A simple pasta soft, unripened cheese, lots of healthy grilled vegetables, a hint of garlic scape and a blast of balsamic reduction serve hot or cold, as a starter or a main for lunch or dinner.  Easy, fast and healthy it's the prefect meal as temperatures rise and the desire for all things growing takes over.

I'm pushing the seasons a bit, but I just can't help myself.  I can't shop without filling the cart in the produce isle right now.  If it's alive, and from the garden I want to eat it.  In the barbecue season, I grill huge platters of vegetables and stash them for the week.  If it can be cut and cooked, it can be grilled.  

In this bowl: grilled asparagus, peppers, zucchini, porcini mushrooms, yellow onions, green onions, celery and fennel all lightly brushed with olive oil, seasoned with salt & pepper make perfect base for some great meals.  

Keeping things simple, the favours of the garden shine through.  I used a little garlic scape paste, which you may recall from last summer.  I keep it in the fridge for the late winter/early spring when garlic gets punky and soft.  It's got a bright, fresh flavour without the garlic heat, but a clove of crushed garlic totally works.

Another warm weather must have: balsamic reduction.  As simple as taking balsamic vinegar and allowing it to simmer until it's thick (and the whole house smells of vinegar).  I keep it in a squeeze bottle for a drizzle over salads, pastas, fish & antipasto.  Then this pasta comes together as easy as one, two, three... four.

Grilled Vegetable Pasta with Bocconcini & Balsamic Reduction

One:  Grill and chop your vegetables.  Brush with the oil of your choice, keep your heat moderate, you want to grill them, not incinerate them.  Chop when cool.

Two:  Cook your pasta.  Any pasta, any shape, any style.

Three:  Toss cooked pasta with olive oil, garlic paste, salt & pepper over medium-low heat.  Warm gently.

Four:  Plate.  Finish with fresh cut bocconcini and drizzle with balsamic reduction and serve.

Live, Love, Eat... WELL!

Burnt Butter Italian Kitchen , a new addition to the Hintonburg scene and a dream come true for husband and wife team Steve Wallace and Gen Lamorie.  Offering Italian-inspired dishes served in a slick modern room, it's small enough to be intimate but big enough to be impressive.

Joined on a cold afternoon by a new friend and fellow writer, for a gabby, get-to-know-you-better chinwag and testing of the new flavours at Burnt Butter.   The big backboard menu brimmed with choices and everything sounded so... exciting.  The Pasta selection made my head spin: Swiss Chard Gnocchi, Lemon Totalini, Curry Rasta Linguine, Tomato Fettuccine and Sesame-Soya Agnolotti.  How to decide?!

We started by sharing the Arugala Salad: brandied figs, toasted walnuts, plum tomatoes, purple onion and a balsamic vinaigrette.  Let me start by saying I am now addicted to brandied figs, I don't know why I hadn't though of this combination myself, I now plan to add them to everything.

The salad itself was a delight, both in texture and flavour, tart, tangy, sweet, savory, sharp - all at once.  It had edge and appeal.  We both enjoyed it and found it plentiful to split, so as not to ruin our appetite.

The Sesame-Soya Agnolotti: pork, lemon grass, ricotta in a tomato-hoisin sauce was her choice (top photo). The Curry Rasta Linguine: grilled chicken & shrimp, chilies, olive oil, pineapple salsa (below) was mine.  The service was professional and attentive, the food was beautiful but a couple of bites in and we two food fanatics stopped to chat.

"Is it me or is the food under seasoned?"
"It's not you."
"I'm not really getting the curry.  On the meats yes, but otherwise it's a bit flat."
"Yes.  I don't really taste the lemon grass, or the hoisin..."
"It wants for salt."
It does, but it shouldn't."
"No... LOVE the pineapple salsa though."

*long pause*

"I expected more."

More punch, more power and taste, our food was perfectly cooked, exquisitely plated and yet, we were left a little flat.  As a consequence, I liked it, but I really, really, really wanted to LOVE it.  I wanted to swoon and feel giddy but instead I felt like a little sad.  I know what it is to have a dream and watch it take it's first breath, the thrill of those first few steps and the excitement as it starts to gain independence and confidence.  I want success for Burnt Butter and it's people.

The experience left me baffled, Chef Steve Wallace has 25 years under his belt, surly he doesn't allow something out of his kitchen without a dash of salt?   In reading diner reviews, I note that others felt much the same, desperately wanting to to fall in love with Burnt Butter, but just not getting what they need to get there.

In recent conversations with other restaurateurs, I've been told that customers are complaining about "too much salt" (and sending food back to the kitchen), in response their food has become bland and shallow to appease.

