First layer of zucchini, cheese and bacon

My Wife’s Favorite Zucchini  Dish

I love zucchini in nut breads and ratatouille but have never been able to create a savory dish that really lets this versatile veggie shine.  My wife, “MB” is always asking me to prepare special zucchini dishes but I fall short each time. Perhaps it’s the fact that zucchini “weeps” a lot of liquid, or the way I slice it.  I’ve tried slicing on a diagonal, shredding, julienne, chopping, stuffing, and of course just plain cross sections.  Well, I finally have a dish that she loves.  It combines, some great flavors that marry perfectly with zucchini…….fresh ricotta, parmesan, provolone, green onion, lemon and just a touch of BACON……(everyone loves bacon).  So MB, here’s your dish, and I dedicate it to you.

Zucchine con tre  formaggi e lemone

2 small zucchini (thinly sliced on cross section)

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese

6 slices provolone cheese

½ cup parmesan cheese

2 green onions (sliced on diagonal)

½ the juice of a lemon

1 strip of bacon (cooked crisp and diced)

2 TBS olive oil

Sea salt & fresh Pepper

1. Coat a 7” x 10”  baking dish with oil
2. In a bowl, toss sliced zucchini with oil and lemon
3. Layer in pan like scales, one layer of zucchini,top with dollops of ricotta, and onions.
4. Sprinkle with parmesan and bacon, top with provolone.
5. Repeat with second layer
6. Bake at 325 for about ½ hour or until bubbly.

 Serves four

Recipe and Photo by Doug Cordier

Classic bread soup on the demo burner

Zuppa di pane pomadoro (pappa ala pomadoro)

As a classic Italian cook, I believe in the philosophy of reducing a recipe to the lease number of fresh ingredients. For this reason, one of my favorite dishes to demo at Celeb Chef appearances is BREAD SOUP. The recipe that follows is called PAPPA ALA POMADORO. In this case the word PAPPA has nothing to do with His Holiness the Pope , or your grand dad. Instead it has it’s origin in the word PAP , which means baby food.  Another reason why I love doing this dish is, people can watch you create it in just a couple of minutes………I finish it off by anointing each serving with a special high grade olive oil and a dusting of parmesan cheese.  Then I sit back and watch their expressions.  They oooooh and aaaaah and just can’t believe something this luscious can be so simple.  So, now you can do the same with your friends and family, and spread the word about the simplicity of authentic Italian food.

Classic Tuscan bread soup

1 ½ cup red onion (chopped)                                                             

1  large can crushed tomatoes (2 lbs fresh finely chopped)                                      

1 1/2 handfuls of stale Italian bread (about 2 cups)                                                

2 cups water

1  ½ cups torn fresh basil leaves

9  tbs good extra virgin olive oil (divided)

¼   cup grated quality parmesan cheese

2 large toes garlic (thinly sliced or minced)

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

1.     In large sauté pan heat 3 tbs oil, cook onions for 2 minute (do not brown)

2.     Add garlic and sauté for 2  minutes (do not brown)

3.     Add tomatoes, cook for 5 minutes until they start to break down

4.     Tear bread into chunks and add to liquids

5.     Add water, cook mixture until it breaks down…

6.     When soup is the right consistency, add salt, pepper, most of basil

7.     Stir in the remaining 3 more tbs oil

8.     Transfer to shallow bowls, anoint  with  oil , dust  with parmesan cheese and garnish with remaining basil

Buon Appetitto

Viva Citra Wines!

First of all, I don’t work for Citra Wines (chee-tra).   However, over the years I have been serving them at all my cooking classes.   Many years ago I discovered the secret to successful cooking classes………..serve lots of wine!  So,  how do you serve decent regional Italian wines and not break the  food budget ?………….simple, serve these wonderful Citra Wines.  I first encountered these wines on a trip to Pescara, Italy  (on the Adriatic coast of the Abruzzo region)  This forgotten area of Italy boasts not only fabulous mountains, pristine beaches and friendly people,  but some truly great wines.  We especially enjoy their Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo (not to be confused with the town of Montepulciano, south of Siena) where the Montepulciano grapes are barrique-aged and  harvested from the lush vineyards of Pagliata and Polltri.  The 7000 local wine growers blend their grapes to create a well balanced, full bodied red with nice acid balance and loads of berry fruit.  Citra also offers several white wines………our favorite is their Tribiano.  The tribiano is 100% tribiano grapes (the grape used to produce balsamic vinegar) and is very clean,  bright, with citric notes and very little oak.   The perfect wine paired with seafood, pastas and light dinners in the warmer months.  The owner of the Village Market, in Grosse Pointe, Michigan (Mark Garmo)  is always happy after my cooking classes are over because he knows he will acquire new loyal Citra customers for life.  Now, heres the best part of this wine story.  Not only does Citra draw praise and awards from many discerning wine pundants, including Wine Spectator,  but the price will surely win you over. In our market 1.5 liter bottles of Citra wines go for under $10!  Not too bad for wines that have been served to Britain’s Prince Charles.  Viva il vino……….Viva Citra Wines!

Prosciutto Wrapped Grilled Shrimp

Jumbo shrimp wrapped in prosciutto with lime

6 Jumbo shrimp (16-20 per lb peeled tail on)

3 slices prosciutto (cut lengthwise)

2 lime juice

1 toe minced fresh garlic

2 lbs olive oil

Chopped Parsley

Lime wedges

• Marinate the shrimp in lime and olive oil for ½ hour
• Wrap a strip of prosciutto around each shrimp
• Grill on grill pan or over coals for 2 minutes on each side
• Garnish with parsley, serve immediately with lime wedges

Bon appetitto

Chicken with wild mushrooms is a simple and very economical dish that creates a very lucious experience. The secret is in browning the skin then cooking the dish uncovered in a 325 oven for just an hour and a half. All the vegetables and mushrooms meld together for flavor……..then simply add the butter/flour mixture until you get just the right viscosity to the sauce.  Don’t tell anyone the secret that it was easy and inexpensive!

