Happy 20th "From Tapas to Meze"

I can hardly believe how fast 20 years go by.  I was such a tyke in the cooking field.  I'd just left Chez Panisse and was excited to write my first book.  It was a huge endeavor and in retrospect, I was so naive.  I loved small plates and that's mainly what I made when I worked at Chez Panisse.  It spurred an idea;- a very ambitious one, but still, an idea for a book.  

I decided that I wanted to write a book about small plates from the Mediterranean.  I left for Spain and tasted tapas from La Rioja in the north, east to Barcelona and then far south to Cadiz and the Strait of Gibraltar.  Then it was on to Morocco for an extended tour from Marrakech through the desert to Fez and beyond.  There I sampled flavors like nothing I'd ever had before.  Although I'd been to Provence numerous times, still I added Antibes, Nice and Bandol to the itinerary.   I don't think I realized how immense Italy is until I traveled (and ate!) from Puglia to Sicily and Sardinia and then all the way north to Cinque Terre, Venice and the Piedmont.  I spent Greek Easter on the island of Zakynthos in western Greece eating  spit-roasted lamb, tzatziki and the best rolled grape leaves and then traveled from Athens to Thessaloniki to taste every meze I could get my hands on.  And finally I traversed Turkey from Istanbul and south to Izmir, Pamukkale and Goreme.  I sailed the coast for two weeks from Bodrum to Marmaris tasting every kind of fruit the sea had to offer.  

What started out as a simple little idea of small plates eaten along the Mediterranean turned into a trip of a lifetime.  The generosity and sharing I experienced and everything I learned along the way made this one of the most rewarding journeys I've ever had.  The best part?  Learning that tapas, antipasti and meze are so much more than just a few small plates of food.  It's a lifestyle.  Along the Mediterranean people don't drink without eating something.  Civilized, right?  But it's also a way to extend the dinner hour and spend time with friends and family talking about politics, the latest gossip and anything in between.  

 

In late March 1994, I opened the door to find a delivery man.  He handed me my first book wrapped in brown paper.  I remember it like it was a few minutes ago.  I tore off the paper and I bet my eyes were almost bugging out of my head.  I was holding a hard covered book with the title "From Tapas to Meze"  with my name printed boldly on the cover in my hands.

A week later I was celebrating my first born at the Ritz Carlton.  Gary Danko, my best chef friend, was the chef there at the time and he hosted a launch party.  It was the who's who of the food world.  I don't think my smile could have gotten much bigger.

Happy birthday, From Tapas to Meze and thanks to everyone who helped make it happen!

-Joanne

Click here and try one of my favorite recipes from the book and make sure to enjoy it with friends, family and wine, of course!

an italian grilled cheese sandwich

Who doesn't love grilled cheese sandwiches? After all, they're about as American as apple pie.

But how would the Italians make them?

Imagine creamy cow's milk taleggio or stracchino cheese sandwiched between layers of crispy, hot pizza dough baked to golden perfection on a pizza stone. That's my version of an Italian grilled cheese sandwich! Nothin' like what Mama used to make.


I was first introduced to a luscious focaccia al formaggio at Manuelina in Recco along the Ligurian coastline. That was years ago, probably my first trip to Liguria. I traveled to Recco just to taste this Italian Riviera masterpiece and it was worth every single calorie, every single kilometer.

I decided I liked the concept which prompted me to write my own recipe for flatbread with gooey cheese all melted inside. This is what I came up with!

Grab a glass of Barbera from neighboring Piedmonte and enjoy!


FOCACCIA WITH CREAMY TALEGGIO

2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60ml) plus 1 cup (8 fl oz/240ml) warm (110°f/43°c) water
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 fl oz/45ml) extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups (12 oz/350g) unbleached bread flour
Salt
12 ounces (350g) taleggio or stracchino cheese, coarsely grated
1/3 cup (1 1/2 oz/45g) finely grated aged pecorino cheese

Whisk together the yeast and 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60ml) water and let sit until creamy, about 20 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup (8 fl oz/240ml) water, the olive oil, flour, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and soft, 7 to 8 minutes. Place in a well-oiled bowl and turn the dough over to coat the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (75°f/24°c) until it doubles in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.

Place a pizza stone or tiles on the bottom shelf of the oven. Heat the oven to 500°f (260°c) for at least 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 4 pieces and form each piece into a round ball. On a well-floured surface, roll 1 piece of dough at a time into a 9-inch (23-cm) circle, 1/8-inch (0.3cm) thick. Transfer 1 piece to a well-floured pizza peel or paddle. In a bowl mix together the taleggio and pecorino. Spread one-third of the cheese mixture on the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Brush the edges of the dough lightly with water. Roll another ball to the same size and place on top. Crimp the edges to seal well. Pinch a hole in the second piece of dough in the center.

Bake the focaccia on the hot stone until light golden and crisp, 8 to 11 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough and cheese filling, making 1 more focaccia. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 focaccie and serves 10

ribollita in panzano in chianti

When the weather gets damp and cold like it has been in San Francisco lately, it makes me think of a winter visit to Panzano, a spot on the map smack-dab in the middle of Chianti.

Some of you have probably noticed that Panzano has changed over the years. There's a lot more English spoken now. This might be partly due to Dario, the now famous butcher, whose operatic voice echoes into the street, and draws everyone inside where the aromas of garlic, herbs and peppers seduce you. You've got to sample his incredible salumi, porcetta and sweet and hot pepper jelly along with a glass of his homemade red wine.

