What, Really? You Want Me To Make Bolognese Tomato Sauce, Vegan Style?

I have discovered that, although I love my homemade tomato sauce with meat, I've managed to make a vegan version that is just as good.

I'm not kidding. I've had a few people taste it: vegetarians, newly-healthy eaters, and avid meat eaters. All of us agree that it is amazing.

The most important part of the sauce is the canned tomatoes you use. My mother, Gran Fran, swears by canned San Marzano tomatoes. They just taste better, even if they cost way more than the others. I think she learned about these from her Italian grandmothers, who hail from Southern Italy, not sure. They make for a much richer flavor, real tomato-y and not metallic at all. I used the diced ones. I'm sure Gran Fran is not happy with this at all, but the pre-diced ones make my life easier and the sauce chunkier.

When we were kids Gran Fran used to make use push whole canned tomatoes through a sieve to extract the seeds, skin and core. No matter what, I somehow always had a cut on my hand, which the acid from the tomato would burn. Gran Fran had no time for these kinds of complaints. There was likely some sort of a response along the lines of "When I was your age, we had to can the tomatoes ourselves." Or some such other silliness.

The addition of a generous handful of fennel seeds to the sauce makes it taste just like it does when I put sweet Italian sausage in there. I've tried it without the fennel, and it's just kind of bland, still better than store bought, but nothing special. A great trick that Gran Fran uses is to heat up the tomato paste in a small saucepan and most of the dried spices to it and some olive oil. By cooking them together, the tomato paste picks up the flavors and distributes them into the sauce more evenly. I think Gran Fran told me once that cooking the spices this way makes their flavors release more strongly. It's one of those things I do because my Mom told me to.

Oh, and don't forget to brown some garlic lightly before putting the tomato sauce and wine in the pot.

I do also add a half bottle of red wine. Any kind will do, even cheap stuff, though more expensive wines definitely add a little more depth to the sauce.

Cooking for a really long time over a low heat once everything is incorporated (Gran Fran-ism) is key to your sauce's success. This time I had to go out for a few hours after I started to sauce. I turned the flame off and let the pot sit until I came back, partially covered. This seemed to help the sauce thicken because when I came back, it was more set than when I left. I turned the flame back on and cooked it for another two hours, for a total cooking time of 4 hours. Slow cookers can be tried here, but I have not had the best luck with getting a good thick sauce in my slow cooker until the second day, reheating on the stove.

I'm going to make a bunch of this and can it for future use (or sale, who knows?). Last night, in a rush to make myself something to eat, I was lucky enough to find a gluten-free pizza crust in my cupboard and a jar of this fabulous tomato sauce in my fridge. Let me tell you, with a couple of anchovies and some pine nuts, I had myself a wonderful pizza, in under 20 minutes.

Bolognese Sauce: Italian Vegan Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 cans San Marzano diced tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed, skins removed
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsps tomato paste
• 1/2 bottle red wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 spring fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

 Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed non-reactive pan. Add the garlic and let sit for two minutes, just before it browns.
2. Pour both cans of diced tomatoes into the pan, bringing it to a boil.
3. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add the tomato past, fennel, oregano, rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
4. Cook the tomato paste and spices for three minutes, until fragrant.
5. Add the tomato paste with spices, the red wine and the bay leaves to the boiling tomato sauce.
6. Boil for one more minute, stir, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
7. Cover the pan halfway and cook for two hours, stirring occasionally.
8. Turn off the heat for an hour or two, keeping the sauce in the partially covered pan.
9. Return the heat to high, bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for an additional two hours, stirring occasionally.
10. Serve over pasta, on pizza or over broiled chicken breasts.

not just eggs

Reposting a great egg Frittata recipe for Easter. enjoy....Picture a hot summer morning at the beach. Five kids, two parents, pitchers of water, seltzer and juice, and tons of sunblock. It must be noted here, that many members of The Family (as the larger group of my siblings and parents shall hence forth be known, no cult-association intended here) hated the beach.

