Book Club-Italian Style
This Month’s Book Club selection was Heat by Bill Buford. (The title is much longer, but I wanted to keep it easy to remember) I thoroughly enjoyed this book, probably because it has to do with cooking and Italian cooking nonetheless. The book centers around our friend Bill who becomes an apprentice under Mario Batali and his trials in becoming a better cook and understanding true Italian cooking. I read this while we were in Utah, so I was itching to get back home and start cooking. So of course I offered to host Book Club so I could make some new Italian dishes.
I first made a dish inspired by none other than Rachael Ray, I know how dare I, but really this recipe was a hit. Rachael uses ground chicken but I used used turkey sausage because I love the flavor and it already comes pre-seasoned! Rachael says this make 6 cigars but I think you could do 3 logs and cut them into 4 generous pieces.
I then made a crostini with fig jam, prosciutto, and pecorino cheese, inspired by Giada. I decided to add the prosciutto instead of the apple and in making the fig jam I added almonds instead of hazelnuts. My only tip would be to pulse the nuts before you add the figs, otherwise they are too chunky. I think this turned out well also and was a nice change of page.
Finally I made Caprese salad on a stick, so simple….a cherry tomato, basil leaf and mini mozzarella ball all on a stick. Line up in a place, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper…could not be easier!
I think everyone enjoyed the book, the food, and the company…and what more could you ask for!
Turkey Sausage Cigars
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 small Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
1 pound turkey sausage, meat squeezed from casing
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup (about 10 leaves) fresh basil, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup (half a stick) butter, melted
4 sheets phyllo dough
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Heat a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Once hot, add the onions and garlic, and cook until soft, about 6-7 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, spoon contents into a medium-size mixing bowl and let cool. Once the onions and garlic are cool enough to handle, add the chicken to the bowl with the sun-dried tomatoes, basil, oregano, fennel, chili flakes, cheese, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix to combine.
Place a piece of phyllo on a nonstick cookie sheet and brush with the melted butter. Top with a second sheet of phyllo and brush with butter again. Divide the chicken mixture in half and form a one-inch thick log the length of the long side of the phyllo dough. Roll the chicken log up in the phyllo tightly.
Cut the chicken-filled phyllo into 3 “cigars” and brush with a more butter.
Repeat with the remaining 2 sheets of phyllo and the rest of the chicken mixture to make a total of two chicken and phyllo roll-ups Bake for about 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
Pecorino Romano with Apples and Fig Jam
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
6 dried figs, halved
1/2 cup simple syrup, recipe follows
2 tablespoons brandy
1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
24 baguette slices
Olive oil, for drizzling
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
prosciutto slices
1/4 pound chunk Pecorino Romano, for shaving 24 pieces
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the figs, simple syrup, and brandy. Bring the mixture up to a simmer. Turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Place the fig mixture and the hazelnuts in a food processor and blend, pulsing a few times, until pureed. Set aside.
Place the baguette slices on a heavy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Top each slice with 1 teaspoon grated Pecorino Romano. Bake until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted and golden, about 7 minutes.
Top each slice of toast with 2 teaspoons of fig jam, a slice of apple and a piece of shaved Pecorino Romano. Transfer the toasts to a serving platter and serve.
Simple syrup:
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
In a saucepan combine water and sugar over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Take pan off heat and cool the syrup. Any extra cooled syrup can be saved in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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