So I sent a note to Burnt Butter owners Gen & Steve before publishing asking if they'd experienced the same feedback from customers and had therefore dialed back the food.  "Is Ottawa becoming salt-phobic?" this Gypsy wants to know.

Gen's reply: "Steve is really conscious of of health and salt intake and he is cognizant of the levels of salt when he seasons, and does tend to be on the low side (or what is perceived as low, but is actually healthy, it is just that our taste buds are pretty used to things being over salted).  We do have salt for the tables if a patron requests it - we certainly do get some patrons requesting it."

Awwwwwwe, you're trying to keep me on the planet longer.  I'm touched.  But on behalf of myself the dining public Steve let me say this; throw off the shackles of minding my salt intake, I beg of you.  Good heavens man, that's too much for you to worry about!   If I have a problem with hypertension or high blood pressure, I'll let the kitchen know.  (Hello, PERFECT blood pressure over here.) Please, by-all-means, season my food. 

If that cuts against your grain, don't make me ask for salt and feel like I'm insulting the kitchen, put a beautiful salt grinder on the table, a note about your health-conscious approach on the menu and I'll salt myself, thus relieving you of all guilt and sleepless nights.

For the record:  salt is not bad for you, salt is an essential element and important in maintaining good health.  The key is balance, moderation and GOOD salt.

Now that we have that out of the way Steve, let me now give you permission to wow me.  Let the food sing,  if I order a dish with curry as the superstar, I want to taste it by-gum.   Slap me in the mouth, I like my Italian a little on the rough side.  I'll be back and I'll be happy to be playfully spanked by the kitchen.  (Metaphorically speaking.)

You called it Brunt Butter... burn Baby, BURN.

1100 Wellington St.
Ottawa, ON K1Y 2Y7
Phone: 613.792.4000
www.burntbutter.ca

A charmingly captivating room, I look forward to my return.

Wednesday night and time to get dinner on the table.   A simple little pasta, 45 minutes, start to finish:  mushrooms, zucchini and cherry tomatoes in a light cream sauce topped with prosciutto and your choice of pasta.

Here I'm shooting a spinach & ricotta filled ravioli from my local market.  We're busy people, making pasta is a weekend event, not a Wednesday night dinner.  It's not all  Boeuf Bourguignon and  Chipolte Chocolate Souffles at Chez Gypsy, pasta is my favorite, simple go to meal during the week, the fewer ingredients the better.

 Ingredients:

12 mushrooms, sliced
2 zucchini, cut to suit
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
8 - 10 slices prosciutto, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons sherry (or white white)
2 cups light cream (10 - 15% milk fat)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (1 teaspoon fresh, chopped fine)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Cooked pasta for four

I promised you a meal in 45 minutes to to do that, get that get all your prep out of the way.  As soon as that is done, get your pot of salted pasta water on to boil, it's the thing that takes the longest and is excruciating to watch.  So prep that and have it standing by as you start your sauce.   (At this point, I'm browning mushrooms, lol, try to keep up. )

Add olive oil to your pan just to cover bottom of your pan,  sauté mushrooms and zucchini, separately, one after the other in the same pan, until just tender and reserve.  Add more oil as needed.

Sometimes, it's all about how you handle an ingredient.  I love prosciutto, its smokey saltiness, love it raw, love it cooked, love it on pizza, but I especially love it crisp.  Add the prosciutto and cook on medium high heat, until still tender but crisp.  Remove from pan and reserve seperatly.  Here it's still chewy, you want it darker and firm, like that one little piece on the bottom right.

This is the perfect time to start your pasta, timing is everything.

Sauté garlic until transparent.  Use all those gorgeous pan juices and a dash of sherry (or white wine) to deglaze before you add your cream and there's our sauce.

 "That, brown stuff at the bottom of the pan is flavour, that's pure gold, baby" - Anthony Bourdain.

Don't miss any of it, scrape it off with your spoon, when in doubt add more sherry/wine to help it dissolve (Tony would approve).  Then let it bubble just a bit, bending flavours, before adding your cream.

See what nice warm colour that gives the cream?  Allow cream to reduce, over medium heat, adding your cherry tomatoes,  cook until tomatoes and soft (about 5 minutes).  Add basil, cooked mushrooms & zucchini, continue to reduce over medium-low heat, uncovered.

Question: What if my sauce is too thin?  Answer: Reduce it longer.  Just keep it on the heat a few more minutes, resist the temptation to turn up the heat, or the cream will scorch.  Patience.  Never rush cream, cream hates to be rushed.