Years ago, I always enjoyed visiting Dulio too. He's the little guy who owned the shoe-box of a wine store. I looked for him a while back and noticed he closed up shop. Whenever I used to visit Panzano, I always loved having lunch with my favorite pal, Giovanni Capelli. Judy Francini, the best and most generous Tuscan resource in the universe, introduced me to him years ago. I remember telling Judy I thought he was the Tuscan version of James Beard. He passed away a couple years ago which was a great loss to many of us. A true Renaissance man,-- he grew, produced and cooked the most innovative as well as traditional Tuscan food and products. Giovanni made salsa di mosto, a Balsamic-like vinegar, aged for 12 years in a variety of wooden casks and called salsa di mosto because it was made in Tuscany and not in the region of Modena where balsamic comes is made. I remember one particular summer he went crazy with peppers and turned out little jars of fiery hot pepper sauce called salsa inferno. He also made lemon-infused virgin olive oil, hard-to resist rose petal vinegar, Grappa di Chianti Classico Riserva, Liqueur di Limone, and Amaro plus his gutsy Chianti wines which paired perfectly with the food from his farmhouse trattoria, Trattoria del Montagliari.

One of the last times I had lunch with him, it was a cold and rainy day, kind of like this San Francisco day. He made me a delicious and heartwarming bowl of ribollita, a peasant soup made of leftover vegetables, bread and cannellini beans, later reboiled. He drizzled the top with his fruity virgin olive oil and then asked me if I wanted a fork or a spoon, it was that thick! "Pour me a glass of your red wine, would you Giovanni?"

RIBOLLITA

If you can get some black cabbage or cavolo nero, all the better!

1 1/4 cups cannellini beans
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 oz. pancetta, 1/4" dice
½ stalk celery, 1/4" dice
3 carrots, peeled, ½" dice
½ head Savoy cabbage or cavolo nero, 1" dice
1 leek, ½" dice
3 potatoes, ½" dice
1 onion 1/4" dice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
6 thin slices coarse-textured white bread
salt and freshly ground pepper
fruity extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Pick over the beans and discard any stones. Soak the beans in a large bowl of water for four hours. Drain the beans, place in a saucepan and cover with water by 2-inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer until tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Strain the beans and reserve the cooking liquid. Reserve half of the beans. Place the remaining beans in the blender or food processor and process until smooth, adding bean liquid as necessary. Reserve.

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta is light golden, 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, cabbage, leeks, potatoes, onions, tomato paste and cover by 1" with the chicken stock and water. Simmer until the vegetables are very soft, 1 hour.

Add the beans and simmer 5 minutes. Add the bread and stir together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool one hour or overnight.

To serve, bring to a boil. Serve immediately drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with cheese.

Serves 6 to 8

boston, you're my home!

Seven hour flight last night Boston to SF? Gotta love those head winds! They weighed my bags but not me, thank God. Few pounds heavier due to non-stop eating in Boston. Damn... I took my camera out to take a shot at Galleria Umberto on Hanover Street in the North End and wouldn't you know it, my battery was dead. I love that place. It's a gymnasium of Formica and hammered metal that can only be topped by the all marble Antica Focacceria in Palermo, Sicily! I wanted to show you the arancini (humongous deep fried rice ball filled with beef and creamy cheese) and the waxed-paper cups of gutsy red vino. Same guy working there serving up thick slabs of pizza, panzarotti and arancini (truly the size of a large orange) since I lived in Boston in the late 70's. He looked exactly the same, only a few extra slabs of pizza under his belt. Who am I to talk? For eight bucks, three of us had the best nostalgic lunch! You've gotta go! No photo but you've got the map!

prosecco love

Biondivino was so packed that people spilled onto Green Street. Ceri Smith, our little Italian gemola of SF, had invited the world, in true Italian style, to celebrate her niece's wedding. Her niece was married on Maui last week so this was kind of an after-party. The prosecco flowed. Not just any prosecco, Col de' Salici! And none other than Saverio Notari was pouring!!!! I am an admitted prosecco addict. Don't get me wrong, I love a good glass of Champagne but for prosecco, I'd drive a long way. For years, I'd dreamed of going to Valdobbiadene, the beautiful little hilltop village in the province of Treviso, completely dedicated to prosecco production. I knew that the closest I would ever get would be when I was teaching at La Foresteria just outside of Verona in the Veneto. That's still 2 1/2 hours away. So this past year I talked my student into making the trip with me! (It wasn't hard!) Once we passed the exit for Venice, we still had at least an hour to go. But it was worth it.... The afternoon was spent visiting my friend Cinzia at Le Vigne di Alice, who makes the most delicious prosecco. Funny, her husband also produces fantastic prosecco at Belinda, the adjoining vineyard. Prosecco is a white grape grown exclusively in this part of Italy. I love it served ice cold on a hot day. And when mixed with white peach juice, prosecco adds a bit of spritz to the famous bellini, made famous at Harry's Bar in Venice. Prosecco also stars, along with a ton of vodka, in the most deceptive lemon milkshake called sgroppino.


Sgroppino

2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 1/2 cups lemon sorbet
3/4 cups lemon juice
2/3 cup vodka
1/2 cup prosecco

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and process until it is a thick creamy shake. Drink with caution!

Serves 8