Olive Oil-Local And Luscious

I grew up in an Italian family and so I am no newcomer to olive oil. There was always a large colorful tin in my grandmother’s kitchen and the simple salad that she served at the end of our Sunday lunch was simply dressed with olive oil and vinegar. If I was lucky there was a little of that dressing left in the bottom of the bowl and what a treat it was to sop it up with a crusty piece of her homemade bread. At the time all I knew about olive oil was that it came from Italy and that it was part of the Italian kitchen.

As the years went by my love affair with olive oil grew. I moved from supermarket oil to ordering oils from a company importing from small Italian producers. I began traveling to Italy and hauling back bottles of oil in my suitcase. This was certainly not the oil of my childhood, rather it could be bold and grassy or light and delicate or even smooth and buttery. It was not just for salads and sauteing but for drizzling in soups, sprinkling over freshly grilled bread for bruschetta and for adding a layer a flavor to meats and fish fresh off the barbecue.

I will always be a fan of Italian oils but you can now get the same quality (or even better) olive oil being made by growers in California. The climate is perfect and similar to the Mediterranean where olives have been grown for centuries. When you buy locally produced oil you are getting a fresher product and unlike wine, olive oil should be consumed sooner rather than later. You can find oils with the same delectable flavors as the foreign oils and chances are that you’ll be spending less money.

Here in the San Diego area why not take a trip to visit the home of the Temecula Olive Oil Company located in Aguanga, about 18 miles east of the town of Temecula. Tours are given on their working ranch on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month. You’ll be treated to a complete tasting of their products, a tour of the property and the pressing facilities while learning about the art of producing olive oil. You’ll come away with a new found appreciation for olive oil along with ideas on how to use their flavorful oils.

Take a look at some of my recent posts to see what fun I’ve had with their products. You can read all about the biscotti, erbazzone, coffee cake, Meyer lemon tart and crackers that I’ve made.

Temecula Olive Oil Company
with tasting rooms in Old Town Temecula, Old Town San Diego, Solana Beach and Seal Beach and if you’re out of town check out their website and place an order to be shipped to you!

Peanut Butter Cookies

I’m a huge fan of just about anything involving peanut butter. I even tucked a jar into my suitcase when I was headed to Italy for a six week stay. This recipe comes by way of the Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from the well known Magnolia Bakery in New York City. I’m just glad that I found it. It’s my new favorite peanut butter cookie-crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I didn’t have peanut butter chips on hand so I used a cup of chocolate chips but next time I plan on using both-for my taste there can’t be too much peanutiness!

Peanut Butter Cookies


1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup peanut butter at room temperature (crunchy or smooth)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1/2 cup chocolate chips
For sprinkling: 1 tablespoon sugar, regular or superfine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter and chocolate chips.

Place sprinkling sugar — the remaining tablespoon — on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisss-cross pattern, but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.
Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Rhubarb Strawberry Crostata

Time to break out the vanilla ice cream. It’s the perfect topping to this crostata featuring two of spring’s finest fruits-rhubarb and strawberries. You could substitute raspberries if you like, but I just couldn’t pass up the plump local strawberries being grown right down the road from our house.

A crostata is my favorite kind of tart since the dough is very forgiving. You roll it out and simply fold the dough up over your filling. If it’s not perfectly round, no big deal! I’ve used this dough for tarts both savory and sweet with great success. Make the dough a day or two ahead and keep it in the fridge. Take it out about 15 minutes before you want to bake your crostata and you’re good to go.

Rhubarb Strawberry Crostata

Crust

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 stick (8 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
About 1/4 cup ice water

In a bowl toss flour with sugar and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Using a fork, stir in the ice water by tablespoons until the dough holds together when pressed. Sprinkle in more water if needed. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap well and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before rolling out.

