After a long break - another Last Supper: #19 Mario Batali

Four months until Christmas and I already have one thing on my list. Melanie Dunea is publishing a sequel to My Last Supper. A few years ago, my boss gave me a copy for Christmas which inspired me to start Project Last Supper. Sadly, it went by the wayside. But recently, my husband asked me what ever happened to my little pet project. An innocent question turned into my new personal challenge: bring life back to project last supper... and maybe, just maybe, start a sequel when the new book comes out.

I flipped though my notes from what I'd done and what chefs I had left. Could it be that I had neglected to prepare the last supper of Mario Batali?? His wish list numbered 8 items - I chose 3 to make it a reasonable meal. I did his very own recipe for mozzarella en carozza, his grilled lobster with limoncello vinaigrette and this one: Flat pasta with shrimp and zucchini. It's as pretty as it is tasty. I took advantage of the season and used yellow zucchini from my local farmer's market and purple basil from my own yard. Add the green of the basil in the pasta and the gorgeous pink shrimp and this dish is a beauty.

We'll see if I can keep making progress. If I do, perhaps a copy of Dunea's new book should be my reward (smile!)





Flat pasta with shrimp and zucchini
Adapted from Molto Italiano by Mario Batali

DOUGH
2 bunches basil
4 cups cake flour
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese

CONDIMENT
Salt
10 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick half-moons (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
2 cups dry white wine
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound rock shrimp, or medium shrimp, peeled
1/4 cup fresh basil, cut into chiffonade
Freshly ground black pepper


MAKE THE DOUGH
Bring a pot of water to a boil and fill a bowl with ice cubes and water. Blanch the basil in the boiling water for 10 seconds, then refresh in the ice water. Drain and chop finely; you should have 1/4 cup. Make a mound of the flour, then make a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well, pour the milk over and add the basil. Using a fork, stir the egg mixture slowly into the four ingredients to form a wet dough. Add the grated cheese and, working now with your hands, bring the dough together and knead for 8 to 10 minutes to form a smooth dough. Allow to rest for 15 minutes covered with plastic wrap.

Set up a pasta rolling machine and cut off a piece of pasta dough the size of a tennis ball. Roll the pasta through the rollers on the widest setting, then fold it in thirds and run it through again on the same setting. Repeat this three times, being careful to add very little flour, as it will dry out the pasta. Run the pasta through the next two thinner settings. It should be quite thick.

Lay a sheet of pasta onto a floured cutting board and use a knife to cut crosswise into 1/3-inch strips. Lay the cut noodles on a kitchen towel and cover with another towel. Roll and cut the remaining pasta the same way.

MAKE THE CONDIMENT
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. In a 12- to 14-inch sauté pan, heat 6 tablespoons of the oil and the garlic over medium heat until the garlic is light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the zucchini pieces and cook until just soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pepper flakes, wine and butter, then bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and remove from the heat.
Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until tender, yet al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain and toss into the pan with the shrimp and cook over high heat until the shrimp are just done, about 1 minute, and pasta and sauce are well combined. Add the parsley and toss in the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil. Pour into a heated bowl and serve with plenty of freshly ground pepper.

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

To me, shrimp and chicken are like blank slates - they adapt to so many flavors and cooking styles. Both make frequent appearances in my house since they're easy to keep in the freezer and they're relatively inexpensive. Needless to say, I'm always on the lookout for new recipes for both - especially ones that will work on the grill. My friend Sarah is in a cooking club with several of her friends and she told me about this recipe for Cilantro Lime Shrimp. She'd made it for her group and said it's one of her new favorites. The original says to cook the shrimp on the stove, but I skewered and grilled them. The sugar in the marinade caramelized a bit and they were delicious: sweet, salty and just a little bit spicy. Jeff's verdict: make them again! Easily an appetizer or a main course, it comes together quickly, which is just perfect with my little one getting more playful every day. (Fortunately she also naps leaving mommy time to blog.)

Note well: the marinade can be made ahead, but don't add the shrimp until about 45 minutes before you cook them. The citrus in the marinade will start to cook the shrimp and will make them rubbery if left too long.



Cilantro Lime Shrimp

¼ cup orange marmalade
½ cup fresh lime juice
3 large garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 1 tsp salt
½ cup fresh cilantro sprigs, chopped fine
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs soy sauce
½ tsp dried hot red pepper flakes
1 pound large shrimp (about 24), shelled and deveined, leaving tail and first shell segment intact




In a small bowl whisk together marmalade, lime juice, garlic paste, cilantro, oil, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste and reserve 1/3 cup in a ramekin for dipping sauce. In a large sealable plastic bag combine shrimp with remaining mixture and marinate, chilled, tossing occasionally to coat shrimp, 45 minutes.

