a rollable dough. Wrap in waxed paper; refrigerate 20 minutes or so.

Filling 1/3 cup pearl barley Pinch of salt Cook barley, according to package directions, until tender. Drain barley well if any liquid remains. Return barley to pan Add: 1/3 cup warm milk ¼ cup sugar Rind of a whole navel orange 2. Simmer mixture over medium heat until milk is absorbed. Allow mixture to cool.

To cooled mixture: Add 1/2 cup sugar 3 cups whole milk ricotta 2 tablespoons orange flower water 1 teaspoon vanilla Grated rind of 1 lemon Pinch of salt 2 eggs Stir mixture together. Assembly: 3. Line a 9 or 10 inch Pyrex or ceramic pie plate with dough. Save 1/4 of dough to cut into strips. Pour filling into pie pan. 4. Cut strips and lay in a lattice pattern over the filling. 5. Place filled pie pan on a rimmed cookie sheet. 6. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 375. Cook 30 to 40 minutes or until filling is puffed and golden brown. Cool pie on rack. Refrigerate for storage when cool or serve as soon as cooled.

Crepes at 6AM

In keeping with the theme of cooking at any hour of the day or night, I got up this morning and made 20 crepes for Ms. Iz’s class at school. It didn’t seem so crazy on Sunday night when we had our friends over for a dinner party. But, in the light of day (or, I should say, the dark-of-ever-rainy-SF morning), with a kitchen full of dirty dishes and breakfast, lunch, and dog to deal with, not so good.Here it is, Iz asked me to make crepes for her school for Mardi Gras. Yes, it was a week late, and all, but I agreed since it’s such a nice thing for your kid to bring in something special to share. It must be mentioned here that she attends a French school. In hindsight, I was insane to agree to make such a treat for a bunch of real French people, but I wasn’t thinking of that.

What was going through my mind, was how Gran Fran, no matter what, would send me off to preschool (then known as Nursery school) with fresh-baked treats for whatever holiday was being celebrated. I attended a Jewish Nursery school (long story, short, even though our family wasn’t Jewish, the private Nursery school was willing to take me a year earlier than the public school) and so Gran Fran made many challahs, and even hamantaschen cookies for Purim

Oddly, this is the first time I’ve made the connection between putting Iz into a French school as a non-French person, and my Jewish Nursery school experience. That being said, it just shows to go you that you can never walk far away from you past. Gran Fran is always on my shoulder saying “What? So, you get up a little early? What’s it going to cost you … a little sleep?” This, from a woman who seems to need no more than 5 hours of sleep a night. Who knows if that is a product of raising five kids, what with all the worry and all, or if she was always that way.

On Saturday before she left for her Dad’s house, she asked if I had bought the crepe pan and Nutella yet. I assured her the purchases would be made before she returned the next night. I did get everything, Iz made the batter, and then, with many cooks in my kitchen, we tried to make the crepes. There was the learning curve to deal with, having never made crepes, the burn Iz got on her finger whilst trying to flip one, and the inevitable boredom that comes from making the same thing over and over. And, that, my friends, is how I ended up making these at 6AM on a Monday.

The crepes, as it turned out, were a huge success. Iz was very proud to report back that she got to serve them and was able to have two with Nutella for herself. She was the only one who brought crepes, with some of the other kids supplying donuts the week before, or other sweet treats. So, in the end, Gran Fran was right (as usual). Who needs sleep when you can supply such joy with a little bit of flour, butter, milk and eggs?

Crepes ala Iz

Makes 25 crepesYou will need a flatish-round, nonsticl pan, or better yet, a nonstick crepe pan.

Ingredients:

• 1cup flour
• 1cup milk
• 1/2cup water
• 4 eggs
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• pinch of salt

Method:

• Mix all ingredients well in a food processor or blender until smooth.
• Let the batter stand for 30 minutes, undisturbed.
• Heat the non-stick crepe pan over medium heat.
• Spray a light coating of vegetable oil on pan.
• Pour batter slowly into center of pan. Then, quickly pick up pan and twist the handle to move batter around into a thin coating.
• Leave undisturbed on medium heat for 3 minutes, until edges begin to curl a little.
• Flip the crepe over. Cook another 2 minutes and flip onto a plate.
• Cover finished crepes with a clean kitchen towel while making the others.
• Serve immediately with Nutella or sugar rolled inside.
• If storing, simply make a stack of crepes and wrap in plastic wrap.

Adapted from The Joy of Coking

Challah ala Gran Fran

Yield: 2 loaves

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm water (100 to 110 F)
• 2 packages (1/2 ounce or 4 1/2 tsp) Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 5 1/4 to 5 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon water
• Poppy Seed and/or Sesame Seed, optional

Method:

Place 1/2 cup warm water in large warm bowl. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved. Add remaining water, sugar, margarine, salt, and 1 1/2 cups flour; blend well. Stir in 3 eggs, 1 egg white (reserve 1 yolk), and enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes. Punch dough down. Remove dough to lightly floured surface; divide in half. Set aside 1 half. Divide remaining half into 2 pieces, one about 2/3 of the dough and the other about 1/3 of the dough. Divide larger piece into 3 equal pieces; roll to 12-inch ropes. Place ropes on greased baking sheet; braid. Pinch ends to seal. Divide remaining piece into 3 equal pieces. Roll to 10-inch ropes; braid. Place small braid on large braid. Pinch ends firmly to seal and secure to large braid. Repeat with remaining dough to make second loaf. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes. Beat reserved egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water; brush over loaves. Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seed, if desired. Bake at 400 F for 20 to 25 minutes or until done, switching positions of sheets in oven halfway through baking time. Remove from sheets; let cool on wire racks.

Source: Fleischmann's Yeast, a division of Burns Philp Food, Inc.

Hamantaschen Cookies ala Gran Fran

Dough Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Butter (salted, or add a pinch of salt)
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 teaspon Baking powder
• 1 Egg
• Vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon Milk
• 2 cups Flour

Filling Ingredients

• 1/4 lb. dried apricots
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water

Method (Dough):

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cream butter sugar and add egg.
• Mix and sift flour and baking powder and salt and add some of mixture to creamed butter and sugar mixture.
• Add the milk and rest of flour. Add flavoring.
• Roll dough out, cut into rounds and place spoonful of filling on each round.
• Fold up 3 edges to form triangles and pinch the corners so they'll hold their shape in the oven.
• Bake at 375 F. for 15 to 20 min. depending on size.

Method (Filling): you can use apricot jam (or whatever flavor you'd like) or make your own:

• Cover apricots with 1/2 cup water.
• Cook over low heat in covered pan for 15 minutes.
• Mash and add sugar while hot, then add 2 tablespoons water.