CIOPPINO (Fisherman's Stew with The Catch of The Day)

Cioppino, pronounced “chuh-Pee-no,” is an Italian-American seafood stew made with the catch of the day. San Francisco Italian-Americans invented this recipe in the 1800s, and it must include Dungeness crab. Most countries that border the ocean have their own seafood stew. The French have a Provençal stew called bouillabaisse. In Chile, they have caldillo de congrio. In Brazil, it’s moqueca, and in Positano, Italy, they have pesce all’aqua pazza or “fish in crazy water.” 

Because I now live on the East coast, I use Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab meat instead of Dungeness crab. 

Soffrito “under-fried”

2 T olive oil or avocado oil

1 large leek, cleaned, white part diced

1 medium carrot, peeled and finely minced

2 bay leaves

2 cloves garlic, minced

In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the olive oil; over low heat, sauté the leek and carrot for 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the bay leaves and and garlic.

Sauté for another 2 minutes.

Set aside.

Seafood

18 Little to middle Neck fresh clams

18 fresh mussels

1 28 oz can San Marzano crushed tomatoes or 3 cups of your own marinara sauce

1 cup Pinot Grigio or other dry white wine

½ t freeze-dried oregano

4 sprigs thyme, tied together with butcher's twine, ½ t freeze-dried thyme

½ t red pepper flakes (optional)

4 (8 oz) bottles clam broth

1½ lbs fillet of cod or other white fish, cut into bite-size pieces

1½ lbs extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined

12 sea scallops, cut in half

3 T unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb cooked Chesapeake Bay lump crab meat

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

Extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing

If using wild mussels, remove the beards with a pair of “kitchen only” needle-nose pliers, just before adding to sauce in large pot.

Scrub the mussels and clams with a brush under cold running water; set aside in two separate bowls of cold water for 15 minutes.

Add the wine and the clam broth to the pot with the soffrito and heat to a simmer.

Because clams here near the Chesapeake bay tend to be very sandy, I steam them in a separate 2 quart pan, with ¼ cup water for 10 to 12 minutes, partially covered until they open.  Pour off the sandy water and cover with a lid to keep warm.

Add the the mussels to the pot with soffrito and simmer, covered another 5 minutes.

Remove mussels with a slotted spoon and place in the pan with the clams, cover and set aside.

Discard any that failed to open.

To the pot, add the can of crushed tomatoes and simmer for a 15 minutes.

Add the fish, shrimp, and scallops.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer another 5 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves and add most of the crab meat.

Heat for a couple of minutes.

Arrange the mussels and clams in each bowl.

Divide the cioppino on top, leaving most of the broth in the pan.

Top with the reserved crabmeat in the center of each bowl and ladle the rest of the hot broth over each bowl.

Sprinkle with parsley.

Serve immediately with warm crusty bread.

Serves 6

RIGATONI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE SAUCE

In my Italian-American cookbook, I make serve this Italian Sausage Sauce over pappardelle pasta.  I love the way the sauce gets into the rigatoni, and now this is my favorite pasta with this sauce.

1 lb mild or hot Italian sausages, about 5 links

½ cup good dry Italian white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

2 T olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1 (28-oz) can whole peeled Italian tomatoes

2 T tomato paste

1 t freeze-dried or dried oregano

1 t minced fresh basil or freeze-dried basil

1 t red pepper flakes, optional

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb rigatoni pasta

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese

Remove sausage from casings and place in a large bowl.

Pour in some of the white wine and crush with hands until sausage is in small pieces.

The wine makes it easier to break up the sausage.

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. 

Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes.

Add garlic and sauté another minute.

Add the sausages and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking up pieces with a wooden spoon.

Add the rest of the wine and cook until wine has mostly evaporated.

In the same large bowl, pour in the tomatoes and hand-crush them, removing the hard center cores. Alternatively, use an immersion blender to chop the tomatoes.

Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste to the pot along with the oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer 30 minutes.

Boil the pasta in salted water for about 8 to 9 minutes, until al dente.

Save about a ladle full of pasta water to pour into the sausage sauce.

Drain the pasta and pour back into the pot.

Add a couple ladles of the sausage sauce and toss.

