Pisa, Cooking, Taste of USA.

Well my ankle is getting better, I was able to play basketball on it yesterday (even full court) at the "basket camp" which was fun. Happy thanksgiving to everyone that I didnt get to talk to. My computer finally came in after about 3 weeks of sitting in customs so I plan on having a little more content and more frequent posting.
Last Friday Scott, Brittany and I decided to go to Pisa and Lavorno. Pisa because you cant come to Italy and not see the leaning tower. Both are about an hour west by train. We purchased tickets from the machines in the terminal (Bill I put a picture on for you) for 5.40 Euro and only had to wait about 20 minutes for the next train to Pisa. We ate the salami sandwhiches we had made and enjoyed the short trip. As usual a gypsy came along asking for money with a handout in english and Italian. The Pisa station was one of the plainer stations I'd seen and on the smaller side. Outside it was drizzling a little bit but humid and warm. We didnt have a map so we took a taxi (only the 3rd time ive been in a car since Aug 27th and it felt weird) for only 5 Euro to the city center where the "Field of Miracles" was. Its always shocking but surprisingly common in Italy to be driving or walking down a street and BAM there will be one of the most beautiful or awesome buildings you've ever see. The field of miracles was a large open area with very green grass. to the left of where we came in was the round baptistry, in the middle was an impressive Duomo ( Not like our Florentine Duomo tho) and closest to us was the tower. Around the outside of the field was a cobblestone street, shiny from the rain. Outside of that was a line of little market stalls selling tourist goodies and post cards. The corner we came in from was city buildings and the other 3/4 surrounded by a medium height red brick wall. From our angle the tower didnt have much of a lean to it but was still beautiful and larger than I had expected. Layered like a wedding cake with columns all around it would be important architecture even if it wasnt leaning, especially considering that it was built over 800 years ago. Moving to the left towards the baptistry the lean became more and more pronounced. When we were between the baptistry and the Duomo the tower couldnt be seen so we spent some time looking at the carving and designs on the two buildings. The doors, especially on the duomo were nice and interesting with biblical scenes similar to the gates of paradise in Firenze. Once around the Duomo the full tower was in view, this time from the best side to see the Tower. Sunken into the ground on one side the Tower was at an impossible angle. I laughed out loud at seeing it as it didnt seem possible that something that big could stay standing. I suggested walking back to the trainstation so we could see more of the city than just a cab and the field. I love getting away from the tourist sights, although they are important, and seeing what something is really about. Thats something Im looking forward to doing when my dad comes because hes the same way. Scott and Brittany agreed and we set off in the general direction of the station. I knew it was on the other side of the Arno (the Arno flows through Pisa also. Back when Pisa and Florence were rivals Florentines would pee as much as possible in the arno as Pisa was downstream) and generally a straight line from the tower. Pisa was alot more laid back and slower paced than Firenze and we got to see some of the christmas decorations being put up. As we got into a residential area we felt unsure about the direction so we asked and were only slightly off. When we go to the arno we crossed and found ourselves walking next to a castle that was in great shape. Some of it actually arched over the road and we walked though it and saw throught the bars a large garden and tall turrets. The drizzle picked up a little and I could tell that Brittany might have been regretting the walking decision, but she stuck it out and we made it to the station reasonably quickly. At the station we debated going to Lavorno. Scotts dad works for the military in Germany and has a military ID so we had been planning on going to the U.S. base in lavorno but now it was about 6:15 and we werent sure if it was still open. We wanted to go to the base strictly for American food, which doesnt sound very reasonable but I look at it like this: Although I always complain (often reasonably) about American food its like a girlfriend that you have been going out with for years (20 for me) and even tho shes not a very good girlfriend you cant help but miss her. I've been missing things I dont even eat at home. The stuff I walk by in the grocery food on the way to the feta cheese and Italian bread. Cooler ranch chips, breakfast cereal (the bad ones), reeces, macaroni and cheese (theres no cheddar here), and junk in general. Anyway Im sure it sounds crazy to you all but this is an issue that has been coming up for all of us over her. So we decide to go to Lavorno and buy the 1.40euro ticket and hop on a new, double decker train, which I hadnt been on yet. When we got off we were greeted by something Im sure all of you wouldnt mind seeing............ Palm trees. Scott offered to pay for a cab and we headed off. About 20 minutes later we were at the base which had pretty intimidating defenses and a mixed guard of Italian carabineri and US marines. The marine we talked to was very nice and amused at our quest for junkfood. We gave our passports to the Italians and the took about 20 minutes to process them. The marine told us its much quicker if only one of them does something. Italy isnt known for its efficency. Although the PX was closed the shoppette was open so we made our way. Before we made it to the shop we were stopped by the amazing sight of a vending machine next to an ATM that dished out DOLLARS, which dont feel like real money anymore, just like Euros didnt feel real when I first held them. The dollar felt huge and ridiculus, not to mention ugly. Walking into the shopette WAS a kid walking into a candy store. I figured I hadnt had any processed junk for 3 months so I might as well go with it. I loaded my basket up with velveeta, chips, oreos, reeces pieces, poptarts, rice crispy treats and a basketball magazine. Paying in dollars was good tho. 20 dollars actually was 20 dollars. When I pay with Euros 20 turns into 30. Walking with our heads held high we carried our bulging bags of sugar and fat to the front gate, where we took a cab to pisa, which was actually closer than Verona. We caught a train home around 10.It was a fun trip and after the first few treats I started passing out the rest.
Monday in class we made a swordfish wrap with a large piece of sword fish that we filled with a mix of, capers, parmigiano, bread crumb, olive, pine nuts. Held closed with tooth pics we seared it quickly in tomato, olive and olive oil. Pretty tasty although I dont really care for pine nuts. Last night I went and played basket with our teacher and about 7 other students. I played pretty well altough I had no strength in my ankle. This morning we had a great class. In introduction for professional cooking we had a review for our final for about 30 minutes then the Chef surprised us. He pointed to two huge baskets of food and said "You have 45 minutes to make up a recipe". I was excited because this is what I'm best at, improvising and making something out of whatevers lying around. This wasnt like at home tho. This was two baskets of the freshest food in the world. The meat we were working with was chicken leg. At first I thought about doing a chicken marsala type dish but then I thought of something that I didnt think anyone else would come close to. I decided to make a chicken, pancetta, artichoke stuffed ravioli with a broccoli, celery, zucchini cream sauce. Yea i know it sounds good! First I deboned the chicken and trimmed the arichoke down. I sauteed onion and garlic for a minute before adding the chicken and artichoke. I let that cook while I cut the veggies for the sauce. After about 10 min I turned the chicken down and added the pancetta. I started the cream sauce by making bechamel, which is 50g butter, 50 g flour and 500 ml milk. You start heating up the milk with sale, pepe and nutmeg then in a seprate pot melt butter on high and slowly whisk in the flour. When its smooth you add the hot milk and whisk more. When that was done I set it aside and sauteed the celery, broccoli and zucchini for about 6 minutes which I then tossed into the cream sauce, which was then placed on low heat and stirred well. To make the pasta I measured out 100 gr flour and made a bowl out of it on the table, which i broke an egg into and topped with sale, and a little olive oil. I mixed it with my hands set it aside, wrapped in plastic wrap. I took the chicken, artichoke and pancetta mix and blended it with a food processor until smooth and placed it in one of those baggies that people use to put on frosting. I rolled out the pasta until thin tossed flour on top and then used a brush to wet with water and used the baggy to place the filling. Pressing around each filling ball I sealed the pasta, then cut with a pasta cutter. While I put the ravioli on to boil I checked the sauce and noticed that it was too thick ( i wanted it to be more liquid than thick) so I added milk and salt and pepper. Dont be shy to use salt in the sauce. When the pasta was cooked (about 10 min) I put some sauce and pasta in a saute pan and let it mix together. Plating it I spooned the ravioli on and topped with lines of olive oil and sprinkles of parmigiano. I was proud of my dish, as it tasted great and looked good also. Everyone did a great job in the class but It was good to hear the chef say that mine was the most creative and that he thought it was "Molto Bono" or excellent. For you vegetarians you could substitute the chicken and panchetta pretty easily. I typed up a recipe pretty quick so if I forgot something go ahead and ask.

