How to Make Crab Marinara

Making Crab Marinara turned out to be far more adventurous than I expected. Remember the lobster  scene in Annie Hall?





My experience was not far from that.

I asked the fishmonger for 6 crabs and a pound of lump crabmeat, figuring I'd cook the whole crabs in the sauce to infuse flavor, then add lump crabmeat before serving.  He complied, and home I went.   Imagine my shock and horror when I discovered, upon starting to cook, that the crabs were still alive.  Yup.  I opened the bag to dump them in the sizzling garlic and was greeted with snapping pincers and a flurry of legs.

I composed myself, secured a pair of long-handled tongs, and began battle.  I grabbed the first one, but as I attempted to transfer him into the pot, he fought ferociously and with such force that he separated his leg from his body.  I retained hold of the disembodied leg in the tongs, and the rest of the crab fell to the floor and scurried under the table.  I chased him, finally grasping him again, this time by the middle, and tossed him into the pot.  The remaining crabs were less feisty, and I was more prepared.  I managed the rest without incident, lost of limb (mine or the crabs') and resumed cooking.

In the end, this was a spectacular summer feast, and once I got past the fact that I had to kill my dinner, the preparation was quite simple.

Here's the recipe:

Crab Marinara

2 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP chopped garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
6 cups marinara sauce--either make your own or purchase a high quality jarred version
6 live crabs
1 bunch fresh basil (about 10 leaves)
1 lb lump crabmeat, picked over for shells


In large pot, heat oil with garlic, salt, and pepper flakes.  Add sauce, bring to simmer, and add crabs, then basil.  Simmer, covered, over low heat 1-2 hrs until sauce takes on flavor of crabs.  Remove crabs from sauce, add lump crabmeat, heat through and serve over al dente pasta.

NOTES:  For the adventurous, you can leave the crabs in the sauce; some people enjoy eating the meat from the shells.  (I am not one of those people--far too messy and labor intensive).  I personally enjoy this with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, but many purists eschew cheese with fish.  Your call!

Penne Restaurant, Great Italian in West Philly

We had the good fortune to be invited to a birthday celebration at Penne last night.   We were greeted by friendly bartender who poured us aperitifs before we proceeded to our table.  We downed them,  then encountered a pleasant hostess, who seated us at a booth, and finally, our server, who was affable without being intrusive--which can be a tough balance to strike. 

One minor side note on seating:  in the future, I will request a table.   The booth's seat was uncharacteristically low and table  high, which made me feel like I needed a telephone booth to sit on, despite my respectable 5'7" stature.  But onto the food....


We started with a bowl of fried calamari.  Normally I detest this dish for its resemblance to greasy, fried teething rings.  In fact, I never eat it, but my husband, who loves it, seized the opportunity to order it for the table.  But this version was a revelation. The calamari was tender on the inside, crispy on the outside, and not at all greasy.  The sauce, a spicy tomato caper dip was a welcome departure from the typical tomato sauce that usually accompanies this dish.  I still only ate about 3 bites, but I enjoyed them.

 My husband handled the wine order, and he did an excellent job.  The birthday girl was Luisa, and husband found her namesake Pinot Grigio on the list.  Fortunately, it was the perfect pairing on a scorching summer evening for our pasta dinners.

My first course was a soup from the specials menu: sweet corn broth with tiny roasted garlic and scallion gnocchi. It was fantastic; the broth was light, but had an intense and deep flavor of sweet summer corn, and the gnocchi had a delightful crispness to them.  A really unique and seasonal dish!

Penne is known for their homemade fresh pastas.  Our table sampled a good assortment, one better than the next:

Birthday girl Luisa had the ravioli filled with zucchini, goat cheese, and potato, topped with herb pesto and pine nuts, which she thoroughly enjoyed.   I've mentioned before that potatoes, pretty much in any form, are a serious temptation to me, and their use here was unexpected and delicious.

I had the linguine with clams.  This was a bit of a departure for me, because linguine with white clam sauce is a signature dish of mine so I normally wouldn't order it in a restaurant.  But this version had some alternative ingredients that intrigued me--red pepper linguine and  bacon.  I'm happy to report that it was terrific.  The clams were tiny and toothsome, the linguine was perfectly al dente--not always easy to execute with fresh pasta, and the bacon was a great crispy-salty foil to the clams and noodles.  I don't think I'll mess with my version of the dish, but never say never.

My husband had the tagliatelle puttanesca with swordfish.  The briny capers were an excellent accompaniment to the steaky, mild fish, and the pasta was, again, perfectly cooked.

For dessert, we sampled the chocolate amaretto cannoli and the blueberries with lemon-thyme  mascarpone.  They did not disappoint!


If you hurry, you can still catch the special menu deals available through  University City Dining Days, going on now through July 26.

Meatballs Mastered, Finally!

Since I've been on the topic of my culinary New Year's Resolutions, I was reminded that one of them was to master meatballs.

For some reason, the ability to craft these delectable orbs has eluded me for decades.  Mine were either too mushy, too dry, lacking flavor, falling apart, overly seasoned--I simply never struck the correct balance.   It was just last week that I managed an affirmatively good version, earning even the approval of my very discriminating  daughter.    My son, on the other hand, never met a hunk of ground beef he didn't like, so my trials and errors never went to waste. 

I recalled the seemingly unorthodox but very sound meatloaf advice from Down Home Diner's Chef Jack McDavid--to  use a dough hook for thorough distribution and emulsification of the fat and flavors.  Figuring the principle was the same with meatballs, I used his method.    And it worked!

Here's what I did.....

For the meatballs:
This made about 2 dozen.

2 1/2 lbs 85% lean ground beef
1/3 cup chopped garlic (I used the jarred stuff and it worked beautifully--use less if fresh)
2 cups Italian style seasoned bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup beef broth or water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Blend all ingredients thoroughly, using dough hook  if possible.  With wet hands, form the mixture into firmly packed balls approx 1 1/2 inches in diameter and drop them into simmering marinara sauce.  Cook on low heat for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Serve over pasta, on sandwiches, or solo.  (These also freeze really well.)

Ok, next resolution.....It's only July.

Lingune alla Vongole

June being seafood month, I scanned our old blogposts to see what seafood recipes we had posted.    I was shocked to see that I had not yet shared one of my ultimate go-to seafood dishes with you, dear readers.  I am referring to linguine alla vongole, or linguine with clam sauce, which is practically a signature dish of mine. 

So, without further ado, here it is:

Linguine alla Vongole (serves 4)

2 TBSP olive oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
1/2 tsp salt
4 cans minced clams, drained, juice reserved
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 lb linguine

In large skillet, heat oil and add garlic, pepper flakes and salt.  Stir to release flavors, and add drained clams.  Saute and sear 1 minute.  Add clam juice and wine.  Stir and simmer 15 minutes (or longer).  Meanwhile, in boiling, salted water, cook pasta to al dente (1 minute less than the box suggests).  Drain thoroughly, and top with the pasta sauce, then cheese and parsley.

NOTE:  in summer, when we are near the beach and enjoy the availability of uber-fresh shellfish, I often purchase small clams to enhance this dish.  The most common name for these clams is "little necks", but I've also seen them referred to as "cockles" and "pasta necks".  Whatever you call them, you should scrub their exteriors to remove all sand and grit.  Then, about 5 minutes before serving, pour clams into sauce, cover and steam 5 minutes until clams have all opened.  Any clams that remain sealed should be discarded.

The Secret to Marinara Sauce

In a previous post, we promised to share La Cucina at the Market Chef/Owner Anna Florio's secret to Marinara sauce.  Here it is:

Don't overcook it.

Anna elaborates:  "When Italians first came to this country as immigrants they were generally poor.  This meant that they could not afford expensive cuts of meat, so what they did buy had to be simmered for hours to make it tender and palatable.  Hence the notion of the pot of Italian Gravy cooking all day."

But Marinara sauce is different--you're essentially cooking tomatoes.  Anna continues:  "The word 'marinara' derives from mare which is Italian for sea.  Historically it was a tomato sauce that contained seafood, which cooks very quickly.  It has evolved into a simple tomato sauce--and how long does it take to cook a tomato?  Not very.  Marinara sauce only needs about 30 minutes in the pot."  And with the warm weather coming, and tomato season arriving soon, this sauce is a great go-to for a simple, light summer meal.

Anna shared another great trick of the trade.  Cook the pasta just to al dente (generally a minute less than the package recommends) then pour it into the pot of sauce.   Anna explains:  "This enables the pasta to absorb some of the sauce's flavor and blends everything well.  Most people drain the pasta, then pour it into a serving bowl and put the sauce on top.  The sauce never gets a chance to infuse with the pasta, so people tend to keep adding sauce to achieve sufficient flavor.  Putting the pasta into the hot pot of sauce for a couple of minutes avoids that problem."

Anna Florio's Sugo Alla Marinara

1 lg can whole peeled tomatoes, San Marzano recommended

Olive oil

2 cloves finely chopped garlic

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon pepperoncini (red pepper flakes)

½ teaspoon dry oregano

4-5 leaves fresh Basil

Preparation

Pour olive oil into a large sauce pan.  Add chopped garlic and sauté just until garlic is golden.  Add tomatoes, then fill tomato can 1/2 way with water, rinse can and pour water into pot.  Add oregano and hot pepper. Using the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher, gently crush the tomatoes. Add basil.  Stir well, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes.

When pasta has cooked al dente strain the pasta and add it to the sauce in the pan.  Simmer about 2-3 minutes, gently stirring.

Transfer pasta to a large serving bowl and serve immediately with freshly grated pecorino cheese.

Fettuccine for the Flyers Game

How 'BOUT that Danny Briere?  I'd like to have him for dinner....

Sunday dinner is usually a relatively involved meal in our house.  It's the one night of the week that we are all guaranteed to be home, so we always have a semi-elaborate sit down dinner.  But this past Sunday, both cooks in the house wanted to watch the afternoon Flyers Game, so dinner required some logistical attention.

It meant that  preparations either needed to be mostly done by 3pm, or really, really minimal at around 6.  I scanned the fridge inventory, found a lb of fresh fettuccine, some boneless chicken and a bag of sundried tomatoes.  Inspiration struck.  And the very best part of the whole thing is that my ever-critical teenage daughter tasted it and said, "This is good!  Is it Lidia?"   I replied, "No, I made it up."  She said, "Oh, then it's 'Mom-ia.'"

Chicken & Pasta Mom-ia AKA Flyers Fettuccine

4 lg boneless chicken breasts
2 TBSP chopped garlic
3 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup sundried tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup water

1 lb fettuccine (or whatever pasta you like)
Parmesan Cheese

In Dutch oven, heat oil and garlic.  Sear chicken on all sides, and add salt, oregano and pepper and tomatoes.  Stir briefly, the add liquids.  Reduce heat to low simmer, cover pot, and forget about it.  I checked it and flipped the chicken between periods, giving it an occasional, brief stir.  This can simmer for anywhere from 1 1/2  to 4 hours.  When the chicken is fork tender, pull it apart.  I used a wooden spoon to break it up--having cooked it for about 4 hours it was almost shredding itself.  Cook pasta to just al dente, drain, pour chicken mixture over top, and toss generously with Parmesan cheese.  This, with a simple arugula salad and a loaf of bread made for a pretty terrific Sunday dinner--and I didn't miss a goal.

Talking Pasta with La Cucina's Anna Florio

To look at Anna Florio, Owner of  La Cucina at the Market, you don't immediately think "food".  She is strikingly lovely, has charisma to spare,  a warmth that makes you feel you've been friends forever,  she's always impeccably dressed, and she's slender.   But you would quickly be reminded not to judge a book by its cover, for Anna is a serious Chef.  Her cooking school and demonstration kitchen in Reading Terminal Market just celebrated its 4th anniversary.

Having grown up with deep Italian culinary traditions, which included spending summers at her Grandparents' home in Campania, Italy, Anna is passionate about Italian food.  Our conversation naturally turned to pasta.

"I remember learning to make pasta dough with my grandmother, and even though it sounds silly, part of the key to great pasta is to put some love into it.  Make it by hand.  Feel the dough.  I use a blend of  unbleached white flour and semolina flour."

When asked about dry vs. fresh pasta, Anna's offers some interesting observations:  "Sometimes dry is better.  You can't really make fresh pasta al dente--that firm 'to the teeth' texture that epitomizes perfectly cooked pasta.  Sure, fresh is wonderful in a dish like pappardalle bolognese, where you want that rich, chewy noodle, or pesto, or for a filled pasta like ravioli.  But one of my favorite pasta dishes is penne with marinara sauce--made with dry, boxed penne cooked just al dente."

We also had to ask about the strict Italian edict banning Parmesan cheese on seafood pasta.  (I confess to dousing my linguine and clams with generous scoops of grated cheese.)  Anna disproves--but in the nicest possible way.  "Seafood and dairy just don't mix for traditionalists.  One thing to consider is the innate saltiness of seafood, and when you add a salty Parmesan it is overkill.  I also don't feel that the saltiness of the fish mixes will with the dairy of the cheese--salt and milk simply don't go together."

