Five Basics from the Refrigerator

March 13th, 2010 by chefkevin

Five Basics from the Refrigerator

Pancetta
Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Cheese
Eggs
Ricotta Cheese
Spinach or Lettuce

I always have a chunk of pancetta, un-smoked bacon, on hand. I use it to give flavor to lean cuts of meat when sautéing. I like it mixed with onions when I am making a risotto, or use it with eggs to make a frittata.

A hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino knows no bounds in the kitchen. Eaten out of hand with a glass of wine, it is pure heaven and the simplest antipasto when guests drop in. And if that were not enough, when it is grated it is perfect not only over pasta, but also mixed into vegetables or soups. When it is shaved, it is the perfect special “something” on top of a salad or in a panino.

If you have eggs, you have it made. Eggs are a near perfect food; boil them, poach them, fry them, turn them into a frittata. Or make eggs in purgatory with tomato sauce and serve them on a bed of wilted spinach and supper is fine and full of richness with little effort.

Ricotta cheese… what can I say? Eat it as is for a healthy lunch, or serve it warm with honey and nuts for dessert; use it in fillings, or make a ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano and spinach sauce for pasta. On Sunday mornings I like to treat my family to ricotta cheese blintzes.

Got lettuce? Mix the leaves with good olive oil, salt and pepper, and top with fried pancetta croutons. Throw on a sliced hard boiled egg, and lunch is ready!

And all of that is within the five basic ingredients in the fridge…

The above is an excerpt from the book
“Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites: Quick and Delicious Recipes from an Italian Kitchen”
by Mary Ann Esposito.

Author Bio
Mary Ann Esposito, author of Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites: Quick and Delicious Recipes from an Italian Kitchen, is the creator and host of the long-running PBS series Ciao Italia, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2010. She is the author of eleven successful cookbooks, including Ciao Italia Slow and Easy and Ciao Italia Pronto! She lives in Durham, New Hampshire.

For more information, please visit www.CiaoItalia.com.

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Cookin’ With K Rock!

March 11th, 2010 by chefkevin

Hey There!

What a blast we had in New Minas at Sobey’s last night! Colin and Kate from K-Rock radio were there hanging out with me and Tara (and the rest of the class of course).

Great food (their words, not mine), lots of tips and info (as usual), and lots of laughs… as is normal when I’m “in the house”