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| Pasta con i porcini |
As I walked through the market per la seconda volta (for the second time), I was more and more drawn to the piles upon piles of dried mushrooms. They filled the air with a buttery, nutty scent that made me shiver with delight. I decided to get some. I asked the man for porcini mushrooms. Of course he had me smell them before he could sell them to me (such quality!). Since they were dried I knew I would have to steep them in boiling water in order to be able to use them in whatever I would decide to cook. Additionally, being that it was my first endeavor with dried porcini, I decided to stay simple and make a sauce. After steeping the mushrooms, I added them to a reduction of white wine, garlic, butter, olive oil, onions, and tomato paste. I let the concoction reduce while the pasta was cooking and just before adding the pasta to the pan of fragrant sauce, I added a splash of cream, and a generous handful of parmigiano reggiano. It was beautifully rich in flavor without being heavy. The sauce was complemented perfectly by whole wheat, sun-dried tomato pasta from the market. The mushrooms have quickly become a staple in my pantry. Next I’m thinking risotto. Along with the pasta I served some olives from the mercato that I marinated in olive oil, lemon zest, rosemary, salt and pepper, and a touch of balsamic vinegar: something I learned from my mother and which nobody does better.
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| Balsamic-glazed chicken |
The next night, I was tired of both cooking and eating pasta. The day before, I had the macellaio (butcher) butterfly and pound a few chicken breasts so that they were thin, tender, and perfect for cooking either in a pan with a sauce or in the oven. I love the combination of chicken and balsamic vinegar. The acid in the vinegar tenderizes the meat and really disperses the tangy flavor all throughout the chicken. Therefore, I decided to make balsamic-glazed chicken. I started out by searing the chicken on each side in a pan of oil and a little bit of butter so that they were nice and golden, but not totally cooked for they would be going in the oven later. In the same pan, I made a balsamic and red wine reduction (apparently I am into reductions) and added cherry tomatoes and sautéed onions and garlic. This was supposed to act as a glaze for the chicken but it ended up being a little bit too runny for my liking. Either way, the chicken was perfectly tender and it was good to eat something other than pasta for a night and reassuring to know that I have the ability to actually cook something other than pasta.
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| Bruschetta |
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| Pasta con i porcini |
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| Le olive |
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