Question: What if my sauce is too thick?  Answer: Do what professionals do, add water.  When you reduce cream to thicken you're removing water, so to thin; add water.  Add it a little at a time to be sure your consistency is what you're looking for.

Nice bit if business: this sauce can stand off the heat for an hour and it will do not harm.  Warm over medium-low heat when you're ready, add a touch of water if needed.  You're busy, you have stuff to do.  Serve over cooked pasta, top with the crispy prosciutto and voila, you're a hero.

Cream makes everything better.  Happy Wednesday.

Part 2 of our sexy wine & cheese liaison on Food Gypsy; six great bottles, five beautiful cheeses, and one wicked prosciutto in the heart of  the Old World – Italy.

In Part 1; The Seduction we looked at artful ways to pair the two (think counterbalance), how to lead the pallet (open the evening with a solid charcuterie) and a few of the basic steps in the tempting tango of lovers matched for power, strength and endurance in the tryst that is wine & cheese.

Italy is a country that revolves around food.  It is not simply a necessity, food is the thread of life;  family, togtherness, pleasure and culture.  This is why I LOVE Italy.  Food and wine and naps after lunch followed by arguments about what’s REALLY important in life – soccer – all while looking fabulous in your butter-soft, Italian leather shoes.

You’ll notice that some of the wines pair well with several cheeses.  You didn’t think Italian wines were only seeing one cheese, did you?

Wine : San Vincenzo 2009, Anselmi, Veneto ($14.95)
Starting with: Prosciutto di San Daniele & assorted olives

Open with a salt cured thinly sliced prosciutto, the “cevice of ham”, this particular salt-cured leg of pork is massaged to remove all blood, then dry cured.  The result is a firm, dry texture with streaks of warm buttery fat.

The saltiness of the prosciutto and olives is balanced by the fruity freshness of the San Vincenzo.  Medium bodied, with hints of pear but sufficiently dry, it’s a beautiful opening wine; a casual closeness betwixt these two is often filled with drama.

Frankly, the San Vinchenzo is a very popular grape; chicken, grilled meats, spicy seafood.  While Prosciutto is often courted by new world unoaked chardonnay.  All’s fair in love and food.

Wine: Teanum Alta, Falanghina 2008, Puglia ($15.95)
Cheese: Mozzarella di Bufala & a dam good olive oil

A good Buffalo Mozzarella is still fresh with whey; with a cream that is richer than cow’s milk, it makes for a complete mouth experience.  Tangy, yet creamy, a drizzle of olive oil gives it a hint of earthy fruitiness.

Hometown sweethearts; the Falanghina grape is native to the Campania region, where much of the Buffalo Mozzarella produced in Italy comes from.  This is a stunning white, vibrant and crisp and one of Italy’s oldest grapes dating back to the beginning of the empire.  Perhaps this is why it highlights this cheese so magnificently, underscoring its creamy texture.  These two are familiar lovers, still tender and affectionate despite one being married to another.

The Mozzarella di bufala left Falanghina in favour of a good tomato, and they’ve been together ever since.  Falanghina, is often seen in the company of a variety of seafood and frequently makes the news receiving gold metals, but his heart belongs to his first love - Mozzarella di bufala - and it always will.

Wine: Moscato D’Asti 2009, Ca’ dei Mandori ($14.95)
Cheese: Savello di Roma & pear ginger and roasted hazelnut compote

Let me introduce you to a sheep’s’ milk cheese.  If you’ve never tried one swing open the door of the Frigidaire, you’re in for a treat. The Savello di Roma is a young firm cheese, aged as little as 60 days, it’s creamy and smooth with a hint of tang.

The Moscato is one of those all round cheese wines, with a light, fresh fizziness and juicy fragrance.  It is the very definition of ‘tiny bubbles’ bursting with favour against the pallet.  You never know, it might try to pick up the Taneggio or the Pamigiano, it’s that kind of wine.

Wine: Gewurztraminer, 2008 Kuhlmann-Platz, Alsace ($17.95)
Cheese : Taleggio & roasted almonds

This is a wine that confuses me, it sounds German, but comes from France and its included here because its Gewurztraminer has roots in Northern Italy.  It dances beautifully with this washed rind, full-fat Taleggio.  The only one of its kind in Italy, this cheese has a ripe pungency that is the epitome of “barnyard” flavour.

The dry, but not too intense Gewruz favours the Far East with a taste for East Indian and Thai, it likes it spicy.  Which is why it plays so nicely against a raunchy, “farmer’s daughter” cheese like Taleggio.

