Italialicious

In America, one of the most important things about the flavors on a salad is the dressing. However I’d be misleading if I put Italian dressings in my recipes, because we don’t have any. Olive oil and regular vinegar (not even balsamic which in Italy is a specialty reserved only for special occasions) is all that you get: right on the table and everybody adds them to their own salad when served.

In fact, salads in Italy are very simple and I must say Italian cuisine is not known for its salads. I would say the only exception is the lovely insalata caprese (there are other traditional salads, like panzanella, but insalata caprese has conquered the world), thus I’ll start giving salad ideas with this staple from Capri, an island in Campania.

Campania is the region where Naples, Capri and Pompeii are. And in Campania you enjoy nearly perfect weather. But Campania is the land of Mount Vesuvius too. However when a volcano explodes it brings out the melted soil from inside the Earth, a soil which is full of minerals and that will produce a land plenty of fertility. After a volcano explodes and you see all the destruction it provokes you wouldn’t say that’s true; however, wait a few years – maybe not that few – and you’ll have some of the most fertile soil anywhere. The Romans didn’t know that, but they knew that the bay of Naples was incredibly fertile and they cultivated the land growing everything but tomatoes. You probably know that tomatoes were brought to Europe from the Americas after Columbus’ travels, so the Romans didn’t have the good fortune to taste this perfect produce. Only centuries later, long after Vesuvius covered the city of Pompeii, Campania become the perfect land for growing the most succulent, tasteful and aromatic tomatoes you can find.

Capri is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, a beautiful island not too far from Naples. In Capri you can sense all the Mediterranean nature and landscape, with spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea and its incredible color. I understand why the Roman emperor Tiberius used to live there, and probably he would have enjoyed his stay even more if they had had tomatoes there at that time.

Insalata caprese is the most perfect match between simple ingredients: ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fruity olive oil and aromatic basil. It couldn’t be better. I know I’m getting a bit passionate about this, but when you have an insalata caprese you’re enjoying the best that Italian land offers you. The ingredients are simple, it’s true, but that’s why you have to use the best here. The best tomatoes, ripe and colorful, plenty of fragrance and savor. The best olive oil, where you can taste the fruitiness of the olives. The best basil, in order to capture all the aroma of the Mediterranean shore. And the best mozzarella, made fresh and using bufala milk, so that it melts in your mouth absorbing the juices of the tomatoes, mixed with the olive oil and basil. So much simplicity and yet so much perfection. Add the view of the sea from a terrace in Capri and you’ll experience paradise on Earth.

Ingredients
Ripe tomatoes
Fresh mozzarella
Basil
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Tip

In Italy you always know what to do with leftovers. And when you widen your horizons beyond Italian cuisine with American cuisine, then the possibilities are even larger. For example, this is my version of French toast using colomba pasquale leftovers: a sensational treat for a lovely breakfast after Easter. In fact, if we were in Italy it would be a perfect idea for breakfast during pasquetta. Pasquetta is the Monday right after Easter, a holiday in Italy, and the perfect occasion for Italians to forget their mild winter and take advantage of the warm and placid days of the incoming spring. If you’re in Quebec, like I am now, you can enjoy them for the holiday of Easter Monday too, but dreaming of when all the snow will eventually melt.

Ingredients (serves 4 for breakfast, 2 for brunch)
About 10 thin slices colomba pasquale
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 handful blanched almonds

In a bowl, mix the eggs, the milk, the honey and the vanilla. Dip the colomba slices into this mixture. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Use some non-stick cooking spray (you can always use butter if you prefer) and cook until golden on each side.

Giada’s light syrup
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup honey

Put the water in a little saucepan and dissolve the sugar into it. Heat it to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Add the honey, stir and it’s ready!

Tip

Serve with mascarpone cheese and your favorite jam.

If you’re raised as a Roman Catholic, you have the tradition of not eating meat during Fridays of Lent. So, seafood becomes a staple of Good Friday. And mussels are one of my favorite kinds of seafood. On the other hand, one of the things I love about Prince Edward Island is the magnificent mussels you can get there. They are big, tender and sweet, with no sand but all the flavor.

Ingredients (serves 4)
2 lb PEI mussels
3/4 cup white wine
2 shallots, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1½ cup heavy cream
1 bunch of parsley, chopped
Peperoncino (red pepper flakes)
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt, pepper

Clean the mussels. Wash them and remove the brown fibers (if any) between the two shells. Submerge the mussels in cold water for about 20 minutes. They should be closed, so discard any open mussels that don’t close if you press them with your fingers. You should also discard any broken ones.

In a saucepan over medium heat sauté the shallots with olive oil, the garlic, salt, pepper and peperoncino (making a soffritto). Rinse and drain the mussels, then toss them over the soffritto. After a couple of minutes, add the wine, cook uncovered for about 2 minutes and then cover the saucepan until the mussels begin to open. When they are all open, add the cream and the parsley, give a quick stir and enjoy.