Sunday At the Giacomettis

Never fear, the perfect Leg of Lamb is here!  Make this anytme of year! This Roasted leg of Lamb can come out perfect everytime, if you just remember a few simple things. 1.  Buy what you need.   An average Leg of Lamb for the holiday table is about 5-7 pounds. Remember, you will have plenty of other things to eat.   This is a 5 pound roast. 2.  If you are purchasing this item a week or so ahead, you will need to put it in the freezer.  If it's just a few days, the refrigerator will do. 3.  Be sure and prep your meat immediately.  Lamb can have a strong odor.  It can also be quite tough if not prepared properly.  You will need:  plenty of fresh Rosemary (a good handful), garlic (about 6-7 good cloves).    You will need to make a battuta ( fine dice) of rosemary and garlic.  Carefully makes slices directly into the meat.  Carefully insert your garlic, rosemary, all over you...

It's been a while since I fried some zucchini.  With Spring around the corner, it's nice to have some recipes ready and on hand.  Here is a great one.   Zucchini has such a can  high water content,  it can be a little tricky to cook.   Tonight I grated several  zucchini, salted them, drained them, and took my chances.   The result?  The perfect, crispy fritter.   The secret?  After they are shaped, they are placed in the refrigerator to set and firm up.    Tonight, it was all about oven fried.   What better skillet to use than a cast iron.  The dryness of the oven helped to to crisp up the fritter in almost no fat.  This is better than fried.   Buon Appetito Ingredients: 4-5 medium zucchini grated.  If they are fresh and organic, no need to peel One shallot 2 teaspoons of salt One teaspoon black pepper 1/4 cup Danish blue cheese broken into pieces One egg 1 cup of u...

This Bolognese meat sauce is fast, easy and doesn't have to cook all day long.  Here is my version of a classic  Northern Italian recipe I normally make in Winter when long, cold days require the heart warming effect of the smells of my mother's kitchen.  Ingredients for 4 servings 1/4 pound ground round 1/4 pound ground veal 1/2 pound ground pork (Any combination will do nicely) 2  tiny cloves of garlic 1/2 cup diced celery 1/2 cup diced carrot 1/2 cup diced white or yellow onion 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 cup white wine 1/2 cup 2% milk or Whole milk Pinch of Nutmeg 2 cups of good quality canned cut up or diced tomatoes in their juice ( I like to use Muir organic and plain. if my fresh from the garden sauce is not available).  1/2 cup water (If using canned tomatoes and their juice) 3 teaspoon of salt (one for the vegetables, 2 for the meat) Add additional to your tomatoes if n...

It's as hearty as any meat sauce without the meat.  Hard to believe?   Gather up your favorite mushrooms and stand by for one great recipe.   It's perfect for the season of Lent.    Servings 4 Ingredients: 4 ounces button mushrooms 4 ounces baby Portabella Handful of dried Porcini and their soak 1/2 cup carrot diced 1/2 cup celery diced 1/2 cup onion diced 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons of salt 2 teaspoons of pepper One cup of white wine 1/2 cup of water 12 ounces crushed tomato and their juice Handful of parsley Handful of basil 12 ounces of papardelle pasta 6 quarts  (with two tablespoons salt), water for the pasta Method: Heat your olive oil in a large deep pan, enough to accommodate your ingredients. When your mirapoix is fragrant, add your mushrooms.   Cook for about 25-27 minutes, turning and mixing every few minutes. Add salt and pepper.   Add your white wine and mix.   Let...

l   I have seen many versions, all through Italy of Chicken Alla Cacciatora.   "Alla Cacciatora" refers to Hunter's style chicken.  Men would go out with their dogs and rifle's, hunting birds and such..  Many would come back to a delicious meal, normally of freshly killed chicken, that was cleaned and prepared the night before.  What makes this so unique, is the addition of the vinegary capers. They give this dish a very nice finish.   Unlike Pollo alla pepperoni, chicken with baby peppers,  that uses chicken thighs or breasts, this version, uses a whole chicken, cut up into pieces.  This version, also calls for passing the chicken pieces in flour.   The dredging in flour, gives this sauce a delicious thickness. Homegrown chickens, raised in the backyard, is not as fatty as the store bought, American versions.  They are not laced with antibiotics and colorants.   You will want to have extra bread on hand to help clean your ...

It's my most talked about recipe on the blog.  Make some today.  Buona Domenica. Step 1 8-10 Organic Lemons.   Organic lemons tend to have thick skin with lots of oils.  Clean and dry your lemons.  In a bowl peel the skins away. Save your lemons for juice for another recipe.  You can extract the juice and freeze. You will not need any juice for this recipe. All the flavor comes from the peels.    Set aside your bowl of peelings. 1 large clean and sanitized mason jar (one liter size) 1 liter of Everclear or 100 proof vodka.  Everclear works best.  However due to laws in various states, the product isn't always available.  Do not be afraid of alcohol content as your end result will be diluted and your proof will drop considerably. Place your lemon peels in a mason jar. Pour you everclear into your jar and close the lid tightly so no air can get in. Place your jar in a cool/ dry place for approx 7 days.  By ...

      I  can still smell this dish in my house this morning.  Let me just say from the very beginning of this presentation, that some things just need to go together on a plate.  In this case, it's mashed potato's and Short ribs.  This dish cooks in an entire bottle of red wine and an equal amount of broth.  Two tablespoons of Red Wine vinegar is added for stabilization and balance during the cooking process.   Make your broth ahead and just heat it up before you add it to the dish.  The other thing I like about this preparation, is that most of the time, it cooks covered , in the oven.  In the time it takes to have a cocktail, set the table and straighten the kitchen a bit, your dish is ready.     The rich sauce could only be complimented by the addition of what the Italians call Pure', or mashed potato's.  I had a small piece of Mountain Gorgonzola from Italy...