Pasta Primavera

I'm trying to incorporate more vegetables and healthy options into my everyday eating.  This came after my realizing that for the past 2 weeks or so I've been eating, basically, crap.

So, in the spirit of Meatless Monday today I decided to make a pasta primavera that would even leave the folks at "Crunch-a-Color" proud. 

Pictured here is the base for the dish.  It's cabbage, carrots,  red bell pepper, Brussels sprouts and broccoli sauteed with chili flakes, white wine, garlic, and 3-4 scoops of crushed tomatoes. Toss with cooked pasta, finish with a pat of butter and a hearty handful of sharp, grated Parmesan cheese.

Simple, healthy, and ready in about 45 minutes. 



Consider the Fork

I just finished reading this book.  A lot of fun and super interesting.  The author, Bee Wilson, explains the history behind the everyday kitchen tools, cooking vessels, utensils and appliances we use for cooking and eating.  Since the practice of eating is a significant part of daily life for every person the world over, the story of how we cook and eat is a rather comprehensive lesson in anthropology and cultural history.  

Italian Seafood Stew - Cacciucco

I made this as the first course for a small gathering of dinner guests one fine Sunday to celebrate the end of the Christmas season.  Cacciucco - an Italian (Livornese, to be exact) seafood stew.

I honestly and truly don't really know the difference content-wise between a cacciucco and a cioppino.  Just that the former is a dish of Livorno, and the latter a Mediterranean seafood stew first invented in San Francisco. 

Mine included 2 kinds of fish - black bass and perch, clams, mussels, and calamari. The soup base is fish stock and sofrito. 

To make the fish stock - Sweat aromatic vegetables in a stock pot.  I used carrots, onions, celery, leeks and fennel.  Add the bones from the fish that you will use in the stew.  Sweat some more.  Add about 1-2 cups dry white wine.  Let the raw alcohol cook out of the wine.  Cover the whole thing with water by an inch or 2.  Throw in parsley stems, thyme, 2-3 bay leaves, and a few black peppercorns. Let simmer for about an hour, skimming the foamy gunk off the top with a ladle every few minutes. Strain twice - first time though a colander, then through a fine mesh or chinois.

For the sofrito - Mince carrot, onion and celery in the food processor until very small pieces.  Simmer these in a pan covered with extra virgin olive oil for about 15-20 minutes.  Add canned tomatoes and continue to simmer for another 45 minutes to an hour, until the mixture looks well-cooked.  There should be a definite layer of olive oil on the top.  You can skim this oil off and reserve for another use later.

Pour the fish stock into the sofrito slowly until it is the flavor/consistency you want.  Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.  You just made a brodetto. 

To complete the stew, ladle a nice amount of brodetto into a pan.  Heat to a boil.  Add the seafood one at a time, starting with the ingredient that requires the longest cook time.  I went with clams first, because they take a long time to open.  When the clams start to open, add the mussels. When the mussels start to open, add the fish (cut into small, bite-sized pieces).  About a minute later add the calamari.  Only let the calamari cook for about a minute.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread.