Rooftop Gourmet

When I think about lasagna, I picture being huddled around a kitchen counter top with forty guys, fighting for the largest piece of Stouffer’s at high school football team dinners. Although, the defrostable lasagna did the trick back then, it was time to recreate one of my favorite pasta dishes.

Most people think that lasagna is an Italian thing but some say its origin has Greek roots. The word lasagna comes from the Greek word for chamber pot, lasanan; which describes the cooking vessel for this classic cassarole dish. You know it’s officially Spring when the asparagus section takes over an entire area of the grocery store.

 I grabbed four healthy bunches of firm stalks to be the center of attention in my Spring lasagna. Another one of my favorite Spring vegetables made its debut in the produce section as well.

 The Spring Vidalia onions were in season and more bulbous than ever. Spring Vidalias look like scallions on steroids; bright green stems attached to baseball-sized bulbs of sweet, pungent onions.

I picked up some Crimini mushrooms to add an earthy flavor into the mix before I set off to the cheese section.

 I was in no mood to stand over a hot stove whisking up a Bechemel sauce, so I replaced it with a local farm ricotta cheese. Maplebrook farm is located in Bennington, VT and they make all sorts of artisan cheese.

 Their 100% whole milk ricotta is unlike any ricotta I have ever tasted, probably because it’s made by hand with zero preservatives. The second cheese that I picked out was for the wow factor. Taleggio is an Italian, washed rind, cows milk cheese that has a wicked funky aroma but a creamy and mild flavor. Lastly, I got some Parmesan-Reggiano to sprinkle in between each layer for a slightly salty, nutty component.

With all these creamy cheeses, I decided to add something crunchy for a contrast in texture.

 I picked up a tub of unsalted cashews to chop up for a buttery, crunchy crust, and I headed home to start the long preparation process. I cleaned, sliced and roasted my mushrooms in a hot oven with no salt. Salt draws all of the moisture out of the mushrooms and they’ll end up steaming into rubbery, yellow things.

Wait until after they shrivel and get a nice dark, roasted brown color before you season them. I sliced my asparagus on the bias and blanched them quickly before transferring them to an ice bath. The ice bath immediately stops the cooking process and helps retain the beautiful, green color. I sliced the spring onions and gently sauteed them in some butter until they were translucent.

 Cooking the pasta sheets and keeping them from sticking together was the most difficult part. I tried to rinse them under cold water and toss them in olive oil but some sticking is inevitable. Once my assembly line was complete I was ready to start layering. Layer after layer got a healthy dose of each ingredient along with some salt, pepper, and lemon zest. I felt like a little kid at a make-your-own sundae birthday party

. Once the 5th layer was assembled I topped the lasagna with a chopped cashew, Parmesan crust and threw it into a 350 degree oven. The smell of melting Taleggio was immediately filling my kitchen. While we were waiting for it to cool (which is torture), I opened a bottle of 2007 Sanguineto Rosso di Montelpulciano. This 100% Sangiovese comes from the heart of Tuscany. I would recognize the smell of a Tuscan red anywhere; with fresh cherries and herbs, this wine had an amazing nose. It was young but had soft tannins and was extremely fresh tasting with great acidity.

 This light, Tuscan red was just what this Spring vegetable lasagna needed. Despite the asparagus and wine paradox, the bursting acidity was a great match for the earthy mushrooms and gooey cheese that was oozing from all four corners. I realized after three slices that the vegetarian factor doesn’t make this meal any less rich. I packed up the rest and was all set for a weeks worth of lunch leftovers.

 Over the weekend, a bunch of my college friends flew into town for their annual Boston trip. I know how these guys like to eat so I had to come up with some affordable meal ideas that could feed an army.

My initial thought was a baked pasta dish because I can assemble everything ahead of time and just throw it into the oven when they start to get feisty. I am a cheese fanatic, so I decided to make a five cheese (the more the better) casserole and top it with chopped, buttery cashews. I had to bring out my monster, lobster pot just to boil enough water to cook five pounds of rigatoni.

The rich, cheese sauce started out with a simple bechamel sauce; one of the classic, French mother sauces. Equal parts butter and flour get whisked frantically over medium heat to create a light roux. Once the flour taste was cooked out, I added a ton of scalded milk and brought it to a simmer.

The roux is what thickens the milk and creates the base for the cheese sauce. One by one, I added the different cheeses; first the Gouda, then the Fontina, then the Gorgonzola, then the Parmesan, then more Gorgonzola, and lastly some Mozzarella. By the time I was done whisking, and all of the cheeses slowly melted into the sauce, my arm was exhausted.

The creamy sauce was like glue but insanely rich and decadent. After the pasta was strained, I gave it a cheese bath with some fresh peas and folded it into an industrial, tin foil baking sheet. I added some breadcrumbs, chopped cashews, and grated Pecorino cheese on top to give it a buttery crunch; my favorite part of baked mac and cheese is the crispy crust.

After about thirty minutes in the oven, the crust had formed and the inside was gooey and bubbly.

The contrast between the crunchy cashews and the creamy cheese sauce was a hit, but after everyone had a brick of the casserole it was time to start the main course. I’ve found that one of the best ways to feed a ton of people on a budget is to buy large, inexpensive cuts of meat and cook them slow and low (braise them).

Once the meat gets tender enough to pull it apart with a fork, I shred it all up and serve it in tacos; this is also perfect because people can eat standing up (I don’t have enough chairs for everyone anyway). I bought a five pound beef top round that I cooked over low heat on the grill, inside a tin foil tray. I filled the tray with a mixture of fresh ginger, limes, garlic, Thai chilies, beef broth, and soy sauce.

The huge, caveman cut of beef braised in this liquid for over three hours until it was falling apart on its own. I put some of my friends to work shredding it while I prepared the accompaniments for the taco bar. I made carmelized shallots, sliced green onions, a Siracha sour cream sauce, and a purple cabbage slaw that was tossed with rice wine vinegar and sesame oil.

Even though everyone was stuffed from the cheesy casserole they still managed to wolf down a few tacos. The five pounds of beef goes a long way; I still have about half leftover. This would be a great idea for a Super Bowl party a few weeks down the road even though it will be tough to decide who to root for.  

“Italian Food” is a term that is almost impossible to define because each and every region of the country is so diverse when it comes to food and wine. Italians cook with whatever is grown or caught locally and only grow certain foods or grapes that are indigenous to a specific area. This is one of the reasons why you see a lot of rich braises and stews like Osso Bucco in the north and light seafood dishes in the south and in coastal cities.

Sicily has one of the strangest collections of indigenous ingredients and their cuisine is like a giant melting pot of cultures. Influences of Spanish, Greek, African, and Arab culture and cuisine all pop up in Sicilian food. One of the most interesting aspects of Sicilian cooking is their incorporation of sweet ingredients to their savory food.

Since they are known for their desserts, it almost seems as if they are just throwing the leftovers into their pasta dishes but the style actually comes from other cultures. Classic Sicilian dishes contain lots of citrus, sugars, dried fruits, nuts, cinnamon and nutmeg spices… all while incorporating seafood (it’s an island).

It seems really strange but some of the combinations are delicious. I chose the pistachio to work with because Sicilians use them a lot in desserts, like pistachio gelato, but I wanted to make a pasta sauce with them.

I pulsed a cup of pistachios in the food processor until I was left with a bright green pistachio dust. I made a simple cream sauce and incorporated the toasted ‘dust’ into the cream to add color and pistachio flavor. The little green nut looks like a lime jelly bean but has a buttery, almost avocado-like quality to it (they’re also very good for your heart).

I tossed the sauce with some calamari or as the Sicilians would call it ‘cuttlefish’ to add a briny component to the pasta. I chose the Farfalle pasta (bow ties) because the shape is conducive for adhering to heavy cream sauces and sprinkled some chopped pistachios on top for an added crunch.

