From jonaspas@sprynet.com Tue Mar 24 15:51:10 1998 Date: Mon, 09 Mar 1998 22:34:36 -0500 From: "Jonas V. Bilenas" To: Pasta Lovers: ; Subject: Pasta Lovers Newsletter: 98.04 Issue Pasta Lovers Newsletter Now 1-3 times a month 3/09/98 Issue 98.03 2435 Subscribers ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe pasta" message to mailto:jonaspas@sprynet.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Contents 1. Bulgur wheat with veal steaks 2. Reader mail - Asian Influence in Hawai'i - Sauteed Scallops on Lemon Fettuccine - Pizzoccheri Valtellinesi - Who "invented" pasta? - Garlic Pasta ??? - 2 more fans *************************************************** 1. Bulgur wheat My wife and I stopped in a diner the other day and ordered a Greek lamb dish. The meal was served with either rice, french fries or bulgur wheat. Since we were rather unfamiliar with bulgur wheat, we decided to give it a try. It was rather tasty and reminded me a bit of risotto. It is a bit chewy in texture, but lighter than brown rice. Bulgar wheat is a common staple in Middle Eastern cooking an is a good source of vitamin B. The next day I picked up a box of bulgar wheat and some good looking veal steaks (thicker slices of veal) and came up with the following dish. You can substitute chicken, turkey, veal scallopine, or skip the meat for a light vegetarian meal. The radichio in this dish may be a bit too fancy so you can omitt them and just serve the bulgur along side the veal. My wife seems to have gotten into a bulgur kick of late and serves it with many dishes from sausages to steamed salmon. - 1/3 - 1/2 cup cracked or bulgur wheat - 2/3 to 1 cup chicken stock or water for wheat (still experimenting with the liquid to wheat ratio) - olive oil - 2 veal steaks - 1/2 cup chicken or veal stock - 3/4 cup white wine - 3 sundried tomatoes, chopped coarsley - 1 red pepper, diced or 1 dice red roasted red pepper - sea salt, cracked pepper, ground cumin - 1 fresh hot red pepper - seeded, veins removed and diced fine - 1 shallot chopped - fresh flat leaf parsley and sage, chopped - mixed fresh exotic mushrooms (I used 8 shitake and 2 handfulls of white trumpet) - radicchio - the long leaf variety - 6 larger leaves, washed and dried. - 1/2 - 1 tsp hoisin sauce - optional - few dashes of rice vinegar - optional (or basalmic vinegar) - 1/2 tsp arrowroot disolved in 1/4 cup white wine (optional) or 1-2 tsp unsalted butter 1. In a medium hot saucepan, add olive oil, sundried tomatoes, red peppers and bulgur wheat. Stir for about a minute and then add 1/4 cup white whine. Stir until almost all the wine is absorbed and add stock or water. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a low simmer and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes and then shut off heat and let steam (if using and electric stove, remove from burner and place on cool burner) while you cook the veal. 2. Heat a saute pan unitl hot. Season the veal steaks with sea salt, cracked pepper ans ground cumin. Add oil to pan and brown veal. Do not move the veal around in the pan, let it sit to get brown. If you are afraid the veal will stick, use a nonstick pan. After 2-3 minutes, turn the veal and brown on other side and add the fresh hot peppers if using. After another 2 minutes, remove veal and as much of the peppers to a plate and cover with some foil to keep warm. 3. Add some more oil and add sliced mushrooms. Saute mushrooms until they turn brown and wilt. Remove mushrooms from pan. Add shallots and remaining wine (can also use red wine instead of white) and deglaze the pan. Reduce for a minute or two over high heat. Add additional 1/2 cup stock and let reduce for a minute. If using the hoisin sauce, add now and stir to incorporate into sauce. Add arrowroot slury and/or some butter. Stir to thicken over heat (arrowroot or other starch must come back to a boil). 4. Slice veal steaks into strips and, if cool or too undercooked, add back to pan with sauce to heat through. Add mushrooms to pan to incorporate into the sauce. 