To see Anna in action, try one of her upcoming classes:  Brunch Italiano, Fish without Fear, or my personal favorite:  Handmade Pasta for Two.

Watch for upcoming posts featuring pasta ideas--not to mention Anna's big reveal on the fatal mistake that most Americans make when cooking Marinara.  Stay tuned!

Stella's Lamb Bolognese

Most people visit Stella for their, um, stellar pizza.  But their non-pizza items are worth exploring.    In honor of this week's focus on lamb, we sampled their lamb bolognese, promptly fell in love, and their chef was kind enough to share the recipe.  This version serves 12, which is a hefty batch.  If you announce that you are making Stella's lamb bolognese, however, we're certain that you'll fill the seats at your table quickly.  If not, you can freeze what's left.

Stella's Stellar Lamb Bolognese

3 lbs ground lamb

10 cloves garlic (minced)

2T Spanish paprika

1T fennel seed (toasted & ground)

1T coriander (toasted &  ground)

1T black pepper (ground)

2t cumin (toasted & ground)

2t ground cinnamon

1t cayenne pepper

1t sumac

1ea red bell pepper (small dice)

1ea red onion (small dice)

½  spanish onion (small dice)

1 stalk celery (small dice)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

2t crushed red pepper

2t piment d’ espilette (Basque chili powder; order here)

2C spicy red wine

1QT lamb stock (use chicken if unavailable)

2C whole milk

2C crushed tomato

2 oranges (juice and zest)

sachet: 1oz parmesan rinds, 6 sprigs thyme, 6 sprigs oregano, 3 sprigs rosemary, 3 bay leaves, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1t black peppercorns

1C pistachio gremolata (recipe follows)

cooked rigatoni pasta (5oz per person)

unsalted butter  (1t per portion)

grated parmigianno regianno (1T per portion)

extra virgin olive oil (1T per portion)

minced flat leaf parsley (1T per portion)

S&P to taste

Method

For the Bolognese:

1.     combine first 10 ingredients and refridgerate for 48hrs allowing the spice to permeate the  meat

2.     sweat  onions , celery, red pepper,  and remaining garlic until translucent

3.     add crushed pepper and piment d’ espilette and toast until fragrant

4.     add lamb/spice mixture and cook through breaking apart meat as it cooks, seasoning with S&P as you go

5.     deglaze with red wine and reduce by half

6.     add remaining ingredients (stopping at  gremolata) and simmer slowly until texture is meaty with very little liquid (about 3hrs)

For the Gremolata (combine the following):

1C grated parmesan cheese toasted in a low oven on non-stick pan until golden brown

1C fine bread crumbs toasted

½ C pistachio dust

1T chili flakes

Rind from 4 preserved lemons finely minced

6 sprigs rosemary leaves minced

S&P to taste

To Finish:

Combine hot pasta with Bolognese sauce and allow to cook for a couple minutes  so pasta can absorb the flavor, finish with butter, cheese, olive oil, parsley and gremolata. 

Post-Irene Summer Tomato Pasta



The quintessential summer dish!

With all the drama of Irene and her aftermath, many of us don't have much time to spend on dinner these days.  If you have power (and we sincerely hope that you do), this one-dish summer pasta meal is the way to go.

While visiting relatives in Vermont earlier this month, I tossed together this lovely and simple dish from the bounty of a local farm stand.  It was a definite hit, and I am confident we will be invited for a repeat visit.  (Sadly, Irene did a number on the town, and we send our good wishes to the citizens of Quechee as they recover.)

While we are far from that rustic little produce shack, we are fortunate to enjoy the bounty of Reading Terminal Market, where the fixings for this summer stunner await you.

Farm Stand Pasta
(serves 4 as a main, 6 as a side)

3 cloves garlic, crushed
4 TBSP olive oil
2 perfect tomatoes, coarsely chopped,. being sure to preserve the precious juice to include in the sauce
a handful of basil leaves, cut in slices with kitchen scissors or a sharp knife
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste (be generous)
1 lb pasta cooked al dente in salted water, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water in case you need to add to sauce
1/3 cup parmesan cheese

While pasta cooks, place all ingredients but cheese in a large, shalllow bowl.  Stir to blend.  When pasta is done, drain thoroughly and dump it into the bowl on top of the tomato mixture.  Toss well; if it seems dry, add pasta water a TBSP at a time til consistency is right.  Before serving, top with cheese and toss again.

We served the pasta alongside grilled sausages but it can certainly stand alone.

As far as the hurricane, well, good riddance. Better yet, in the immortal words of Leadbelly....