To sop up all of the leftover sauce, I made some roasted garlic-caramelized shallot toast which fit well with the Sicilian theme. Balances of sweet and salty are what this cuisine is based on and when garlic cloves are roasted and onions are caramelized they take on a wonderful sweet quality which worked nicely with the rich, nutty sauce.

I chose a white wine from the Alto Adige region of Italy, the 2008 Terlan Terlano, which is grown in the mountains to the north. This wine is symbolic of Sicilian cuisine because it is a blend of multiple white grapes; Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay, all which come together to create something unique.

The wine was excellent with the rich pasta dish because the acidity and minerality helped cut through the creamy sauce. It is medium bodied and beautifully balanced with tons of green apple and melon flavors. 

 The finish was crisp and refreshing, leaving an almost yeasty, buttery feeling on my palate. I feel that a red wine would have masked the subtle pistachio flavors but rather the white made them come alive. I find it quite ironic that Sicilians are famous for their desserts but still incorporate sweet items into their food; my sweet tooth craving was cured after dinner was finished.

I must have been a very good boy this year because instead of coal in my stocking, Santa brought me a fresh white truffle; arguably, the best Christmas present ever! My parents are fully aware of my truffle obsession and arranged to fly in a  huge white truffle, overnight straight from Alba, Italy. They handed me the Styrofoam box on Christmas eve and I had no idea what to expect until I lifted the lid just a hair. A burst of funky truffle aroma hit me in the face and turned me into a little kid on Christmas.

Most people don’t get this excited over a box of fungus, but if you’ve ever experienced fresh white truffles shaved on your meal you will empathize with me.

There are over a hundred different species of truffles, but only a few are highly prized as food in French, Italian, Spanish, and Croatian cooking. The white truffle, or otherwise known as the Alba Truffle (seen here) comes from the Piedmont region of northern Italy. The truffle is what drives people to Alba in the fall for the truffle festivals and truffle hunts.

These fungi grow underground at the base of large trees, and the weather, climate, and soil are all contributing factors to the quality of the product; very similar to wine. You can’t just grow truffles anywhere, which makes them so highly esteemed, and expensive. The famous 18th century French gastronome, Brillat-Savarin called white truffles, “the diamond of the kitchen”, because of they’re indescribable ability to elevate a dish to a whole new level.

When these little truffles are growing underground it’s very hard to know where to look for them, so we turn to pigs. Female pigs especially because there is a specific compound inside the truffle that is almost identical to the sex pheromone in boar’s saliva; making female hogs natural truffle seekers (another reason why I want to get a pet pig). If you’ve ever smelled a truffle, tasted truffle oil, or been in a restaurant when a waiter walks by you with truffle on a plate, you know why they’re so expensive (around $3,500. per pound).

 The distinctive, pungent, sexy aroma fills the room and mystifies people, leaving them craving more. They don’t even have much of a taste at all, it’s just the overpowering odor that makes people want to smell it over and over again. When you’re cooking with fresh white truffles, you never want to make anything too elaborate that will steal the show. I chose to make fresh egg noodle linguine tossed with lots of clarified butter, and topped with a raw egg yolk. While the pasta is still steaming hot, I shaved the white truffle over the dish with my new stainless steel truffle shaver.

The heat and steam from the dish made the truffle smell even more intense and sent me into a frenzy. The fresh pasta was delicate and silky, completely coated with butter and the rich egg. Truffles are classically paired with rich buttery foods because they bring the best out of those other ingredients. The pasta disappeared quickly but luckily I made a wild mushroom risotto for the second truffle course. Risotto is made with a specific grain of rice called Arborio.

