MANICOTTI AND MEMORY LANE

On Decembeer 15, 1966, I invited one of my Music Professors and his wife to dinner at Bob's and my home. We had spent the previous year together in Naples, Italy and learned, shared and enjoyed so much! I did not drive, then, and Professor King's wife, Marnie, had a little VW Beetle and she took me all around in exchange for access to the NATO base and it's benefits (Bob was in the Navy at that time, but he was in the Caribbean!).

Dr.King and other professors had their own apartments, but we students lived in a Pensione, an Italian residence or boarding house. Ours was famous for it's Sunday dinners of a Pea and Tomato Ragu filled Puffed Pastry, Roasted Chicken and Rum Cake for dessert. The boys in the class, however, lived in a different Pensione and they had Homemade Manicotti as a "Primo" every Sunday. It was a toss up between the "Wedding Cake", as we so affectionately called it, and the Manicotti. Often the Manicotti won and even the professors would come to Sunday dinner at the boys Pensione! It was outstanding! This was Napoli! I might add that the girls lived in a genteel part of town, but the boys were allowed to live in a less reputable area, savory food, but unsavory neighbors! Enough said!

Back to December 15, 1966...I was at that time a graduate student and Bob and I were spending our first year alone in our big house on Ipswich Bay in Gloucester. School, at least for me, had closed for the Holidays and I went about decorating the tree which Bob had set up the night before, cleaned and decorated the house, was all the while playing Christmas music, Gregorian Chant and Medieval and Renaissance songs were my favorites at that time. It's a wonderful memory...

Well, as you have probably guessed by now, Manicotti was on the menu that night. I made the pasta, and rolled it out on the machine, boiled it, made the filling and a meatless tomato sauce for it. Dr. King was a Pescatarian, so no meat for him, ( I do think the sauce in Napoli had meat in it..he must have ignored  it because the opportunity to eat this treat was so rare in our experience at that time)!

It all went well. It is one of my most pleasant memories of beginning the Christmas Season. My Manicotti, although a lot of work, was a huge success. I followed it with Filet of Sole with Lemon and Capers and a salad of simple greens with oil and vinegar. I recall dessert being a raspberry sorbet (I am sure I purchased that!) which I put into a ring mold with a fruit compote in the center.  Rum Cake was NOT in my repertoire at least then. I think I had just turned 22...Espresso and biscotti.  I could probably not tell you what I ate last week, but I remember this dinner and evening well. I was not even a "foodie" back then...just a graduate student planning to teach Classics in some college or other..what a change of plans!!

I loved food then and I certainly do now...fast forward to December 15, 2012.
I am alone in a condo in beautiful Sarasota, Fl. , Sola. Not on the ocean, but close to the Gulf of Mexico.
I have had a career in food and not classics, and am still studying food and nutrition. It is a life long pursuit.  Homemade Manicotti is my dinner tonight, the main and only course, other than a small Kale and Avocado Salad. I wanted to recreate the flavors of that meal in 1966 without all the labor. I''m not 22 any longer...the tree is artificial and small, but serene with a star and white lights; the house was cleaned yesterday by my cleaner.  Nothing is the same, I miss my inspiration and my love, yet what I have is not so bad, and I can enjoy my manicotti and my memories, Sola!

This recipe is simple in taste. Like most authentic Italian foods, natural, quality ingredients are what make it special. Make your own sauce if possible or use a really good commercial one with no added sugars or artificial ingredients!

Christmas Memories

SIMPLIFIED HOMEMADE MANICOTTI

• 1 package of *Barilla no bake Lasagne, 8 noodles
• 15 ounces ricotta
• about 2 cups, fresh, organic spinach, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• grated fresh nutmeg (approx. 1 teaspoon)
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups plus of favorite marinara or meat sauce
• additional grated parmesan and grated mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375.
Blend the ricotta, chopped spinach, egg, parmesan cheese, nutmeg and salt and pepper together.
In a skillet large enough to accommodate 1 or 2 lasagna noodles, bring enough water to cover to a boil and let simmer.
Place 1 or 2 noodles in water at a time for a fe minutes each, until just pliable. Drain on paper towels.
Immediately fill each noodle with ricotta mixture and roll up. Place in a baking dish coated with some sauce on bottom.
Top with sauce and more parmesan and some grated mozzarella.
Bake, covered for about 25-30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes.

*You can use another brand as long as it has only flour and egg as the ingredients. I wanted this to be like homemade pasta without all the work and it is!