5-6  Chicken thighs with skin

1 cup chopped wild mushrooms

½ carrot (chopped)

½ cup chopped red onion

1 large toe garlic (chopped)

1 cup brodo or chicken/mushroom stock

Creamed 2 tbs butter in 2 tbs flour

Salt/pepper

Optional:  4 small pealed potatoes cut in half

Chopped Parsley for garnish

2 TBS olive oil

Instructions

1. Sprinkle chicken skin side with salt & pepper
2. Brown chicken in oil in heavy pan until skin is crispy
3. Remove chicken and set aside
4. Add veggies & mushrooms to pan, saute 4-5 minutes
5. Add stock
6. Place chicken on top of liquid
7. Place pan (uncovered) in 325 oven for 1 hour
8. Remove pan, slowly stir in butter/flour mix until creamy
9. Continue to a few more minutes
10. Serve immediately with chopped parsley garnish.

Best pan fried chicken cutlets with lemon caper sauce                                     

1 large boneless ½ chicken breast            2 TBS drained capers             

1 egg (beaten with 1 TBS water)                  Juice from ½ lemon

½ cup flour                                                        ¾ cup chicken stock

1 cup panko bread crumbs                        2 TBS butter in 2 TBS flour

2 TBS olive oil                                                ¼ cup chopped parsley

Salt & pepper

1. Place breast half on cutting board
2. Place hand on top of breast and carefully cut in halfmoving from right to left. You will be able to feel theblade cut through the meat. Salt & pepper pieces.
3. Cover breast halves with plastic wrap and pound flat
4. Dust each half with seasoned flour, then dip in egg wash
5. Cover chicken breast with crumbs, pressing them in.
6. Add 2 TBS oil to med hot pan. Fry breaded pieces in oil until crispy
7. Remove chicken from pan, add capers, lemon, and stock.
8. Combine butter and flour into a paste, stir in paste until liquid is thickened. 
9. Place spoonfuls of sauce on plates, add chicken, anoint with sauce garnish with chopped parsley.

       BUON APPETITTO

how about an hors d’oeuvre or some munchies?  You think…WHAT CAN I BRING that’s not “chips n’ dip”

So here’s the solution….create a beautiful antipasti platter.  You won’t need that much and it won’t break

the bank. You’ll need a good sized platter….oval are great. OK now, go to your local deli or Italian specialty

shop. I use the following…..a little less than 1/4 lb of each of these salumi (all prepared meats are called salumi in Italy)

1. Capicollo (sweet), 2. finnochiona or spressatta, 3. regular Genova salami, 4. Mortadella…..all sliced very thin. Next you’ll need some olives. Try about ten of each, calamata (pitted), regular domestic black pitted olives, maybe a couple alphonsos, greek (pitted). Next a small punch of grapes, some nice broad green leaf lettuce and some mint or chives for garnish. OK….ready to create.

Cut all the salumi in half. Start with the finnochiona and place each half along the rim of the platter, next do the same with the coppicollo halves. Now break off about four or five big lettuce leaves and put them in the middle of the platter. Add the grapes to the middle. Now, take each half of the Genova salami and make little cones out of them. (The fat from the salami will stick them together)  Place these (5-6) at both ends of the platter, then arrange various olives in the spaces remaining. Finish with the mortadella halves that you can just bunch up and stick them in the remaining spaces. Now to finish , stick a bunch of the mint sprigs into the space in the bunch of grapes and sprinkle the chopped chives all over the whole thing. Just look what you have created….look at the colors and textures!  People with think you are a culinary genious…and now you are!

3- 4 pork cutlets
½ cup  red onions (chopped)
2 toes garlic (minced)
2 TBS tomato paste
2 portabella mushrooms (large slice))
½ cup  porcini mushrooms (reconstituted) save liquid
3/4 cup red wine
3/4 cup brodo (stock)
2 TBS flour for sprinkling
2 TBS oyster sauce
½ cup chopped parsley
3 TBS olive oil

1. In heavy skillet heat olive oil, brown cutlets, remove & set aside
2. Add onions , garlic, tom paste & oyster sauce,  sprinkle with flour
3. Cook mixture for 3-5 minutes until thick
4. deglaze pan with wine, deduce to half, add mushrooms, then brodo
5. Place pork back in pan  (stock should be half up sides of cutlets)
6. Put top on and bake in 275- oven for one or two hours until tender
7.  Check to see that sauce has not become too thick, the sauce should be
very dark and rich, thin with water if needed
8.  Add chopped parsley to sauce, transfer to plates, garnish with more parsley

Cooking with Cordier

Shrimp Tosca

Batter sauted shrimp with caper lemon sauce

10-12 large butterflied shrimp (16 – 20s)

2 eggs beaten

1/3 cup parmesan cheese (grated)

3 Tbs olive oil

2-3 TBS capers (washed)

Juice of one lemon

¾ cup flour

¼ cup white wine

¼ cup chicken broth

½ cup heavy cream

Chopped chives for garnish

Salt & pepper

Shrimp instructions

1. Peel, de-vein and butterfly shrimp

2. Beat eggs and add cheese to shallow bowl to maker slurry

3. Dredge shrimp in flour

4. Lightly coat shrimp with slurry

5. Sauté in hot oil, don’t move shrimp until browned on bottom

6. Cook shrimp on other side

7. Add wine, capers & lemon and reduce

8. Add cream and reduce to proper consistency

9. Serve immediately with chopped chive garnish.

Buon Appetitto