Herewith, some back-story on The Family history with the beach. Joe, our Dad, does not care for the sun. Being one of those blonde-haired, non-olive-skinned Italians, it is understandable why. So, we would head out to Jones Beach, in Long Island, at the crack of 7AM on a potentially sunny Sunday. We'd get there by 7:30, eat pastries on the boardwalk and then set up on the beach. At that hour, there was always plenty of choice real estate available, so we were right near the shore. We were usually packing up sometime around lunch, to avoid the high sun and the traffic back to Queens.

Another major issue, were the jelly fish. I'm not sure when it happened, but I do recall as early as age six that Gran Fran had scared us witless regarding these slimy creatures. Walking on the edge of the ocean was fraught with looking for the telltale globs of jelly-fishness. Gran Fran was convinced that if we got within even five feet of one, we would come away stung. Needless to say, none of us ever got a sting, but we all steered well clear of the jelly fish. And, to this day, poor Iz has to deal with my ever-lasting fear, with calls of "You keeps your eyes open for jelly fish. You don't want to get stung!" I guess no matter what we do, we all eventually turn into our parents.

As the morning progressed, we played in the surf, buried ourselves in the sand and collected a multitude of seashells (and some kelp, if I remember correctly, that was not allowed in the car home). We'd get hungry again around 11:00. This was the big event.

Enter the greatest lunch on earth: Gran Fran's Fritatta. Simply put, it is just a potato and egg pie, like an omelette, but fluffier and filled with fried potatoes.

But, Gran Fran has a way with eggs like no one else. It must be said here that she cooks all egg dishes in olive oil, not butter. Olive oil is the preferred cooking medium for all things savory in Gran Fran's world. Heaven forfend using butter for anything other than baked goods, especially eggs. She gags at the thought of it.

Out came the Frittata. Gran Fran is known for her wrapping (no, it's not elegant, but it is always thorough), and did not scrimp on the waxed paper then foil wrap to ensure the eggs would stay nice and soft, and the temperature would remain as cool as possible.

Cups of seltzer were poured and the eggs handed out. There was always quiet once everyone was served and was munching on their delectable treat. At those times, it was nice to see such a large family having a nice peaceful lunch on a sunny beach day.

But once the eggs were eaten, everyone dispersed again to do what they had been doing before lunch (avoiding the jelly fish, mind you). Overall, we were sated, happy and sunburned. And, it was high noon, time for The Family to head out. That Gran Fran, she sure knows how to feed a crowd!

Fritatta A la Gran Fran

Serves 4 as a meal, or 8 as a side dish

Ingredients:

• 2 Russet potatoes peeled and sliced thin
• 5 Eggs
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• Salt to taste

You will need a broiler-proof non-reactive deep skillet.

Method:

• Heat pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, and swirl it around to coat the sides and bottom of the pan.
• Place potatoes in pan, one at a time to create one layer. Do not crowd them. This will make a nice base for the Fritatta.
• Cook the potatoes over medium heat until they are browned, about 10 minutes. Flip the potatoes over and cook another 5 to 8minutes, watching carefully to make sure they don't burn.
• Crack 5 eggs into a bowl and mix them as if you’re making scrambled eggs. Be sure to break up all the yolks and get them all mixed together well. Add salt to taste, but not too much.
• When the potatoes are cooked on both sides, sprinkle them gently with salt. Pour the beaten eggs over the potatoes. Move the pan around to distribute the eggs evenly. After a minute or two, slide a spatula around the sides of the pan and tilt the pan so the raw eggs run into the space that the spatula created.
• Keep the pan on the flame for 3 minutes or so, shaking the pan gently, until the eggs begin to set to about an inch around the circumference of the fritata.
• Set the broiler for 3 minutes. Place pan under the broiler and watch carefully as top of eggs get bubbly, firm, and golden, until the top is well browned.
• Remove from oven. Place a serving plate on top of the pan, using oven mitts, grab the pan and plate and flip the Fritatta out onto the plate.

Enjoy hot, warm, cold, or at room temperature. Wonderful with a ripe tomato salad sprinkled wiht finely minced scallions, a dusting of kosher salt, and a good dollop of olive oil (this is Gran Fran's addendum to the above recipe).

The Day After: Pesto

I know, you've probably all eaten your body weight in treats, ham and gooey goodness by now, but I had to share a-not-so-light recipe with you. It's traditional, I guess, to start off the post-Christmas season with light, healthy foods, but it's so darn cold, I still think we need these stick-to-your-bones dishes to get us through.

