Italian food, travel & lifestyle
Peperonata, that combination of peppers and onions often with just a tang of acidity, once typical of Southern Italian cuisine has become a staple in many Italian homes. Peperonata has been described as a stew of red peppers of sorts, but I think of it more as a condiment. An uncomplicated dish based on red peppers, Pepperonata can be served with roasted meats or chicken, a topping for bruschetta, alongside a frittata, or as a sauce for pasta.
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So, what do you do when you are snowbound in New York City for the weekend – make a dinner reservation of course! There are definitely benefits to being held hostage in the city during a blizzard; since the streets are empty those hard to get tables at you favorite spots are very much available. Our stomping grounds these days center around the East and West Villages with too many exciting choices to begin to count. Mio Marito immediately got to work and before you knew it we were dining at Babbo. Thoughts of Gina De Palma, the late pastry chef are ever present, so it felt comforting to be there. The meal was sublime of course bringing back memories of Babbo’s iconic dishes. When the waiter presented Ceci Bruschetta as a little nibble, I suddenly realized that I had buried this recipe deep in the culinary resources of my mind. Ceci Bruschetta was my go to appetizer with a cocktail for ages. A simple to prepare combination of ceci or garbanzo beans, braced against the strong flavors of black olive spread, rosemary and red pepper flakes.
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When my Calabrese born mother began to see bruschetta on the menu of Italian restaurants some years ago she commented, “Oh stale bread…” Italians by nature do not waste a thing, and it is quite likely that bruschetta was another way to cleverly use the bread baked weekly in communal ovens as the week came to a close and the bread was not quite as fresh. Beet & Burrata Bruschetta is a playful combination of ingredients that makes a lovely spuntino, aperitivo course or light dinner along with a green salad.
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Eggplant Polpette poorly translated into English as Eggplant “Meatballs” is actually a vegetarian dish. The word polpette commonly refers to meat patties cleverly enhanced with herbs, cheese and bread to extend whatever meat is on hand. Over the years, the word seems to have become synonymous with any type of meatball. Polpette is also used when referring to Italian vegetable based patties; Eggplant Polpette are a standard dish, particularly in the southern regions of Italy. Eggplant makes an excellent base for this type of preparation; once it is cooked, it is easy mashed and combines well with numerous flavoring agents. Oh, did I mention the Eggplant Polpette are fried…and honestly who wouldn’t love crispy fried eggplant morsels of goodness?
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