Filling
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 cups 1/2″-thick slices rhubarb
2 pint baskets of strawberries, cut into chunks
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 large egg, beaten
Raw sugar

For filling:
Dissolve cornstarch in 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl; set aside. Combine rhubarb, strawberries, and sugar in a large heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until sugar dissolves and juices are released, about 4 minutes. Stir in cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil (rhubarb will not be tender and slices will still be intact). Transfer to a bowl. Chill until cool, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F Roll out dough on floured parchment paper to 12″ round; brush with beaten egg. Mound filling in center of crust; gently spread out, leaving 1 1/2″ border. Gently fold edges of dough over filling, pleating as needed. Brush border with egg; sprinkle with raw sugar. Slide parchment with crostata onto a large rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 45 minutes. Let crostata cool on baking sheet on a rack. Transfer crostata to a platter, cut into wedges, and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

***Here’s a shout out to Linda from Temecula who recently attended the Tea With Betty event in San Juan Capistrano. I heard you met a friend of mine. Thanks so much for following my blog!***

Autumn In Tuscany-Cook With Panini Girl In Lucca-September 28 to October 5

Lucca Springtime Memories

I wish I could say that I was sending these photos off to you while I was sitting in a bar in Lucca and in a perfect world that’s just what I would be doing, but sometimes real life gets in the way. These are a look back from a stay in the countryside just outside of Lucca where we stayed a few years ago. It was a very rainy couple of weeks, but if I’m in Italy, I’m certainly not one to complain!

Come experience a Tuscan autumn with me-Cook With Panini Girl In Lucca-September 28-October 5

Panna Cotta With Rhubarb Compote

I didn’t grow up eating rhubarb, but now I’m a little bit fascinated with it. I’ve only used it a few times-once in a “crisp” under a serious layer of sugary crumbs and another time in a curried chicken dish. If you haven’t used rhubarb before you have to know up front that it’s pretty tart and needs a fair amount of sugar to make it palatable. It’s in season right now and pairs well with another spring time favorite-strawberries-and so you frequently will see recipes combining the two.

Who doesn’t love panna cotta? Think about it-panna cotta means “cooked cream” and that’s exactly what it is. You can flavor your cream any number of ways, but I love this classic one with vanilla bean. This recipe hails from the blog of one of my favorite cookbook authors-Domenica Marchetti. Head on over to her blog to read about her latest recipes and get the scoop on her books. This recipe will serve 12.

Panna Cotta with Rhubarb Compote
For the panna cotta:
6 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
1 1/2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

For the rhubarb compote:
1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and sliced crosswise
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 vanilla bean

To make the panna cotta, in a large saucepan, combine the cream and sugar. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean half into the cream mixture and toss in the pod. Cook over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is almost at a simmer, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes.

Pour 3 tablespoons water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand 5 minutes.

Uncover the cream and bring it just to a simmer over medium heat. Gently whisk in the gelatin mixture until dissolved, then remove from the heat. Discard the vanilla bean pod. Pour the panna cotta into a 2-quart baking dish, bowl or soufflé dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely set, at least 3 hours and up to overnight.

Meanwhile, make the rhubarb compote: Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine the rhubarb and sugar. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean half into the dish and toss in the pod. Fold everything together gently. Transfer the rhubarb mixture to a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake until the rhubarb is very tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly. Discard the vanilla bean.

Stay tuned for my next rhubarb dessert. It’s a winner!

Autumn In Tuscany-Cook With Panini Girl In Lucca

Spicy Cheese Melts

I’ve been craving Indian food. Since we had invited friends for dinner over the weekend I decided to just get in the kitchen and whip some up. I have a cookbook (Indian Home Cooking by Suvir Saran) that I love and usually turn to it for some sort of curry dish and have always been pleased with the results. As long as you have the proper spices in your cupboard the recipes are actually easy to follow and quite authentic.

I must admit that I haven’t tried any authentic Indian breads or snacks and so I was somewhat stumped as to what to serve as an hors d’oeuvres. I have had success with the samosas featured in the book (a quick version using store bought puff pastry) but I wanted one more thing. I was intrigued by a recipe in the appetizer section called “Cheese Toasts”. After reading the ingredients I knew I had to try them and discovered that they would also be a nice starter to a Mexican meal.

Spicy Cheese Melts

1 pound whole milk mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 medium tomato, very finely chopped & then squeezed in your hand to eliminate most of the liquid
2 fresh hot green chiles, seeded and finely diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Ground black pepper to taste
10 slices whole wheat bread,toasted

***As I was putting this together I realized I didn’t have a tomato, but it was tasty none the less. I also used baguette slices rather than whole wheat bread.

Preheat the broiler. Stir together all of the ingredients, except the bread, in a mixing bowl mashing to make a fairly smooth mixture.