Wine : Torre del Falasco, Valpolicella Ripasso, 2007 ($16.95)
Cheese: Pamigiano Reggiano with orange blossom honey

The real treat here is the orange blossom honey, it bounces this high protein, mealy cheese around your mouth in a sensational favour rumba.  Among the most strictly controlled cheeses in the world, the Reggiano is made from the milk of cows fed only grass and hay for a higher percentage of fat.  Condensed, brined, aged, and tested under government scrutiny, only then is it stamped and shipped.  The result is one of the most popular and versatile cheeses in the world.

Mixing it up with the Valpolicella; on its own its fiery and spicy with a serious amount of vitality and a smooth finish.  Pamigiano Reggiano is not a cheese to be trifled with, she won’t stand for it, so go red.  She is the Ferrari of cheeses; one wrong move and you’re in the ditch.

Great looking... cheese... compliments of La Bottega in Ottawa's Byward Market

Wine: Recitoto dell Valpolicella 2007, Antolini ($27.95)
Cheese : Gorgonzola with fig spread

Tagged with the adjective “picante” in its home county, this is one saucy cheese.  Known for its sharp tongue, it’s said to be among the oldest cheeses in Italy.  The Gorgonzola is the dominatrix of Italian cheeses.  Don’t even think about touching her until you’ve tried your metal with the likes of tart-y cheeses half her age, or she will beat you black and blue.  Mostly blue.

To balance her aggression you need sweetness.  The Recitoto dell Valpolicella, whose grapes are dried on mats until after January, has a rich, chocolaty finish.  This warms her, mellows her and melts her into a creamy, yet intense union of divine equals who refuse to commit.

Gorgonzola is fierce, a trouble maker who will not be tamed and Recitoto is full of body and life, often in the arms of his other lover; semi-sweet dark chocolate.

That chocolate, she’ll see any big, fruity, rich red wine!  I ain’t sayin’ she a Gold Digger...

Join us next month for Part 3 of our wine & cheese series - The Romance; a euphoric romp through the epicurean paradise of France.

Oh you naughty wine you, I'm just going to have to drink you!

It’s comfort food season, a chilly day found me in the kitchen whipping-up a batch of spaghetti & meatballs, singing “On Top of Spaghetti” and pondering the nature of the sobriety of those writing children’s songs.

Think about it; you loose your meatball after someone sneezes on it, it rolls across the floor, all the way outside, under a shrub, where it becomes “mush” (one must assume this would take days), you then taste it (ewwwwwh!) , and then it grows into a tree?

OooooooKaaaaaaay, I’ll have a case of wherever they’re drinkin’!  Now... let’s a-make-a some nice a-spicy meat-a-balls and a-nice-a tomato sauce.

Using a combination of medium ground beef and lean ground pork, you get light tasting but moist meatballs.  I bake meatballs on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet so any excess fat drains off.  This leaves them crisp on the outside but tender on the inside and there’s no messy splatter to clean up on the stove top.

 Tomato sauce is quick and easy, costs pennies to make and keeps for days in the fridge, why buy it in a jar?

The secret to a truly great tomato sauce, is simplicity.  I know at least six versions: thick & chunky, sweet, spicy, tart, smooth and smokey.  This is a personal favourite, taught to me in one of my favourite Nona Kitchens, bright and fresh, slightly chunky and a hit with kids (while singing “On Top of Spaghetti”).

Sauce tip: always start with onion, let that sweat a minute or two then add garlic, that will give the pan enough moisture so your garlic doesn’t burn.  Bring together the main ingredients (onion, garlic & tomato) and bring that to a low boil.  Remove from heat, stir in fresh herbs, let stand until ready to serve.  Heat until just about to bubble and serve.   This keeps the herbs fresh and green and the sauce bright and perky.

Speaking of perky; if you’d like to write children’s songs, here’s some wine pairing ideas for your spaghetti:

Such an easy pairing, really any full bodied dry to semi-dry red would do; chianti, merlot, cabernet or shiraz all work.  Personally, I like a decent pinot noir with anything Italian. Pinot being my favorite grape, frankly I like it with anything... including toast.

Let’s try something different shall we?  How about a Lambrusco.  In its dry or sweeter versions, Labrusco’s berry note is often favored by wine newbie’s.  Its bright acidity pairs well with fatty foods; anything containing mayo (ie: potato salad) or grilled meats.  The touch of fat in these little meatballs (plus cheese) could make a Lambusco a fun option as a table wine.

Remember kids, when you eat spaghetti (all covered with cheese), cover your meatball whenever you sneeze.