Remember how I mentioned that my sister and I made a book for Gran Fran with her recipes and my photos? Well, here is another

recipe from that project, Lasagna Geonvese. I've not made many lasagna's in my time, but figured I should give this one a go since it's different than any others I've had.

I, of course, don't eat gluten or dairy, so I only had a small taste of this. It was superb. You could adjust this easily with gluten-free noodles, but I'm not a fan of non-dairy cheese, so can't recommend anything on that front.

OK, back to the recipe. It was really fun to make. Lots of steps, as I've mentioned before, but the potatoes and pesto really made this dish stand out from your traditional lasagna. I love the colors, too, since it's a little unexpected to see a green lasagna. I do have to say, though, I don't recall when Gran Fran may have made this for us.

I do remember her excellent Pesto, and know that when we were in Italy in 1989 we did have a lasagna with pesto and potatoes in it. Yes, that's right, I (and probably Gran Fran, too) can probably recall every dish we ate that month in Italy. The fried bread (savory and salty) is one thing I have yet to be able to recreate in my own kitchen.

Enjoy a piece of this right out of the oven.

original recipe courtesy of Fran Claro of The Italian Pantry

Lasagna Genovese

Serves ten

Pesto

• 3 cups basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, roughly grated
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2   teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Dried red pepper flakes to taste

1. In blender or food processor, pulse all ingredients, until sauce is thick and creamy.
2. Add more oil if necessary.
3. Set aside.

Lasagna

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

• 1 pound curly edge lasagna noodles
• 10 fingerling potatoes, scrubbed, salted, thinly sliced, steamed until tender
• 1 pound green beans, sliced on the bias, salted, steamed 5 minutes
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, coarsely grated
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, diced
• 2 cups whole milk ricotta, drained
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, minced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Pesto

1.  Boil noodles in salted water, according to package directions, drain well.
2.  Blend mozzarella, ricotta, and eggs with parsley;  salt and pepper to taste.
3.  Layer pesto, noodles, green beans, pesto, grated cheese, potatoes, blended cheeses, pesto.
4.  Continue stacking ingredients in the same order, ending with noodles, pesto, and a sprinkling of Parmigiano.
5. Cover loosely with aluminum foil; bake 35  minutes; remove foil; bake 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
6. Let rest 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Something’s Fishy: Feast of the Seven Fishes

Every year, the first week of December kicks off the planning of the Feast of the Seven Fishes, in San Francisco for my sister and myself, and in NYC for Gran Fran and the rest of our family.

What, you may ask is this Feast of the Seven Fishes you speak of, Miss? It’s a tradition to serve a meal consisting of seven fishes on Christmas Eve, if you’re from an Italian family (specifically, it’s more of a Southern Italian tradition, and since Gran Fran’s family hailed from Naples, and Joe’s (our Dad) family came from Calabria, we fit the bill perfectly).

The basic premise is that Roman Catholics didn’t eat meat on Christmas Eve, just as in years gone by, they wouldn’t eat meat on Good Friday, and every Friday. This all changed with Vatican II. But old traditions die hard and besides being tasty, fish is abundant in Southern Italy, San Francisco, and NYC.

So it remains the food to feast on before heading to Midnight Mass. There is no hard evidence on the “why” behind the number seven being chosen, some theorize it’s because of the Seven Sacraments, but others think it might have to do with seven of the of the Ten Commandments. Doesn’t really matter. For ours and most Italian-American families, Christmas Eve was and continues to be all about the fishes.

I have several fond, adult memories of recreating the Feast here in San Francisco, one great New York memory, and some odd childhood reluctance to eat many of the fishes presented to me.

Gran Fran’s menu usually includes: Calamari in Spicy Tomato Sauce, Brandade, Fried Whiting (converted to Fried Fish Salad on the following day), Breaded Shrimp and Scallops, Fillet of Sole, Anchovy Pasta, and Baccala (dried cod) in Tomato Sauce.

Let’s start with childhood. I was always in the kitchen with Gran Fran (and it should also be noted here that Joe is an excellent cook in his own right, with one of his recipes appearing below), hanging around to see what she was making and how. But, when Gran Fran was cooking, you were a guest, not a participant. In those sessions, I learned how to make Brandade (salt cod with potatoes), Anchovy Pasta, and many Fillet of Sole and Red Snapper recipes.

