Giada at Home: Family Recipes From Italy and California (3 page)

BOOK: Giada at Home: Family Recipes From Italy and California

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In a small bowl, combine the cheeses, thyme, and lemon zest. Spoon into the pastry bag. Pipe the cheese mixture into each olive.

Put the flour into a small bowl. Lightly beat the egg in another small bowl and put the bread crumbs in a third small bowl. Working in batches, dredge the olives in the flour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the olives and place in the bowl with the beaten egg. Coat the olives with the egg and then transfer to the bowl of bread crumbs. Coat the olives with the bread crumbs.

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350°F. (If you don’t have a thermometer, toss in a cube of bread; it will brown in about 3 minutes and, when it does, the oil is ready.) Fry the olives, in batches, for 30 to 45 seconds, until golden brown. Drain the fried olives on paper towels. Cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

It’s no secret that I love mascarpone cheese—and who doesn’t love bacon? Stir them together and you have a super-creamy, elegant dip that tastes like the most decadently topped baked potato you’ve ever had. The mix is surprisingly versatile, too: thin it down a bit with milk and use it as a dressing for greens or a sauce for salmon or chicken.

4	whole-wheat pita breads
2	tablespoons olive oil
1	teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4	strips bacon, cooked until crisp, finely chopped
1	cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
¾	cup sour cream
¼	cup chopped fresh chives

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F.

Cut each pita into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush with the oil, then sprinkle with the oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, until crisp and golden. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine the bacon, mascarpone cheese, sour cream, and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl.

Arrange the pita chips and dip on a platter and serve.

bruschetta & crostini

The terms
bruschetta
and
crostini
are often used interchangeably. But while both refer to a piece of grilled or toasted bread with a savory topping and are typically served as antipasti, there are in fact diff erences between the two, namely in size and presentation.

The word
bruschetta
comes from the Italian verb
bruscare,
which means to roast over hot coals. Grilling thick slices of bread and then rubbing them with garlic or half of a tomato was a common way for frugal housewives to extend the life of stale bread. Over time bruschetta evolved into more than just grilled bread, as ingredients such as prosciutto, mozzarella, roasted peppers, and cured meats were added to the toppings. Because the base is a fairly large, thick bread slice, bruschetta tends to have a more rustic appearance and can stand up to hearty toppings; it may be eaten by hand but can also be served on a plate with a knife and fork.

Crostini, on the other hand, are more often toasted in the oven than grilled, and tend to be smaller and thinner. These “little toasts” make perfect one-bite hors d’oeuvres, but topped with cheese and melted under the broiler they’re also great to float on a bowl of soup, crouton-style, or serve with a salad. Because they are smaller and more refined, they are perfect for richer, more sophisticated toppings than you might serve on heartier bruschetta.

For bruschetta, I prefer to use ciabatta bread or a pane rustica because the loaves are wide but flat and not too dense. Slicing the bread crosswise into ½
-
or ¾-inch-thick slices makes long narrow toasts that won’t droop or sag under their topping when picked up. I generally use a baguette for my crostini and cut them fairly straight across to make small, nicely rounded toasts of uniform size that look beautiful arranged on a tray or platter.

This is rustic and simple, and deeply satisfying. Pureed beans can get a bit crusty when exposed to air, so if you make these ahead of time, drizzle a bit of a nice fruity olive oil over each crostini to keep it fresh and make it glisten. If you want a lighter version, you can certainly serve this on cucumber rounds, but I love the way the smoky flavor of the eggplant and the grilled bread work together.

1	(1½-pound) eggplant or 3 Japanese eggplants, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
⅓	cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1	French baguette, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
1	(15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
⅓	cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
3	tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1	garlic clove

Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F.

Put the eggplant on a parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

While the eggplant is roasting, preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the bread slices with olive oil on both sides and arrange in the pan. Cook until both sides are pale golden and crisp, about 5 minutes total. Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cooled eggplant (flesh and skin), beans, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the ⅓ cup olive oil and process until the mixture is creamy. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Spoon the spread into a small bowl and serve with the bread slices. Alternatively, spoon the spread over the bread and arrange on a serving platter.

Rome is famous for its artichokes, and in the Jewish district you can buy amazing fried whole artichokes on street corners. Back home, I use frozen artichokes for ease and I love combining them with beans in a creamy dip for bruschetta, a favorite snack throughout Italy. The crispy, salty prosciutto highlights the subtle flavor of the artichokes and adds crunch.

Vegetable oil cooking spray
4	very thin slices prosciutto
12	(¼-inch-thick) slices rustic country bread
½	cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1	(12-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1	(15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1	cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
½	cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
1	teaspoon grated lemon zest
1	tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2	teaspoons salt
½	teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Lay the prosciutto in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until crispy. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

On another baking sheet, arrange the bread slices in a single layer. Using a pastry brush, brush the bread with ¼ cup of the oil. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden.

In a food processor, combine the artichoke hearts, beans, cheese, basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse until the mixture is chunky. With the machine running, slowly add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil and mix until combined but still slightly chunky.

Spoon the artichoke mixture onto the crostini. Crumble the prosciutto and sprinkle on top. Drizzle with oil and serve.