And home!



November 27, 2007


Ravioli con Pollo y pancetta alla Alaska
Serves 2
Filling:
Chicken breast
onion 1/2
garlic 1 part
olive oil
artichoke 1
Pancetta, 1 strip (or use 2 strips of thick bacon)



Sauce
50gr burro
50gr white flour
500 ml latte
3/4 celery stalk
3/4 zucchini
1broccoli head &stalk
1onion
sale pepe, nutmeg
Parmigiano

Pasta
100 gr Flour, 1 egg, drops of olive oil, sale

First cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces. Chop onion and garlic and set aside. Cut top and bottom and all unwanted parst of artichoke, quarter and set aside. Chop pancetta and put with rest of filling. Heat up olive oil in saute pan on med high heat and add garlic and onion when hot. After about 5 minutes add chicken, artichoke and more olive oil. After about 10 minutes add pancetta and turn to med heat, while making the sauce be sure to stir filling occasionaly. Start the sauce by making a bechamel sauce using the butter, flour and milk. Put the milk in a pot with sale, pepe and nutmeg (pinch).Heat the butter on high heat and slowly add the flour while whisking. Once milk is hot add it into the butter flour mix while whisking continuously. Once mixed set aside. Chop celery, onion, zucchini and broccoli into small, almost minced pieces. Saute with olive oil until cooked (about 10 min) and add to cream sauce. Put cream sauce back on stove and cool on low- med heat. Take filling off stove and blend with a food processor until very smooth. Set filling aside and start the pasta. Make a bowl out of the flour and fill with the egg, sale and olive oil. Mix by hand and knead for 5-10 minutes. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. Roll by hand or with pasta machine until thin. Spread into a sheet and powder with flour, then apply a light coating of water with a brush. Put blended filling into a sleeve and place at even intervals along sheet, staying in the middle. Use the sleeve to place small balls of filling the same size along the sheet. Fold pasta over the filling and press all around to seal. Cut with a pasta cutter and set aside. Turn sauce on low heat and add milk if sauce is very thick. Sauce must be more liquid than thick. Put water on to boil, adding a pinch of sale. When boiling add ravioli and cook for about 10 minute. When ravioli is done mix with sauce, about 3 spoon-fulls for every 4 ravioli. Plate and garnish with olive oil and parmigiano.




P.S. Postcards coming