Around the World in 80 Plates: Italy (cont)

I will honest, these next ones I made back in September for Food Network Cookalong but never got around to posting it. First up is Giada de Laurentiis' take on Fritto Misto and I really wanted to share it with everyone  because it was so very delicious and is the recipe that showed me how amazing fennel bulbs could taste.

The recipe is basically vegan just having to replace the mayo with Vegenaise for the dipping sauce. She suggests a few veggies to try but I couldn't get my hands on good fresh green beans so I substituted mushrooms. The fennel was super scrumptious especially the browned caramelized bits. You have to make sure you slice them thinly so they get that way though. My only issue was keeping it all warm and crisp as I was frying it in my small pan on the stove top. This probably would have been a good one to break out the deep fryer. Everyone in the house tried this one out and found something they liked...Mac went for the cauliflower and my mom liked the chickpeas, Ryan and I loved it all!

To balance out the fried goodness I served the Fritto Misto with another Giada recipe, Caramelized Pancetta and Fennel Salad. Again, not terribly hard to veganize...it was just that pancetta that needed to move on out. I decided to make some Smoky Curls from Vegan Diner and tossed them in at the end in their place and as always, they were perfection! The caramelized fennel was sweet and garlicky, a very interesting combination that worked perfectly with the red wine vinaigrette. This one only the grown ups tried but there was a symphony of mmms around the table as we (gracefully) scarfed it down!

Around the World in 80 Plates: Italy (cont)

Next up for Italy is another recipe from Artisan Vegan Cheese...Pizza Margherita! This pizza may look simple and it is simple to make but it tastes so delicious thanks to Miyoko's Meltable Mozzarella. It is one of the easiest cheeses to make in the book since it only requires yogurt as it's base. I have made it a few times now and love it when you let it culture for the full 24 hours. It gives it the flavour I remember mozzarella having but not the true buffalo mozzarella (which I always found a bit bland), the kind you get in the giant blocks for much less. I was raised on the latter so my taste goes more for a sharper flavour that you can recreate with a 24 hour culture.

The dough is definitely different than the pizza dough I usually make since it has cold water not warm and you don't actually let it rise. It says in the recipe you want it to get it's rise in the hot oven. Fair enough. It was very tasty and had the perfect ratio of crunch to chew to it. I used a bottled store bought simple passata sauce with just San Marzano tomatoes, basil and salt and sprinkled it with bit of freshly chiffonaded (fancy word for sliced thinly into strips) basil. Ryan and I both really enjoyed this pizza, maybe there was even a little fight over who got the last slice. I would definitely make it again and encourage you to try it too!

Around the World in 80 Plates: Italy

What would a culinary trip of the world be without a few stops in Italy? This is the cuisine I tend to lean on when I am looking for some comfort. I know that most of what we would think of Italian food here in North America is not exactly what people in Italy would actually eat, more our version with extra cheese on top usually. For my first stop I decided to hit Bryanna Clark Grogan's book, Nonna's Italian Kitchen which I recently added to my ever growing cookbook library. I honestly spent hours reading this book from cover to cover. It is bursting with information and variations and history. I love it! I picked out the Risotto Giallo Classico (Classic Yellow Risotto) as my first foray into the book. I have only made risotto once before and that was a long time ago but it was just like riding a bike. I remembered quickly about all the stirring and how you would be greatly rewarded for your patience in the end. I used a few bouillon cubes for the stock but next time I would definitely take the time to make my own and make sure it was strong. You are really depending on the stock for the flavour in this dish so use the best quality you have access to. I love the bright yellow colour from the saffron, it really brightened up my plate which I appreciate now that supper time has gotten much darker as winter approaches (ugh!). I served this up with some slices of crusty bread and some peas which aren't pictured. It was a warm, hearty supper that we all really enjoyed!

And the next day with the leftover risotto, I did what some inventive (genius) Italian cook did so long ago (in the 10th century apparently!!)...I made arancini! I actually used Miyoko Schinner's recipe for Risotto Fritters from Artisan Vegan Cheese for them since I had been eyeing the recipe since I first got the book. And I just happened to have a few balls of Meltable Mozzarella (also in the book and Sept/Oct VegNews too) in the fridge awaiting their destiny to be the center of my risotto fritters too! I skipped the sauce from the recipe and opted for the much quicker (store bought) marinara  to accompany them but the best part was the fresh basil on top. Fresh basil just always makes anything Italian taste better doesn't it?! The mozzarella melted perfectly in the center and added a really rich, creaminess to each bite. There is the option to bake them but I went for the fried route figuring it wasn't something I would make all the time, might as well go for it. The breadcrumbs were perfectly crispy and added a nice textural contrast to the creamy inside. Definitely the way to go! In the picture below it looks like I am serving up just one each but trust me, Ryan and I popped a lot more than one each but I knew it would look super adorable in these little dishes. It would be a great way to serve them as hors d'oeuvres!