Drain shrimp and thread onto skewers.  Grill until cooked through, a couple minutes on each side.

Garnish shrimp with cilantro sprigs and serve with reserved dipping sauce.

Braised calamari stuffed with shrimp and spinach

It's hard to recall life before DVRs. I don't really watch much TV, but most of the shows I do watch are on thru the day - no, not soaps. I'm talking about cooking shows, of course. Most air thru the day so I have our DVR set to record my favorites: Giada at Home, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Jamie at Home, occasionally Tyler's Ultimate... the list goes on. Add to that the competitive cooking shows - currently I'm watching the Next Food Network Star and I know the season finale of Top Chef Masters is awaiting me. All of this usually leads to a back-up of food shows on the DVR. Add that to my husband's motocross events, news shows, and concerts, and our DVR tends to be pretty full. But it's so much better than sitting through all those commercials.

After dinner I usually head upstairs to watch one of my shows while he heads downstairs to play guitar. Since I can fast forward through commericals (and recipes I don't like), it takes no more then 20 minutes to watch most shows. I do get a lot of ideas from them - not only for recipes, but also techniques. One show I've tried many recipes from is Secrets of a Restaurant Chef. Our all-time favorite from the show is Anne Burrell's Eggs Flamenco, but I've tried many others. I saw her make this calamari and decided I must try it. I knew I could get whole calamari at Whole Foods and the other ingredients are all standard in my kitchen.



It comes together pretty quickly. If you're having company, you can stuff the rolls and prep the sauce ahead, then just pop the rolls into the sauce about 30 minutes before you want to serve dinner. Anne's original recipe calls for pulsing the shrimp in a food processor but I left mine chunky because we prefer more bite. I have to say, this was very tasty but texturally it wasn't our favorite. The filling, even with the chunks of shrimp, was very soft - if I made it again, I'd probably try to use more shrimp and less breadcrumb and egg. But give it a try - you might love the texture - and cooking the rolls in the sauce lends a delicious taste.
Braised Calamari Stuffed with Shrimp and Spinach
recipe adapted from Secrets of a Restaurant Chef with Anne Burrell



For the calamari:

• 11 clean medium calamari tubes, about 5 to 6 inches long
• 1/2 pound peeled, deveined medium shrimp, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
• 2 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/2 bunch fresh oregano, leaves chopped
• 2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt

For the sauce:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large or 2 small onions, finely diced
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes

Directions

To make the calamari:
Roughly chop 3 of the calamari tubes and add to a large bowl with the coarsely chopped shrimp and garlic. Add the spinach, eggs, bread crumbs, cheese, herbs, and pinch of crushed red pepper. Season with salt and stir to combine. The mixture should be a little chunky but moist and holding together. Optional: Test the seasoning of the mix by making a mini patty, cooking it in a small pan and eating it. It should taste really good! If it doesn't it is probably missing salt. Add more salt, to taste. Divide the stuffing among the 8 remaining calamari bodies and secure closed with toothpicks.

To make the sauce:

Coat a large, wide skillet or saucepan with olive oil and add the onions and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Season with salt and put the saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onions until they are soft and aromatic, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the wine and cook until the wine has reduced by half. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill or puree them in a food processor and add them and 1 cup of water to the pan. Season with salt, to taste, and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.

Add the calamari to the pan and cook for 20 to 25 minutes turning them over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the calamari from the pan and remove the toothpicks. Reduce the sauce to thicken, if needed. Arrange the calamari on a serving platter and cover with the sauce before serving.

Shrimp and Smokies

Each spring, I have to remember all of our favorite grill recipes. We grill throughout the year - steaks, chicken, etc. - but during the warmer months I make more elaborate recipes for the barbecue. Of course, I picked a cold rainy day for this one, but it still tastes good! This has been a favorite for a few years now. I'm always looking for new ways to cook shrimp and I've found a few good ones in BBQ USA by Steven Raichlen.(Green Lightning Shrimp is another).

Shrimp and Smokies, according to this recipe, are skewers of shrimp and chunks of andouille sausage with red pepper. They're basted with a beer based sauce that has lemon, garlic and a few other surprises. It's easy to make (they taste good without the sauce too). I use D'Artagnan Andouille - It's super smoky and spicy and it's cooked. Uncooked andouille wouldn't work here because the shrimp cook so fast. If all you can find is uncooked, precook the sausage or cook them on separate skewers.