Spread the mixture on the toasted bread and put them in a single layer on baking sheets. Broil until the cheese is melted, about 3-5 minutes. Serve hot.
Serves: 6

September 28 to October 5: Autumn in Tuscany-Cool With Panini Girl In Lucca

Walnut Bread

I’ve been on a mission to browse through many of the forgotten cookbooks that line my bookshelves. It’s been fun getting reacquainted with some old favorites and finding inspiration for some new dishes.

As soon as I saw this recipe for walnut bread in Susan Herrmann Loomis’ book-On Rue Tatin- I knew that there would be homemade bread in our future. I considered making it last weekend until I read the list of ingredients and realized that spelt flour was not a staple in my cupboard. I think I visited about 4 stores before I found it.

Have you used spelt in your baking? I have to admit that I didn’t know much about it except that it’s considered an “ancient grain”. I read that it’s a red wheat that when combined with water and yeast it reacts quickly, rises well and once baked its has a cake-like texture.

My loaf didn’t actually rise to new heights-maybe it was the yeast-but the finished product was delicious. It was just as I had hoped with a great crust and a somewhat dense crumb. It’s perfect toasted and slathered with butter and just as good topped with a sharp cheddar and a little chutney.

Walnut Bread

1 teaspoon active dry yeast
3 cups warm water
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 heaping tablespoon coarse sea salt
7 cups spelt flour
2 cups walnuts, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped

Place the yeast and water in the bowl of an electric mixer and stir. Add i cup of the all-purpose flour, stir well and let sit until little patches of bubbles rise to the surface of the water, about 5 minutes.

Add the remaining 1 cup of all-purpose flour, stir, add the salt and stir again. Add the spelt flour one cup at a time until 5 cups are incorporated. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for an hour.

Add 1 cup more of spelt flour and gently mix it in. Sprinkle half of the remaining cup of slept flour on a work surface and turn out the dough onto the flour. Dust the dough with a little more spelt flour and gently knead the dough as you incorporate the flour. Press the dough into a thick round.

Pour the walnuts on top of the dough and gently fold the dough in around them. Begin to knead the dough to incorporate the walnuts. Add the remaining spelt flour a bit at a time to keep the dough from sticking. ***I did not use all the spelt flour-the dough seemed like it wouldn’t absorb anymore***. When the walnuts are incorporated into the dough and the dough is sticky but still holds it shape when you form it into a round, divide it in half and form each half into a round.

Dust two 9-1/2 inch cake pans with flour. Dust the loaves all over with flour and transfer them to the pans. Cover them loosely with a towel and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Snip the top of the loaves in several places. Immediately place them in the center of the oven and bake until they are golden brown and sound hollow when you tap them on the bottom, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Le Verdure

Yes, I live in sunny (well, not the last few days) southern California where we have access to gorgeous produce all year long, but there’s something about visiting the mercato in Italy to shop for vegetables that just makes my day!

Come along with me to Lucca and we’ll visit the markets together then get in the kitchen and prepare our dinner-Autumn In Tuscany-Cook With Panini Girl In Lucca

Spring Has Sprung

Me new favorite-pureed fava beans. After shelling, slip them out of their little pods and boil for about two minutes. Drain, add a tad of whipping cream, salt and pepper and give it a whirl in the food processor or with a hand held blender. We ate it topped with seraed scallops. Next up I’ll be filling ravioli.

I love spring!

Cook With Panini Girl In Lucca-Autumn In Tuscany

Keema Beef Curry

I love curry and typically mix my own spices rather than using curry powder, but for a quick meal this dish fits the bill. J. has taken to calling it “hamburger helper” which I don’t find at all funny, but I dare say that even he could whip this up some evening (hint,hint…). It’s very easy to put together and will make do until I make a curry dish that’s a little more complex.

Keema Beef Curry

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 pounds lean ground sirloin
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
One 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
One 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with their juices
1 1/2 cups frozen baby peas
Chopped cilantro, warm naan and steamed rice, for serving

In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil. Add the ground meat and cook over high heat, stirring to break up the lumps, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and curry powder and season with salt and pepper. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add the potato, broth, coconut milk and the tomatoes and their juices and bring to a boil. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the potato is tender, about 15 minutes.
Using the back of a spoon, lightly crush some of the potato. Add the peas and cook just until heated through. Serve in bowls with cilantro, naan and rice.

Cook With Panini Girl In Lucca-September 28 to October 5