Bruschetta al Pomodoro

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 Roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, cut in half
  • Black pepper to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • 10 medium fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 slices crusty Italian bread
  • Extra virgin olive oil (to drizzle)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. COMBINE diced tomatoes and chopped garlic in a mixing bowl. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Add half of chopped basil and 4 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.
  2. DRIZZLE both sides of bread slices with extra virgin olive oil. Grill bread lightly on both sides.
  3. RUB grilled bread with cut half of garlic clove to infuse with flavor. Top each slice with tomato mixture.
  4. GARNISH with remaining chopped basil and serve immediately.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Know what I hate about the internet? There’s a lot of garbage recipes out there. After many hours of searching, via google books search, I located this book (A Cook’s Tour of Mexico), which I bought solely for this recipe. The technique is toast (not roast) tomato, onion, and garlic, throw it in the blender with chicken stock, then fry the puree in oil before adding more stock. This maximizes the flavor and makes a really delicious soup base.

Tortilla soup can be found at many restaurants, and I usually am not impressed. Baja Fresh makes my favorite and this recipe tastes similar to me and incorporates the same necessary add-ons: tortilla strips, avocado, and cheese.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Soup base:

  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 3 ripe tomatoes
  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 1 TB vegetable oil
  • 2 small sprigs “epazote”
  • salt
  • pepper

Extras (In order of necessity):

  • 2 cups cubed or crumbled cheese like quesillo de oaxaca, monterey jack, or mozzarella
  • 3 limes halved or quartered
  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • fried tortilla strips
  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • fried chile strips

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Toast the garlic, tomato and onion in a cast iron skillet lined with aluminum foil on medium heat. Stir frequently to ensure vegetables do not burn (a slight char is ok). Evenly toasted is the goal. This will take about 8-10 minutes.
  2. Add onion and garlic to blender. Let tomato sit in a bag or sealed container for a few minutes to steam itself. Remove tomatoes and peel off skin and remove core from centers. Add tomatoes to blender along with 1/4 cup chicken stock. Blend thoroughly into a puree.
  3. Heat oil in stock pot to med-high heat. Add puree and “fry” it for two minutes. Reduce heat to simmer for an additional 5 minutes until the puree is thickened/darkened.
  4. Add remaining chicken stock and epazote. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes covered with lid.
  5. Prepare chicken

 

Italian-American Meatballs

Bro, do you even know how good a meatball can be? I’ve searched and tried a lot of different methods/recipes. Long story short, this recipe has a ton of cheese in it, but I’ve never tasted anything better. These are totally soft and melt in your mouth. The technique of browning first in a skillet then braising in the sauce is key. I found it by accident when I was looking for authentic Italian recipes. Looking through actual Italian-Italian cuisine made me realize that’s not what I’m looking for. I’m looking for Italian-American cooking. Pizza and meatballs aren’t really on the menu in Italy.

Anyway, this Lou Di Palo guy shared his grandmother’s recipe with Saveur magazine in 2011. I found it in 2017 and I think I’ve found my final meatballs. You really can’t improve on this.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 10 oz ground pork
  • 5 oz ground beef chuck (the butcher accidentally gave me 5oz pork and 10 oz beef and it was really fucking good, so i might change this)
  • 5 oz ground veal
  • 1/3 cup shredded provolone (1.33 oz)
  • 1/3 cup whole milk ricotta (2.9 oz)
  • 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan (0.75 oz)
  • 1/4 cup finely grated pecorino, plus more for serving (0.75 oz)
  • 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Grate and shred your cheeses.
  2. Mix the garlic, pork, chuck, veal, provolone, ricotta, parmesan, pecorino, breadcrumbs, eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl.
  3. Form into eight 2.5″ meatballs, about 6 oz. each.
  4. Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add meatballs; cook, turning, until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towel. Transfer to sauce; cook until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Serve meatballs and sauce over spaghetti; sprinkle with parsley.