Christine Hickman lives half of the year in Santa Fe and half in Perugia, Italy.( I won't mention how envious I am of such a life.) When she is here in New mexico she teaches cooking classes at Las Cosas Cooking School. This is the fourth class I have taken from her and every one has been a treasure of information, techniques and just plain fun.
This class--an Italian Christmas menu-offered some great recipes which would be good any time.
YOU MUST NEVER
NEVER
NEVER PUT OIL IN THE WATER YOU USE TO COOK PASTA!
"FRIED" BLACK OLIVES
(serves 4)
This dish makes a fabulous appetizer, either by itself or paired with the Torta al Testo.
- 1/2 pound ripe pear tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 2 cups Kalamata olives, pitted
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 fresh hot red chilies, finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 10 ounces mozzarella de buffalo (optional)
Plunge the tomatoes into boiling water for a minute or two, just enough to loosen the skin. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cold water. Drain and peel off the skin, which come away with a sharp knife. Remove core and seeds and roughly chop the flesh.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and saute the garlic for one minute, then add the olives and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, rosemary and chilies season with salt and black pepper. Allow to simmer a few minutes more just until the tomatoes have broken down.
Serve hot with torta al testo and a few thick slice of mozzarella on the side, if desired.
"FRIED" BLACK OLIVES WITH MOZZARELLA
TORTA AL TESTA COOKING ON THE GRIDDLE
TORTA AL TESTO
(six to eight servings)
- 3 1/2 cups unbleached flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or semi-aged Pecorino
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 3/4 cups warm water
Dissolve yeast in warm water and let sit until creamy and bubbly--about 10 minutes.
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture and olive oil to the dry ingredients and stir until a soft dough is formed. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth and satiny, and not stick to the work surface.
Alternately, you can put the dry ingredients into the bowl of a standing mixer, add the yeast and olive oil, and stir well. Using the dough hook, mix on medium speed for 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic, and pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Form the dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl, turning to coat all surfaces. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise 45 minutes to 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight. Allow it to come to room temperature before before shaping and grilling.
Heat a large (15-inch) griddle over medium heat until a drop of water jumps and sizzles. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and divide dough in half. Keep remaining dough covered with plastic wrap. Roll into a large circle, about 1/4-1/3" thick and 14 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough round on the hot griddle and poke it all over with a fork. IMMEDIATELY turn the heat to low and check after a minute or tow to make sure it is just beginning to brown. After about 5 to 10 minutes, when the bottom is lightly browned, carefully turn it over and continue to cook until done, about 10-15 minutes more. Check every 5 minutes by lifting an edge, to make sure it is not browning too quickly. It should be lightly browned and crusty with a soft center, when it is done.
Remove from the heat and cool on a rack.
Punch down the remaining dough, shaping and cooking the torta as before.
Cut into six-eight wedges. Split and fill with desired ingredients and eat slightly warm, or at room temperature.
Cooled torta al testo can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to a month. Reheat, wrapped in foil, in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes.
If a 15-inch griddle is unavailable, divide the dough into thirds and use an 8-to 10-inch griddle.
Christine is an excellent teacher and a delightful person. Someday, I hope to travel to Italy to take classes with her there. In the meantime, being able to work with her in Santa Fe ain't half bad.
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