Spoon into warm pasta bowls and add a little more sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Serves 4

CLASSIC CAPRESE SALAD

This is the time of the year, if you live where it is now the summer season, to make Caprese salad at its best.  It is so simple and all you need are homegrown tomatoes, fresh basil, and mozzarella cheese.  Authentic Caprese salad does not have vinegar, of any kind, drizzled over it.  The only seasoning added is extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

3 medium-large homegrown tomatoes, sliced into ¼ inch slices

1 (1-lb) ball fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced or log of pre-sliced fresh mozzarella 

1 bunch of large basil leaves

Extra-virgin olive oil (best quality you can find)

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Start with a slice of mozzarella, place a slice of tomato in front of it and then tuck in one or two basil leaves.  Working around in a circle until the circle meets.  

Generously drizzle with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 2 to 3

PAN SEARED SCALLOPS WITH DRY VERMOUTH

There are two kinds of scallops, sea and bay scallops. These are large east coast sea scallops. Make sure they are very fresh. They should smell like the sea or almost sweet.

They cook very quickly and the secret to browning is to dry them off with paper towels and do not turn them until they are brown.

10 sea scallops

1 T unsalted butter

1 T extra-light olive oil or avocado oil

½ cup dry Italian vermouth

Juice of ½ lemon

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 T unsalted butter

Rinse scallops under cold water and place on a double layer of paper towels.

Pat completely dry.

Have the butter and oil ready to add to a skillet.

Put the rest of the ingredients into little bowls, ready to add to the skillet.

Season scallops with salt and pepper on both sides.

In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat.

Add the scallops in a single layer, not touching each other.

Brown on one side for about 2 to 3 minutes. 

Do move scallops until they are brown, you can peek under one to see.

Turn scallops over with tongs and brown on the other side.

Remove scallops to a plate and set aside.

Lower heat in skillet to medium-low.

Add the vermouth and lemon juice.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook for a minute or two, stirring with a wooden spoon.

Add the two tablespoons of butter, then return the scallops to the pan and cook another few seconds to warm scallops. Do not overcook.

Serve with pan sauce over scallops.

Suggestion: Serve with a green vegetable and risotto.

Serves 2

PIZZA WITH CAPICOLA HAM

Capicola, capocollo, or coppa, is a traditional Italian cold-cut (salume) made from pork.

One recipe for pizza dough or already-prepared dough
One recipe for pizza sauce or store-bought pizza sauce

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
4 oz capicola him, thinly sliced
Oregano for sprinkling on top of the pizza
2 t extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Lightly oil two pizza pans.
Preheat a pizza stone on the bottom rack of oven for 15 minutes.

Place a ball of dough onto the center of each pan. Use your hands to stretch, form, and flatten each ball of dough to a 10 or 12-inch round.

Spread a ladle of pizza sauce on the rolled-out pizza dough, leaving a border all around.
Sprinkle with a little Parmigiano cheese, 4 slices of the mozzarella cheese, and 4 slices of ham. Sprinkle with a little oregano.
Place pizza pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake 5 minutes; then slide the pizza directly onto the heated stone and bake another 10 minutes.

Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and add a garnish of basil when finished baking.

Makes 2 12-inch pizzas or 4 personal size pizzas

FARFALLE WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGES, PEPPERS, SUN-DRIED TOMATOES, & FENNEL

This is one of my Go-To meals on a weeknight.  It is so delicious, you may want to serve it for company. . .after this pandemic is over. This recipe includes Italian sausages (pork or turkey), sun-dried tomatoes, and fennel. Farfalle (pronounced fa-FAR-lay) translates to "butterflies". Get the onion, fennel, peppers, and garlic chopped up on a cutting board ready to toss into the skillet. Dinner in under 40 minutes!

2 T extra-light olive oil, divided
1 lb mild or hot Italian sausages

1 T sea or kosher salt, for the pasta water
1 lb farfalle (butterfly) pasta

1 large sweet onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

1 medium bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 T fresh basil, chiffonade or torn

½ t red pepper flakes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup red or white wine

1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced into bitesize pieces

1 bunch Italian parsley, trimmed and chopped

½ cup grated Parmegiano-Reggiano or Pecorino-Romano cheese

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and fry the sausages for about 15 minutes over medium heat until brown on all sides. I put a splatter screen over my skillet to keep most of the grease from popping out on the stove.

Remove to a cutting board and discard grease and carefully wipe out or wash out skillet.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the salt.  
Boil the farfalle pasta for 10 minutes, until al dente.

