a-b-o-u-t-u-s: About Italian Food: For a While It Was Cold...

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Italian Food

Italian Food

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From Kyle Phillips, your Guide to Italian Food

For a While It Was Cold... And to be honest it still has yet to become warm. But the most obvious feature of our current weather is rain. Lots of it, coming down in a steady patter, and the dog, who loves to putter in the yard when it's nice, is very unhappy with it (and us). When faced with conditions like these Italians turn to their stoves for warmth. In cities this means pots a-bubbling, but out in the country it also means firing up the hearth in the cantinetta, and of late the slow wet breezes have carried all sorts of interesting aromas, especially chicken. Wish I knew which of our neighbors was cooking it...

La Grigliata Mista

A grigliata mista is a platter of mixed grilled meats. A simple, but tasty concept, which might include:

Vittorio's Pollo Alla Griglia
This is how Vittorio used to grill chickens for the Misericordia Di Fiesole's cookouts: Simple, delicately flavored, and mild enough that you won't need to chase your drumstick with a bottle of Lambrusco.
Pork Spare Ribs, or Rosticciana
The fire should be hot enough to cook them, but not so hot they burn at the outset. And they do require patience, but it's well worth it.
Agnello alla Scottadito
Scottadito means finger-blistering, and with these grilled lamb chops it's a serious risk: They're so good you'll not want to wait for them to cool.
Filetto Marinato alla Griglia
Italian grilling tends to be fairly simple: in many cases one simply sets the meat over the coals and seasons it with salt and pepper as it cooks. However, there are exceptions to the rule, and this marinated Grilled Beef Fillet Recipe is tasty.
Bistecca Alla Fiorentina
Many in the English-speaking world would call this a Porterhouse and wonder what the fuss is about. But if the beef is good it's heavenly.

The one problem with a grigliata mista is that if something is especially good, it may vanish from the platter before everyone gets some. The answer is to make more of what was popular the next time, but if you're inviting people and want to be certain this won't happen, you could make spiedini.

And to go with grilled meats?

Grilled vegetables are the logical choice. The hearth in our cantinetta is both broad and deep, and I reserve some of the coals for the vegetables: Onions, peppers, radicchio, and so on.

Grilled Radicchio Rosso
One wouldn't necessarily think to grill a leafy vegetable, but Radicchio Rosso has the texture and body necessary to stand up to the dry heat of a charcoal or stovetop grill, and also a pleasing bitterness that will do a nice job of contrasting the oil used to keep it from sticking and burning.
Peperoni alla Griglia
Italians generally serve grilled bell peppers cool or lightly chilled, and they work very well as an antipasto, or with grilled meats or fish.
Melanzane alla Griglia
Grilled eggplant is very easy to do: you marinate it briefly, grill it, and return it to the marinade to be eaten cold.
Grilled Onions
Very simple: You slice them a bit more than a finger thick and while grilling them, also grill sausages (hot or mild as you prefer), puncturing the skins of the latter. When the onions are done, but them in a serving dsih, lay the sausages over them, and the drippings of the sausages will delightfully flavor the onions.

Another thing: Grilled bread (Derrick has you use a griddle, but I have done these over the grill as well).

Don't Have a Hearth in Your Home?

Then you'll simply have to set a pot (or pots) to bubbling on the stove, and if you really want to beat the heat little is more effective than polenta. So the title link leads to the "how to make polenta page," just to refresh your memory.
I know, polenta only takes an hour to cook, and one can only get so much warmth from that. But it goes superbly with stews, and if you work from home you can simmer them for hours. If you don't but have a slow cooker, it will also do nice things. Some ideas:

Peposo
In days of old Impruneta's tile makers would slip a pot of their peppery beef stew into the kiln to cook as the tiles cooled. But you can make it atop the stove. This is a very traditional recipe, without tomatoes.
Cinghiale Fra Due Fuochi
Wild boar is an interesting meat. It's more strongly flavored than pork but obviously from a similar animal, and quite a bit firmer -- the animal was wandering around, after all, and had ample opportunity to tone its muscles. Consequently, boar requires marinating to tenderize it. This recipe from Artusi will also work well with hare or other furred game, and semi-captive animals such as wild pigs.
Agnello alla Pecorara Con Cipolle
The Abruzzo is a wild land, and in the past much of the inland population depended upon their flocks of sheep for survival. This is a modern, more elaborate Abruzzese stewed lamb with onions.
Trippa
Yes, trippa is tripe, cow's stomach, and as such it makes many people blanch. But if well prepared it is extremely tasty. These are Artusi's instructions (and are also what my mother-in-law does), together with background and information on tripe.

Elswhere on About: Low and Slow

Though I like to think that slow simmering originated in Italy -- perhaps because when I was growing up, spending summers out in the country, there was always a wood fired stove in the kitchen and (almost) always a pot of something simmering over it -- the sad truth is that the concept of stewing is universal. Everybody does it! And here are some distinctly non-Italian stews:

Beef and Guinness Stew
Bryce doesn't suggest you make this to honor San Patrizio, but it will definitely do him honor.
Mutton Ishtew
"This delicious South Indian stew is delicately flavored with a mix of spices and coconut milk," says Petrina, adding, "it tastes great with rice, Dosas, Idlis or Appams." With polenta, too, I would venture.
Seco de Cordero
Marion says, "Seco de cordero is a delicious Peruvian lamb stew. Seasoned with aji peppers, cumin, and lots of cilantro, the lamb is braised in beer until it's tender and flavorful. Yellow potatoes cook at the same time and soak up all the great flavor."
Kosher Traditional Meat Cholent
"Cholent is the quintessential Jewish food," Giora says, and goes on to explain: "Jewish law prohits lighting a fire and cooking on the Sabbath. So how can an observant Jewish family eat a hot, nourishing meal on the Sabbath? Cholent, a slow-cooked, bean-barley stew, has been the answer for centuries."
Jerky Stew
"This stew of beef jerky, tomatoes, potatoes, and other vegetables is completely made with dehydrated ingredients, except for the optional fresh carrot," says Peggy. "The stew is served over cooked rice. Dried foods are light and easier to carry so, this is a perfect recipe for hikers or campers."

As always, the featured articles links below to the right make up a menu of sorts.