Once they hit the table, the Anchovy Pasta was pretty much the only thing I’d put on my plate, until Gran Fran would prompt me with something like “What’s the matter-you? Get some of everything on your plate, or I’ll smack you upside the head.” (Occasionally, she would also threaten to break my feet. But she never did me any physical harm, in case you were worried.)

Reluctantly, I’d get the plate loaded up and eat as little as I could get away with, except for the Anchovy Pasta, which I kept stocking up on.As I got older, all the fishes began to taste good to me, so it has been a pleasure re-creating the Feast here in SF. My sister and I have prepared at least two fishes each every year for the past 16 Christmas Eves, with this year culminating in the ultimate seven fishes.

But more on that in a minute. I want to talk about Christmas Eve 2006, which is the only one I’ve spent in NYC, between 1992 and 2008.On this particular occasion, Gran Fran and Joe had a houseful of guests from San Francisco, including me and my family and my sister and her family as sleepover guests. By the time we hit Christmas Eve day, it was clear that with the crowd of 23 (which consisted only of my 4 siblings’ families, my family, and my parents), Gran Fran would need some help making the fishes.

As it turned out, I ended up making the Steamed Mussels in Sauce and tending to the Breaded Fillet of Sole.Within a matter of moments, I became the Queen of Gran Fran’s kitchen. Which, was great not only because I knew I could live up to the legacy of her cooking but also because it would be the last Christmas Eve we would have in my childhood home. The tomato sauce bubbled, the sole sizzled, and I stayed right on top of it all. The results were awesome.

I used everything I learned over the years when I hosted Christmas Eve, 2008. We did make the Brandade, the Anchovy Pasta, and the Fillet of Sole just like Gran Fran. But the other four dishes were new twists, contributed by our West Coast friends and family. We had Chestnut Soup with Lump Crab Meat and Chanterelles, Smoked Trout with Salad Greens, Pecans and Grapefruit Slices, Steamed Clams and Chilean Sea Bass over Greens.

Yes, it’s about the fish, but it’s about family, holiday cheer, and tradition.The tradition lives on, even with my daughter, Iz, who is into fish; she made it her mission that we hit the magic number seven by keeping track of everyone’s contributions. I know that in the future she will continue the fishy-madness and make Gran Fran proud.

This is a link to Gran Fran’s blog, theitalianpantry.com with the original post regarding the Feast of the Seven Fishes: http://theitalianpantry.com/2006/12/12/the-christmas-eve-feast/

Pasta with Anchovies

(Neapolitan)

Serves 8

You will need a heavy-bottomed non-reactive saucepan and a 5 to 8qt stock pot. Ingredients:

• 2 cans best anchovy fillets wrapped around capers
• 3 cloves of garlic quartered
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs ground from good quality white bread
• 2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 pounds spaghettini

Method:

• Put salted water on to boil for pasta.
• While pasta is boiling, in a skillet heat olive oil until it shimmers.
• Add garlic and cook until it is golden.
• Add red pepper flakes and anchovies with their oil.
• Stir rapidly to break up anchovies. Reduce heat.
• Add bread crumbs and toss until crumbs are golden.
• Remove skillet from heat. Drain pasta. Stir in sauce.

Note: The recipe above specifies salt only in the pasta water because the recipe contains salty anchovies.

Baccala

(Neapolitan)

Serves 6 as a side dish

Order about 1 1/2 pounds of dried cod that has been soaked at the fish market. (You have to order this several days in advance to give the fishmonger time to soak it. The fish will expand to about 2 1/2 pounds after soaking. If you think this won't be enough to satisfy your guests, order more, and adjust the recipe accordingly. The dish can be served reheated. Don't worry about leftovers.)