This also makes a great appetizer - cook them the same way, but use smaller shrimp and cut the andouille into smaller pieces.

Give this recipe a try - and let me know you're favorite summertime BBQ recipes. I'm always looking for new ones!



Shrimp and Smokies
adapted from BBQ USA by Steven Raichlen

16 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 ounces andouille sausage, cut into about 16 chunks
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch squares

For the sauce:
1 cup beer
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed with the side of a knife
1 2-inch strip of lemon zest
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. dark corn syrup
1 Tbsp. liquid or dry crab or shrimp boil
4 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter cut into 1 inch chunks
Salt and pepper





Prepare the skewers: Alternate pieces of sausage, shrimp, and pieces of pepper onto skewers until all of the food has been used. Set aside.



Make the sauce: combien the beer, zest and garlic in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the crab boil, Worcestershire, lemon juice and corn syrup. Boil until the liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup. Remove from heat, discard the garlic and zest. Whisk in the butter one piece at a time then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Prepare the grill for direct grilling on high heat. When ready to grill, baste each skewer with some of the sauce and grill for about 3 minutes per side, basting occasionally, until shrimp are cooked to desired doneness.

Serve with the remaining sauce if desired.

Serves 4.

Meal in minutes: Angel hair with shrimp and feta

This is a dinner I've been making for a few years now. It's become a regular in our house for two reasons: 1) we love it and 2) it can be prepared in no time at all. (Don't believe me? I timed it tonight and it took less than 30 minutes, start to finish. Start the water then chop the garlic and shallots; while they cook with the shrimp, chop the tomatoes. Done in minutes!)

When summer tomatoes and basil are at their peak, this tastes best, but in winter, though a little more expensive, the two ingredients create a little taste of warmer weather.

To make it even faster, use cooked, peeled shrimp. One must: use fresh basil. I made it once or twice during the winter using dried instead of spending the money for fresh: never again! And good tomatoes make a big difference too. I almost always use vine-ripened. They're seldom mealy and add great flavor.



Angel hair pasta with shrimp and feta

1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 small or 1 large shallot, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
4-5 vine-ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
4 oz. crumbled feta (more if you like!)
1 small bunch fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste


1/2 lb. angel hair pasta

In a large pot, bring water to a boil for the pasta.

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Add the shrimp and wine. Cook until the shrimp are just cooked thru and the wine has mostly reduced.


Add the tomatoes. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes are slightly cooked, but still very fresh. This is not a traditional tomato sauce!

While the shrimp and tomatoes are cooking, cook pasta according to package directions.

Add the basil leaves, tearing the larger one if you like, and crumbled feta. Stir and let cook until the feta is incorporated but still a little chunky. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Divide pasta into pasta bowls and top with the tomato and shrimp mixture. Top with a little crumbled feta if you like.

This serves two with generous portions (and sometimes leftovers depending on how hungry my husband is!)

Dry Curry of Shrimp

This dish is based on a recipe from Neil Perry's Good Food. It's a good example of my inability to follow a recipe exactly. I always change something. Usually I add more of at least one ingredient: garlic, cheese, etc. In this case, I had to substiute yellow mustard seeds for black as I could not find black. I also read a bit too quickly and prepared the tomatoes wrong. Maybe not wrong, but differently. But, you know what? It tasted great and I'd make the same changes again!

Served over white rice flavored with a little sea salt and sesame oil, we really enjoyed it! I had planned to serve it one night but we ended up going out so I had all the ingredients prepped. That done, it came together in minutes. So if you're pressed for time, do the prep a day ahead!


Dry Curry of Shrimp

• About 20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 vine-ripened tomatoes
• Vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp. yellow mustard seeds (use black if you can find them)
• 2 dried red chillies, seeded and roughly chopped
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground pepper
• about 12 1-foot long Asian long beans (snake beans) or a bunch of green beans if you can't get snake, cut into 1 inch pieces
• juice of 1 lime

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Preheat oven to 300F. Cut and X in the bottom of each tomato, then dunk into the boiling water for about 10 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and then dunk in cold water. When cool enough to handle, peel the whole tomatoes. Put them on a baking sheet and drizzle with just a little oil. Roast them for about 1 1/2 hours. When you take them out of the oven, put them in a bowl to cool a bit then mash the flesh with the back of a fork.

Pound the ginger and garlic with a mortar and pestle to form a rough paste. Remove and set aside.

