WHITE TRUFFLE SMASHED PEAS
This idea is an offshoot of my sister’s favorite soup: sweet pea soup with white truffle oil, white pepper, and a bit of crumbled pancetta (or bacon) on top. The smashed peas however, are even easier to make than the soup, as it does not require being pushed through a sieve for a velvety texture. If the peas are too smooth, it takes on a baby food quality that no one above the age of 3 would enjoy. It’s extremely simple, and is entirely focused on emphasizing the sweetness of the peas. As Amanda would say: it’s legit.
Ingredients:
For 10-15 (Depending on the size of grilled bread slices)
3 bags frozen organic sweet peas (make sure they are sweet peas, rather than regular peas)
Several drops white truffle oil
White pepper
½ cup salt
½ cup sugar
¾ cup fresh ricotta
Crème fraiche
4 strips thinly sliced pancetta (or bacon), cut into small pieces
1 baguette
¼ cup olive oil
Directions:
Fill a pot of water up halfway with water, and add the salt and sugar. Bring the water to a boil and cook the peas for 3 minutes. Drain the peas and run cold water over them to stop the cooking process. This maintains their beautiful color and texture. Take the peas and put it into the food processor (this make take more than one round) and blitz until the skins are broken, yet the peas are still distinguishable (i.e. Not baby food). In a bowl, use a spatula to incorporate the pea puree and the ricotta. Add several drops of white truffle oil, and a small amount of finely ground white pepper. Taste and adjust accordingly.
Slice the bread in small rounds for hors d’oeuvres, or diagonal slices for bruschetta-style tapas. Drizzle the bread heavily in olive oil and grill, or sauté in a hot, ungreased pan. Toss the pancetta in a pan and cook until pink and crunchy. Take the puree and smooth a small round on the grilled bread, drizzle on a small bit of crème fraiche, and top with a few pieces of pancetta. Simple and delicious, my favorite combination. Enjoy!
BURRATA, PROSCUITTO, AND SUN DRIED TOMATOES WITH ARUGULA-BASIL OIL
This is also one of the easiest snacks to whip up, mainly because it relies wholly on good ingredients, and not at all on skill. For all of my Italian meat and cheese needs I head to the stupendous Bay Cities Italian Deli in Santa Monica. There is always a line at lunchtime, but if you have not had it, you MUST TRY their sandwich, “The Godmother.” It’s an explosion of Genoa salami, mortadella, coppacola, ham, prosciutto, provolone cheese, mayo, mustard (yellow, honey or dijon), onions, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, Italian dressing & mild or hot pepper salad, all served on a freshly baked warm Italian roll. It is an institution, which is saying a lot for a sandwich. But I digress. The core to any meal, large or small, relying on simplicity, is the quality of ingredients you build upon. So pick out some delicious prosciuttio (ask for a taste, you might end up preferring speck or Serrano ham) and get some fresh burrata (which is ricotta and mascarpone wrapped in a mozzarella curd), because that’s basically all the work you have to do.
Ingredients:
For 12
2 large balls of burrata
12 thin slices of prosciutto
2 cups of high quality sun dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil
1 cup arugula
¼ fresh sweet basil
½ cup olive oil (plus more for the bread and for drizzling)
1 baguette
Black Pepper
Salt
or, to make the sun dried tomatoes yourself:
20 Roma tomatoes
½ cup olive oil
Salt
Black Pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
Directions:
In a blender, puree the arugula, basil, and oil until consistent and fully blended. Roll each ball of burrata in olive oil, and cut into six slices per ball. Cut the baguette into medium sized slices, drizzle heavily with olive oil and grill or sauté in a hot pan. Assemble the sun dried tomatoes, the prosciutto, the burrata on the bread. Grind a little pepper on top, plus a pinch of salt, and drizzle the arugula-basil oil all over.
If you choose to roast your own tomatoes, turn the oven on to 325 F. Slices the tomatoes lengthwise and situate on a pan, cut side facing up. Drizzle heavily with olive oil, and sprinkle the salt, thyme, and pepper on top. Pop the tomatoes in the oven and bake for about 3-4 hours, or until the juices have run out, and the tomatoes are crispy on the edges, but still soft and bendable (you don’t want a leathery mess). Check on the tomatoes every 45 minutes or so, as depending on the oven (mine is weak) it may take less time. When the tomatoes are done, put them in a container and cover in olive oil, where they will stay good for a week. Enjoy!
BRESAOLA WITH GOAT CHEESE
Air dried and salted beef is not the first thing I’d think to pair with goat cheese, but this Northern Italian specialty, derived from brasare, meaning to braise, has a sweet and musty flavor, that supports rather than competes with the goat cheese’s own sweetness and pungency. Plus, it’s the perfect shape to roll up into easy to grab snacks. With a drizzle of aged balsamic and a few sprigs of micro arugula, this meat and cheese course is a real treat.
Ingredients:
For 10
3 oz of fresh chevre (logs tend to be easiest to work with)
10 thin slices of bresaola
2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
½ cup micro arugula (regular is fine too)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Fresh ground pepper
Salt
Directions:
Pour the olive oil into a little plate to roll the segments of cheese in. Cut the log into 10 slices, and using your fingers mold the slices into flattened logs, big enough to fit across the slice of bresaola. Bresaola is rectangular, so the cheese log will be going across the narrower, rather than wider side. Dip the logs in olive oil and place one in the center of each slice of bresaola. Crack fresh black pepper over it, and roll the bresaola around the cheese, tucking under the loose side. Drizzle with balsamic and garnish with arugula. Enjoy!
PIG CANDY
Really, what could possibly be better than candy made of pig? Bacon to be precise. Smokey, salty, spicy, sweet: yes please! And the best part is that it is ridiculously easy to make. In 30 minutes you’ll have a bowl of kitsch bar snacks that are just as delicious with a rich red wine as with a spicy ale or sweet and smokey stout. The possibilities are endless and so is my appetite for these little pieces of heaven. In the words of the ad man, bet you can’t have just one.
Ingredients:
For 4
8 strips thin cut bacon (hickory smoked bacon was a wonderful maple flavor already within it)
1 cup golden brown sugar
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions:
Turn the oven on to 350 F. Meanwhile, blend the sugar and pepper together in a bowl. Taste it. If it’s too spicy, add more sugar, not spicy enough, add more cayenne. However, the spice does become a little more pronounced after being cooked, so be aware of that. Lay the bacon on a cooling rack placed over a baking pan. Cover each slice of bacon with the brown sugar mixture. It should be an even layer, thick enough so that you cannot see the bacon through it (about 1/8 or ¼ of an inch). Place the bacon in the oven for 6-8 minutes, or until the sugar is completely browned, and the bacon has started to curl at the edges. Remove the bacon from the oven and flip. Cover the bacon with the rest of the brown sugar mixture, and pop back in the oven for another 4-6 minutes, or until the bacon appears fully cooked, but not burnt.
Let the bacon cool on the rack for at least 15 minutes to let the sugar harden a bit before you start cutting the pieces. I find it’s easiest to use a pair of kitchen scissors and cut the pieces over the serving bowl. Serve it up with the libation of your choice and enjoy!
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