5. Arrange 3 radicchio leaves in each plate and spoon in some bulgur wheat in each leaf. Sprinkle with a bit of vinegar if using. Arrange slices of veal between radicchio cups and then spoon mushroom sauce on plate. (Serves 2) *********************************** Pasta Lovers Sponsor: ************************************************* ARE YOU MARKETING A PRODUCT, OR SERVICE, ONLINE? K & D Publishing offers a wide variety of free, online marketing resources. FREE Banner Placement, FREE E-Zine, FREE Advert Links, FREE Reports, and much more. http://www.infoback.net/kndpublishing/ ************************************************** Kim Skinner, K & D Publishing *************************************************** Do You Need Some FREE Help Promoting Your Website? http://www.infoback.net/kndpublishing *************************************************** To subscribe to "SUCCESS ONLINE WEEKLY", our FREE newsletter developed for online marketers, send any e-mail to, mailto:successonlineweekly@infoback.net *************************************************** ********************** Reader Mail ************************** From: AnnEvery@aol.com Received: from imo30.mail.aol.com (imo30.mx.aol.com [198.81.19.168]) by sprynet.com (8.6.12/8.6.12) with ESMTP id QAA06568 for ; Mon, 9 Feb 1998 16:07:29 -0800 Received: from AnnEvery@aol.com by imo30.mx.aol.com (IMOv12/Dec1997) id JBQJa08035 for ; Mon, 9 Feb 1998 19:05:43 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <450269a.34df99d9@aol.com> Subject: Re: Pasta Lovers Newsletter - 98.03 Issue - Asian Ingredients Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Dear Jonas, Don't forget that in Hawai'i we have all of the many different Asian influences in our food and culture so please feel free to ask me for a recipe or any other information you may need regarding Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Filipino, or Korean cuisines. I created an Asian/Western mix the other day by using Choi Sum instead of Broccoli Rabe. Choi Sum is a dark green leafy vegetable with an edible stem (just the ends need to be trimmed off) It has a slightly bitter taste. I cut up and sauteed the Choi Sum in garlic and olive oil; added chunks of cook salmon (or canned salmon); added a pinch of hot pepper flakes, salt and pepper and tossed this mixture with cooked thin spaghetti, adding some of the pasta cooking water to moisten the dish. Aloha, Ann Hall Every Certified Culinary Professional Culinary Report from Paradise P.S. My web site has just been revised and includes some new and interesting information for all of you food enthusiasts! As always, your comments are appreciated. http://members.aol.com/cookaloha Jonas: Is Choi Sum also known as Chinese Broccoli? Keep those Asian recipes coming. If I would have to pick one cusine, it would have to be Asian (followed closely by Italian). ----------------- Next Mail ----------------------------- From: Bob Levine Subject: Thanks Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Status: Just read the latest Pasta lovers newsletter and it was great as usual. Just wanted to write and thank you for including my recipe and to say that I'm awed at inspiring your fennel recipe thank you very much for the mention. Here's another pasta recipe, I'll admit that I add to the vodka a bit and even use a little white wine to make enough sauce. Sauteed Scallops on Lemon Fettuccine from Cooking Light Magazine March 1995 1/4 cup all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon Cracked Pepper 1 pound Sea Scallops (we used bay scallops) 2 teaspoons olive oil 2 teaspoon margarine 1/3 cup vodka 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 clove garlic minced 6 cups hot cooked fettuccine (about 12 ounces uncooked) 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley Combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip top heavy duty plastic bag. Add scallops to bag and shake to coat. Heat oil and margarine in a large non stick skillet over high heat. Add scallops, cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned and done. Remove scallops from pan; keep warm. Reduce heat to medium: add vodka, lemon rind, lemon juice, and garlic. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, add pasta and toss gently to coat. Divide pasta mixture evenly among 4 individual plates, top with scallops, sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese and 1 tablespoon parsley. Yield 4 servings. CALORIES 481 (14% from fat) PROTEIN 30.6G; FAT 7.3G(sat 1.6g mono 3g poly 1.7g) CARB 65.3G; FIBER 3.6G; CHOL 40MG; IRON 3.8MG; SODIUM 559MG; CALC 96MG. Jonas: Thanks for the recipe. I would probably skip the margarine and add a bit of unsalted butter at the end to finish the sauce. I also follow the Italian tradition of not using cheese on pasta dishes that include fish. Also, if using sea scallops, remove the side abductor muscle before cooking. ----------------------- Next Mail ------------------------ From: "Steve Saviello" Subject: Fw: [COI] Fw: Pizzoccheri Valtellinesi FROM: Gianluca e Marco Here is a pasta recipe from Northern Italy (Alps). It is usually intended as a 1st course, before a light 2nd course. It is mainly a winter recipe as it is based on butter, while most Italian recipes are based on olive oil. Pizzoccheri are thick grey noodles (the grey comes from buckwheat) that tends to break into pieces (this is not a problem). They tend to break because of the buckwheat, that is why only about the 30% of the flour is the buckwheat grey flour. If you cannot find buckwheat, or you have less time, just use the thickest noodles you can find. (Serving 4-6 people) 10 oz white whole wheat flour 6 oz buckwheat flour 12 oz of two/three different medium sharp cheese (one of them more bitter, and another a bit sweeter). A Cheddar cheese that can easily melt works perfectly. The original Italian recipe uses a cheese called Bitto which can be found only in Valtellina (Alps). 4 oz of Parmesan cheese 7 oz Savoy cabbage or just cabbage or a mix of spinach and cabbage 3 medium sized potatoes 8 oz unsalted butter 6 cloves garlic Sage Salt and Pepper Mix Buckwheat and White flour, add lightly salted water (about 1/2 glass) and knead to make pizzoccheri. About twice thicker than ordinary noodles. Never mind if sometimes they break. Dice potatoes and cabbage (about 1") Dice cheeses. Grate Parmesan In a big pan boil salted water. As the water boils put the potatoes and the cabbage (or spinach) in the water. 5 minutes later add pizzoccheri as the water continues to boil. In the meantime, in a 2nd wide pan, lightly fry the lightly crushed garlic and the sage After 15 minutes of boiling remove the pizzoccheri and the vegetables from the 1st pan draining the water carefully. Put the pizzoccheri in the second pan this way: 1 layer of Pizzoccheri and vegetables 1 layer of diced cheeses 1 layer Grated Parmesan and little pepper and so on. Continue frying and occasionally stirring for about 3 to 4 minutes. As the cheese melts remove the pan from the fire, and serve The amount of butter can be modified according to your taste and that of your doctor. Gianluca e Marco Jonas: mmm. Potatoes, pasta and cabbage. A wonderful dish. ----------------------- Next Mail -------------------------- From: "Rosa Lupo" Subject: Who "invented" pasta? Content-Type: text/plain Status: Who "invented" pasta? Popular legend has it that Marco Polo introduced pasta to Italy following his exploration of the Far East in the late 13th century; however, we can trace pasta back as far as the fourth century B.C., where an Etruscan tomb showed a group of natives making what appears to be pasta. The Chinese were making a noodle-like food as early as 3000 B.C. And Greek mythology suggests that the Greek god Vulcan invented a device that made strings of dough (the first spaghetti!). Pasta made its way to the New World through the English, who discovered it while touring Italy. Colonists brought to America the English practice of cooking noodles at least one half hour, then smothering them with cream sauce and cheese. But it was Thomas Jefferson who is credited with bringing the first "maccaroni" machine to America in 1789 when he returned home after serving as ambassador to France. The first industrial pasta factory in America was built in Brooklyn in 1848 by, of all people, a Frenchman, who spread his spaghetti strands on the roof to dry in the sunshine. Jonas: Thanks, you are always a good source of information and pasta recipes. I hope England still doesn't cook pasta for half an hour. ------------------- Next Mail ------------------------------ From: Kelsoola Message-ID: Subject: Garlic Pasta ??? Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Status: Hi Jonas! I love your newsletter. I'm a hopeless pasta lover and a hopeless garlic lover. What's your favorite recipe that combines both pasta & garlic? Kelsey Jonas: I used to like pasta with garlic and oil, but lately been looking for more flavor and have been adding pepper flakes, parsley and sometimes anchovy to the clasic dish. ---------------- Next Mail --------------------------------- From: "Ida Leung" Subject: Pasta bake recipe... Content-Type: text/plain Hi, I am a new subscriber to your newsletter. This is perfect for a pasta lover like me...too bad I didn't discover the site sooner. I saw the note regarding baked pasta; well I just made one last night and guess I'll share it with you and everybody else: I.D.A.'s Baked Pasta with Italian sausage and sun dried tomato sauce. (and this is so easy, you can have this huge bake done and stick it in the oven in less than 30 min.) Ingredients: Sundried Tomato Paste(Personally I like to buy sundried tomato and chop it up and store it in Olive oil in the fridge...add a spoonful here and there; it's a miracle) Garlic Parsley flakes Parmesan cheese Mozerella cheese Peppers (I usually have them in different colors; looks pretty) Other veggies e.g. mushroom, zuchinni Italian sausage Cream (Optional...if you like it creamy) Sundried Tomato pasta sauce (lazy as I am I bought them in a jar in the supermarket. If you want you can make you own...) Pasta e.g. shell, macaroni...your choice...must be good for baking (You also need a baking dish.) Instructions: 1. cook pasta and while pasta is boiling, chop up veggies Preheat oven to 375 2. In a big saucepan, make the sauce by stiring in the veggies/saugsages and the pasta sauce. Add 2 tbsp of the sundried tomato paste and if desire, cream. *see tips 3. In the baking dish, spray veg. oil on the botton. Start layering: pasta, then sauce (from step 2.) and cheese 4. Repeat step 3. to add another pasta/sauce/cheese layer. Sprinkle more mozerella cheese and add the Parmesan in to form the "cheese top". Sprinkle sundried tomato and parsley flakes on top. Stick it in the oven...20 min...voila...done. tips: don't make your sauce too thick or your bake will be too dry. Jonas: Sounds so good, I may make it this weekend. Do you remove sausage from the casing? ------------------------- Next Mail --------------------------- From: "Michael Burch" Subject: Re: Pasta Lovers Newsletter Content-Type: text/plain Date: Wed, 21 Jan 1998 15:53:34 PST Status: To whom it may concern, Yesterday I tried one of the newsletters recipes, and loved it. So I sent a copy of the recipe via e-mail to my mother and she loved it. She asked where I got the recipe and I told her I got it through this newsletter. She asked me if she could start recieving the letter also. To who ever that may recieve this message, please start sending the newsletter to my mother. It would be grately appreciated. Thank you for your cooperation. Sincerely, Mike Burch mikeburch@hotmail.com Jonas: I placed your mother on the list. What pasta recipe did you try? ________________________________________________________________________ Pasta Lovers Newsletter. Published 1-3 time a month and delivered by e-mail. Please send comments, suggestions, notes and recipes to: mailto:jonaspas@sprynet.com Send cookbooks, publications, products for review to: Jonas V. Bilenas P.O. Box 1315 Church St. Station New York NY 10008-1315 homepage: http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/jonaspas/ We also publish a beer newsletter - reviews of beer, wine, and Scotch. To receive send "subscribe beer" message to mailto:jonaspas@sprynet.com To Place an ad in these newsletters, send inquiry to: mailto:jonaspas@sprynet.com Member of The List Exchange, http://www.listex.com ________________________________________________________________________