Crush the mustard seeds with the chilli in the moratr then stir in the turmeric, salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a wok, heat about a tablespoon of oil. Cook the ginger-garlic paste until lightly colored and caramelized. Add the spice mixtures and stir until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook until just slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Pour into a bowl and then wipe the wok clean with a damp papertowel.

Heat another tablespoon of oil in the wok and stir-fry the shrimp over high heat until cooked, working in batches if needed. Set them aside in another bowl. Add the beans and stir-fry until they are heated thru and bright green. Add the shrimp and tomato mixture and mix together well. Finish with the lime juice.

Serve over steamed rice - use white, brown, jasmine or even basmati.

Quick and easy shrimp

A recent Christmas gift from my mom included a signed copy of Catherine Walthers' Raising the Salad Bar. I have to admit it's not a cookbook I've used frequently, but this next recipe is one that will make me give the book much more than another glance. The writer hails from Martha's Vineyard, one of my favorite spots. The photos are by a famous Vineyard photographer, Alison Shaw. The book really is beautiful. It combines fresh ingredients from local farms, and this recipe is no exception. In the foreword to the recipe, Walthers explains that she uses fresh produce from Morning Glory Farms. Having vacationed on MV for many years, this place really does have the best corn, among other things.

As I usually do, I made some modifications. This mixture of corn and shrimp can be served warm or cold. It's great as a main course or serve it with a hot grilled steak for something special. Oh, and it takes just about no time to prepare...



Cajun Shrimp and Corn Salad with Lime-Chile Dressing
adapted from Raising the Salad Bar by Catherine Walthers

• 1 1/4 lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2-3 tsp. Cajun seasoning
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/8 tsp. Cayenne (more if you like it HOT!)
• 3 cups of corn kernels
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 roasted red bell pepper, diced
• 2 Tbsp. fresh minced cilantro

For the dressing

• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. ancho Chile powder
• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper

To make the dressing, combine all ingredients and whisk.

Combine the shrimp and Cajun seasoning in a bowl. I prefer Pensey's Cajun seasoning, but use any kind you have on hand. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic and cayenne and cook until the shrimp are cooked through. Add the corn and allow to cook for a few minutes. (Fresh corn kernels would be best here, but I made this in the Spring so I used fresh frozen. I let is cook until the liquid cooked off but the corn wasn't mushy.

Stir in the red pepper and tomatoes and allow to warm though. Remove from heat, add the dressing and cilantro and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add more lime juice if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

For a variation, consider basil or parsley in place of the cilantro. Fresh chopped red or green pepper could easily replace the roasted as well. Another thing I love about this recipe is its vibrant color. Yellow corn, red tomatoes, green herbs, and the pink shrimp make it very eye-catching. It'd be a great picnic dish or an easy side for company... It definitely raises the bar on salads. Hmmm, I wonder what else the book has to offer...

If it's good enough for the princess of Thailand...

...it's definitely good enough for me and my husband (on a rainy Wednesday night). Regular readers will not be surprised to learn that I once again turned to the culinary wonder that is the Bistro Laurent Tourondel cookbook. This book simply does not disappoint. (and how do the months go by without making a visit to one of Chef Tourondel's restaurants???) This time I opted for the Lemongrass Rock Shrimp Risotto. Why not? We love risotto, we love shrimp, and we love Thai food. This one had to be good... and it was!




The intro for the recipe explains that Chef Tourondel first prepared it for the Princess of Thailand while he was working at the Four Seasons Bangkok. Not bad! It was a bit involved so I made the sauce a day ahead, right to the point of straining it, then I covered it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge overnight. I didn't have rock shrimp so I used jumbo shrimp. The combination of flavors and textures were simply delightful. Madras curry powder, green curry paste, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, Thai Basil. YUM! You can find the complete recipe online: Lemongrass Rock Shrimp Risotto. Don't be intimidated - you might have to swing by an Asian market for a few ingredients, but it's well worth the trip.


I did make a few modifications. I cut the sauce in half. And instead of 2 cups of Arborio, I used 1 1/2. I also stirred the chopped Thai basil into the risotto to bring out the flavor a bit more. To serve, I scooped the risotto into the middle of the plate and then ladled the sauce around it.


This makes 9 recipes I've made from this cookbook and we have loved everyone. Who told Chef Tourondel exactly what we like??? Or maybe it was just my mother-in-law who had a keen sense for that - after all she gave me the book for Christmas.


Now I'm off to give the book another flip through to find my next adventure. In the meantime, tomorrow at our house, leftover risotto!