You will need a non-reactive 5 to 8qt stock pot. Ingredients:

• Large white onion diced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 T. anisette or pernod
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• Pinch of salt
• Sprinkle fennel seeds
• Freshly ground pepper
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• Bay leaf
• Package Pomi strained tomatoes

• As soon as you get the fish home, place it in a large bowl of cold water in the refrigerator.
• Change water about every two hours until you are ready to cook fish.
• In a heavy, nonreactive pot, sauté the onion in the oil.
• Add spices.
• Reduce heat and carefully add the wine and anisette.
• Over a medium flame, allow the alcohol to evaporate.
• Stir in tomatoes.
• Simmer sauce until thick and reduced by half--about 30 minutes.
• Drain fish. Rinse well. Dry on paper towels. Cut into serving pieces.
• Add fish to simmering sauce. Partially cover pot. Allow fish to simmer nicely about 40 minutes.
• It should be totally opaque and flaky when cooking is complete. (Again, not too much salt because the fish is salty.)

Fritto Misto

(popular all over)

Serves 12 people (--but since it's a world-class favorite, you shouldn't cook less.)

You will need 2 large non-reactive frying pans; 2 jelly roll pans (baking sheets with a lip) Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds well-soaked and well-dried baccala
• 3 pounds calamari thoroughly cleaned and skinned, including tentacles
• 1 1/2 lb. whiting (merluzzo) fillets with bones removed if possible
• 2 pounds large shrimp, deveined and washed
• 2 pounds scallops, well rinsed
• 2 pounds lemon sole or flounder fillets
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2-4 cups olive oil (NOT extra-virgin)
• 4 lemons sliced in quarters

Method: Preheat oven to 200 degrees (To make the best fried fish: Keep it refrigerated up to the moment of preparation. Then make sure the fish is absolutely positively clean. Wash, wash, wash until your hands turn red from the cold water.)

• Heat frying pans and add enough oil to completely cover the bottoms with a layer about 1/8-inch thick. You'll add more oil as you need it.
• Place the flour in a paper lunch bag. Before you add the salt to the flour, shake the baccala in the flour. Then remove the baccala and add salt to the flour.
• While pans are heating begin to flour fish. Flour only a few pieces at a time. Fry fish in hot oil, making sure there is enough room between pieces to ensure even browning. As fish is fried place it on baking sheets.
• Place sheets in oven to keep fish warm. Add more oil as needed to pans. If flour forms a heavy coating in pan, wipe out pan, add fresh oil, and start again.

Serve fish as soon as possible after frying. Pass lemon slices to accompany fish.

Fried Fish Salad

• Early in day, select one of the fishes above, not the seafood, fry according to recipe above.
• Arrange fish on platter.
• Sprinkle fish with:

• Red pepper flakes
• Thinly sliced onion rings
• Small quantity vinegar.Cover platter closely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate salad several hours before serving.

Mussels

Serves 6 as a side dish

• 4 pounds cultivated mussels
• 6 cloves garlic quartered
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• Freshly grated pepper
• Pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons anisette
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf Italian Parsley

You will need a deep nonreactive skillet.

• Scrub and debeard mussels.
• Sauté garlic in olive oil, add salt and pepper, wine and anisette.
• Let alcohol evaporate. Return heat to high.
• Add parsley and mussels.
• Cover pan closely. Shake pan occasionally until mussels open. Discard any unopened mussels. Serve with crusty Italian bread.

Baked Red Snapper

(Neapolitan) Serves 6

• 1 whole red snapper, slit down one side, cleaned, gutted, head removed, well washed and dried
• 1 large onion
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly made bread crumbs from good quality white bread
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 pound large shrimp, cleaned, deveined, washed, dried and diced
• 3 tablespoons white wine plus 3 additional tablespoons

You will need a non-reactive skillet and an ovenproof nonreactive baking dish.

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Rub fish all over with some of the oil.
• Add a tablespoon of the oil to a large nonreactive baking dish. Rub the dish with the oil.
• Heat the remaining oil in a skillet. Sauté the diced onion until it is slightly golden and translucent.
• Add salt pepper, bread crumbs. Stir until crumbs begin to turn pale gold.
• Increase heat, add shrimp. Saute shrimp until cooked through.
• Add the 3 tablespoons wine. Stir. Remove from heat.
• Mix shrimp, onion, and crumbs together to form stuffing for fish.
• Stuff cavity of red snapper with mixture. Hold fish closed with toothpicks if necessary.
• Sprinkle remaining 3 tablespoons of wine over and around fish.
• Bake 25-30 minutes or until fish flesh is opaque, and skin is golden.