Enjoy and create your own memories, Sola, without all the work! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Gina

ROCKIN' RISOTTO AND SUPER GREENS SOUP

Say the word risotto and everyone thinks, "a lot of work", "tricky", "difficult".  It does not have to be true. I often make risotto for a quick dinner, yes, SOLA! When you add some veggies and/or protein, it is a meal-in-one, and a great vehicle for using up bits and pieces of leftovers we "Sola" folks tend to collect!

You don't need perfection to have a delicious and healthy dish. An authentic, creamy, unctuous risotto is a pleasure beyond compare, but for a last minute, nutritious treat, a less than perfect version is a welcome option. Butter, arborio or other short grain rice, broth, cheese and whatever else you have on hand, can become a real treat for dinner in a very short time with little effort. My version the other night using a few organic shiitake mushrooms and some kale, was delightful and a nutritional a powerhouse as well! What more could you ask?

Shiitake mushrooms are especially nutritious. They are considered a "medicinal" mushroom as well as an "edible" mushroom. Science is proving them good for the cardiovascular system, the immune system and possibly as a deterrent to cancer. They are rich in B vitamins, have the most protein of the mushroom family, and have several minerals including calcium and selenium. More importantly for the cook, they have a meaty texture and flavor, called umami, which is prized in the culinary world.

Kale is reputed to be one of the most nutritious vegetables on the planet. The book, 50 Shades of Kale  has, now, made it a fun and popular veggie as well! Full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber, kale also has a bright and beautiful green color when used raw in a dressed salad or briefly cooked.
There are many types of kale, all a little differtent in appearance, texture, size and taste. Try them all and pick your favorite! I like the curly kale at my organic market. It is young, tender and sweet. They also have red kale and lacinato kale. Try collard greens for an alternative!

SHIITAKE MUSHROOM AND KALE RISOTTO

• 3-4 shiitake mushrooms, washed and sliced
• 3-4 leaves fresh organic kale, washed and sliced, * chiffonade
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup short grain rice such as Arborio, or Sushi rice
• 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion 
• 1 shallot, chopped (optional)
• approx. 3 cups good chicken or vegetable stock
• parmesan to taste
• salt and hot pepper flakes

Melt butter in a sturdy saucepan on medium high heat. Simmer stock in another pan.
Add chopped onion and shallot and cook until slightly softened.
Add rice and stir to coat with butter. Add additional butter if needed.
Stir in mushrooms and cook until aroma starts to be released. Next add some white wine if you have some, about 1/3 cup and stir until it is absorbed. If you do not have or do not want to use wine, start stirring in stock about 1/2 cup at at time. Continue to stir until liquid is mostly absorbed.
Traditional risotto requires constant stirring, but if you are busy or tired, just stir intermittently, but keep a close watch. When the liquid is absorbed, add another 1/3 -1/2 cup and continue. The mixture will begin to be creamy as the rice absorbs the liquid and releases the starch. When the rice is almost cooked, add the kale and more liquid and stir. Cook until rice is done, but still has a little texture. The kale should remain bright green. Add some parmesan, salt and pepper flakes to taste. I like a little "kick" of spice in my Mushroom and Kale Risotto!
Eat, enjoy and be healthy...you can add a side salad of marinated tomatoes and olives if you like.

Yum, look at those meaty mushrooms and glistening kale! 

The whole thing takes about 30 minutes, and is easy enough to do after a long day at work. If you don't have mushrooms and kale, use spinach and broccoli, or butternut squash and peas, whatever sounds good to you!  And the best part of making this "sola" is that you will maybe have enough left over for a risotto cake in the morning. Just form a patty, dip in breadcrumbs or flour and saute. One of my favorite breakfasts with or without sausage on the side.

Super Greens Soup is just that. Had some greens left from my trip to the organic farm, a lone zucchini, and a yukon gold potato.  Took an onion and chopped it with the veggies. Put it in a saucepan with some butter, added a dash of curry powder and some stock left from the risotto, a splash of wine and cooked it all together for about 1/2 hour. Voila! Super nutritious and delicious soup for dinner and some left for lunch later in the week.

Variegated Sorrel, Zucchini, Upland Cress, Yukon Gold Potato

This one took 15 minutes to make. I semi-blended the soup when done. I like  thickish soup with chunks. You could eat it all chunky, or make a smooth puree if that is your pleasure. It is all good and good for you!  

*chiffonade:  roll leaves into a cylinder and slice thinly to make thin "ribbons"

Happy Healthy Eating

Sola Gina