This is a long grain rice which has a special starchy coating on the outside making it perfect for the slow cooking risotto process. Not only do truffles go great shaved atop risotto, the raw grains are the best way to store fresh truffles. I buried the leftover truffle in the Arborio rice and enclosed it in a mason jar so that the aromas and flavor are preserved. The wild mushroom risotto was rich and earthy, with a bit of tang from the freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

I served a special wine with this meal because it’s not everyday you have a fresh white truffle in your kitchen. I pulled out a 1995 Rinaldi Barolo, also hailing from the Piedmont region of Italy.

Barolo is the king of Piedmont when it comes to wine. It is one of the most powerful, and fruit forward varietals in the whole world, extending its longevity years longer than most wines. This wine was made 14 years ago and when I opened it up, I realized it still could have rested for another ten years. When serving older wines, it is better to pair them with simple dishes; it doesn’t get much better than old Barolo and white truffles. It was brick red in color and still had floral, earthy aromas.

The wine was round and muscular, giving off flavors of smoke, black cherry, tar, and grilled meats. Every sip was complimented by the steamy truffle smells from the plate below, transporting me to the countryside in Alba. I still have about half of the truffle leftover and I’m planning on waking up tomorrow morning to some amazing scrambled eggs.

On Sunday I got knocked out of my works’ NFL Knockout Pool so after realizing I wouldn’t be collecting the pot, I decided to have friends over for dinner and keep the budget under $30. My eyes are usually much bigger than my stomach, and I tend to get carried away in supermarkets, so for me this was a difficult task. I had to feed four people after a long day of watching football so I knew everyone, including me, was starving. Pasta was my first idea because it’s cost efficient if you keep it simple, and only a few solid ingredients go a long way. I decided to make Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, e Pomodoro (A.O.P). It doesn’t get much simpler than this; three ingredients…garlic, olive oil, and tomato.

 As simple as it sounds, in order to make the perfect A.O.P, there are a few techniques that you must follow. First, buy whole, peeled plum tomatoes in the cans and use a food mill to grind the tomatoes into a sauce. To me, the previously pureed tomatoes don’t have the same natural sweetness that you get from the tomatoes that are still whole.

Second, slice your garlic cloves as thin as possible and toast them in the olive oil until they’re golden brown. By slicing the cloves, the garlic has more surface area and won’t burn as quickly as minced garlic; not only will you get some nice toasted garlic chips but they flavor the olive oil as well. Lastly, add the milled tomatoes to the toasted garlic oil and let it simmer pretty rapidly so it can reduce and thicken quickly.

When your al  dente spaghetti is finished you want the sauce to adhere to the pasta and not be thin and watery. I made 2 pounds for about $10! I still had $20 left in my budget and I knew that a bowl of A.O.P wasn’t going to cut it for this crowd.

I grabbed a huge skirt steak and threw it in a marinade of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Skirt steak is wicked inexpensive for the quality and quantity that you get out of it. They usually come rolled up inside of the package, but when you open it, the steak looks like my girlfriend’s scarf. It was about 3 feet long and heavily marbled just to my liking (fat=flavor). I roasted some red bliss potatoes with fresh thyme, and I made some balsamic-caramelized onions to kick the flavor up a bit.

After a short stint on the grill, the steak was sliced thinly over the potatoes and topped with the sweet and tangy onions. Since I was serving two separate meals, I had to choose a wine that was versatile and delicious. The 2005 Elio Grasso Barbera d’Alba “Vigna Martina” was a perfect choice because it was light enough to compliment the pasta, but still had enough fruit and structure to stand up to the steak.

Barbera is like the baby brother to Piedmont’s kings; Barolo and Barbaresco. Some say that Barbera is what you drink while you’re waiting for your Barolo to age. The wine is light ruby colored and gives off tons of beautiful bing cherry and spice aromas. On the palate, the wine is soft and lush with loads of  plum and a touch of oak. The silky smooth tannins and long finish make this wine elegant and great for parties. I ended up achieving my goal of keeping the food under $30 and my friend Tommy still went home with a pound of A.O.P that he devoured at work the next day.