Save 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside.  

Drain pasta and set aside.

In the same large clean skillet add the rest of the oil and cook the onion, fennel, and peppers over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring as needed.  

Add the garlic and cook another minute. 
Add the wine and cook another minute.

Cut the sausages into ¼ inch circles and add to the skillet along with the sun-dried tomatoes.  
Add 1 cup of the pasta water and cook another 4 to 5 minutes.

Spoon in the pasta and add the basil, red pepper flakes and parsley.  

Toss to combine and add more pasta water, if needed.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the grated cheese and spoon pasta into 4 heated pasta bowls.

Serve with extra grated cheese at the table and a green salad...and of course a glass of vino rosso (red wine) or vino bianco (white wine).

Serves 4

MARINATED MUSHROOMS

I have been making these marinated mushrooms for such a long time. Make the mushrooms at least 2 days before you want to serve them. I serve them in a little bowl on an antipasti platter with cocktail picks next to them. Adjust the red pepper flakes according to your taste. If you can find small or button mushrooms, leave them whole.

1 lb cremini or white mushrooms, trimmed, wiped clean, and cut in half 

1 T extra-light olive oil or avocado oil

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar

1 large shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ to ½ t red pepper flakes

½ t chopped fresh oregano leaves

1 t fresh thyme leaves

2 T minced fresh Italian parsley

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

In a large skillet add the tablespoon of oil and over medium-high heat, cook the mushrooms until lightly golden, about 10 minutes.

Turn off heat and let mushrooms cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, shallot, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme, and parsley.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the mushrooms and bay leaves and gently stir to combine.

Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 days.

Serve at room temperature.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH CHEESE

It is asparagus season here in the south.  Here is another recipe to enjoy, if you like cheese . . . and who doesn't?

1 lb fresh asparagus, ends snapped or cut off

3 T olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

½ t sea salt

½ t freshly ground black pepper

½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

½ cup grated asiago cheese

Spread the asparagus evenly in a single layer on a medium sheet pan.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Drizzle mixture over asparagus and evenly cover, using your hands.

Bake in oven for 13 to 15 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and turn oven to broil.

Sprinkle cheeses over asparagus, mostly in the center.

Return to oven and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly brown.

It is so delicious!

Serves 4

PAN-FRIED SCALLOPS WITH LEMON-GARLIC-BUTTER

I don't know the reason but East Coast Digby scallops are the sweetest scallops I have ever tasted.  This is a simple and delicious way to pan fry scallops in your area.

10 East Coast sea scallops

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 T unsalted butter, divided

1 clove garlic, pressed or minced

3 T white wine or white vermouth

Zest and juice of ½ lemon

Snipped chives

Dry scallops with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on both sides.

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat.

Add scallops and brown on one side, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Do not flip over until at least 3 minutes to get a nice brown color.

Remove from skillet and transfer to a plate.

Melt the rest of the butter and gently fry the garlic for one minute.

Add the wine, lemon zest, and lemon juice. 
Reduce the liquid for a couple more minutes. 

Add the scallops back into the pan to warm through. 

Add scallops to two warm plates, spoon pan juices over and garnish with snipped chives.  

Serve with mashed potatoes or risotto.

Serves 2

SICILIAN RICOTTA CHEESECAKE - Torta di Ricotta

Ricotta cheesecakes are easy to make and they are so very delicious. This one has a graham cracker crust on the bottom and partially up the sides. I found a box of graham cracker crumbs in the supermarket. This saved me from crushing them in my food processor. It's always nice to save a step if you can.

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs or about 20 graham crackers, finely crushed

½ cup melted unsalted butter

32 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese

4 large eggs

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

¼ t sea salt

Grated zest of 1 large organic or carefully washed orange

1 T orange juice

1 t pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix together the graham cracker crumbs with the butter.

Firmly press graham cracker crumbs into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of an 8-inch springform pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta and eggs.

Mix in the flour, sugar, salt, zest, juice, and vanilla extract.

Mix until completely combined.

Pour batter into pan and place on a baking sheet or pizza pan.

Place in center of the oven and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Turn oven off and let cheesecake sit in the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes, until firm throughout.

Let cool on the counter, and then refrigerate for 2 hours to set.

Remove from springform pan to a cake plate and decorate with confectioners’ sugar.

Serves 6 to 8