Spicy Meatballs - Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time 20 - 30 minutes
Makes: (approximately)24 11/2" meatballs

Ingredients:

1 pound medium ground beef
1 pound ground pork
½ medium onion – diced
1 medium tomato – deseeded, diced
1 clove of garlic – diced
1 egg
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon thyme
½ a teaspoon hot chilli flakes (*if you want them un-spicy, omit *)
¾ cup of breadcrumbs
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375*

Method:

1. In a large bowl combine and season meat with salt, pepper, chilli flakes and herbs.  Add tomato, onion and garlic and mix well.
2. In a small bowl combine egg and Dijon.  Wisk lightly.  Add to meat mixture.  Turn lightly to moisten.
3. Add breadcrumbs, mix well.  Meat should be reasonably dry and easy to mould. 
4. Spray cookie sheet and rack with non-stick spray, place rack on cookie sheet.  Roll meatballs (of desired size) between the palms of your hands and place on rack.
5. Place in 375* oven for 20 – 30 minutes until golden brown.  

Allow to cool slightly, serve on top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese.

Tomato Sauce - Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

½ medium onion – diced
1 clove of garlic – diced
1 large (28oz) can whole tomatoes
1 (6oz) can of tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped fine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped fine
½ tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped fine
½ teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add olive oil, then onions.  Allow onions to sweat for about two minutes until beginning to become transparent around the edges.  Add garlic, stirring constantly, about two minutes.
2. Add whole tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar, stir stir to blend.  Bring to a boil.  Remove immediately from heat.  Add fresh herbs, mix.

At this point this sauce can be served or it stand at room temperature for up to three hours or refrigerated for later.  To serve, bring to just below a boil to heat through.  Serve steaming.

Buon appetito.

Crankin' pasta... just like in Italy...

It traveled from Valdagno Italy, in the province of Vincenza to Ottawa, Canada in the 50's.  It's handle was turned by her mother and her mother before her, so when my neighbour Paola asked me to help her make pasta in her heirloom family pasta maker my immediate response was "Hell ya!"

How often do you get to tiptoe into in a family tradition with a mild sense of expertise and a gigantic sense of curiosity?

It is a beautiful machine; cast iron and brass, on a wooden slab that was once the step that led to the family home. 'Solid' might be the best word to describe this piece of family history.   It is designed to last; to turn hundreds of pounds of pasta, perfectly (every single time) attached to a wooden bench, to great ergonomic effect... it's easy on the back and a great upper body workout.

This is not my first pasta.  It's my fifth!  (Ha, take that!)  I have a reasonable level of confidence now as it has been consistent and smooth every time. 

Paola and I gathered our resources and began in the afternoon, reviewing recipes (which are all quite similar), having a glass of wine and a bit of cheese, to come to the conclusion that "winging it" might be our best approach (the wine may have helped).

A little Chilean inspiration... among my favorite Malbecs...

Pasta is really quite simple...

2 Cups Flour

2 Eggs

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

2 Teaspoons of Water

Method:

1. Mix flour and salt in a mound on your counter top.
2. In a small bowl mix eggs, oil & water.
3. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add half the egg mixture.  Mix liquid into flour with fingers or dough knife, from the centre out.  Add remainder of egg mixture and mix well in the same manner until mixed well. 
4. After the wet and dry ingredients have been combined, bring the mixture together with your hands to form a ball. If the dough seems to dry, add a little more water. If the mixture is too wet and sticks to your fingers, rub your hands with flour and form the dough into a ball.
5. Kneed lightly until smooth and shiny.
6. Form into a flat ball, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
7. Then roll (with your favorite rolling pin) or shape and pass through your favorite machine. 

Pasta is a quick dough without a levening agent, in general, try to work it as little as possible as kneading makes it tough.  That half hour rest period helps the gluten to relax and keeps the dough tender.  (Many cooks skip this step and charge forward  with the process... nothing wrong with that, I simply prefer a more tender finished product.)

Usually I roll pasta flat into a large, thin sheet (thin enough to see the counter through), flour and fold and cut it into joyfully flat fettuccine --- but not today. Today we cut and shape it like a bagette, place it in the cylinder and crank the handle down.

"It has to be a very dry pasta" says Paola "or it sticks." 

So we make it drier than I might like.  It still sticks just a little as it emerges in long, pale yellow strands from the machine, we dredge with cornmeal to dry separate and dry before cutting it away from the machine to drop into the bowl. 

Paola sits on the floor, separating strands of smooth round bigoli pasta, slightly thicker than spaghetti, as it passes through the spout.  "This was my job as a kid" she says, beaming, and conversation turns to family and learning to cook at the knees of our mothers and grandmothers. 

Those that grow up in a culture of food learn to love it from an early age, they respect the process and the kitchen.  They learn fractions and multiplication tables and motor skills.  But most of all they learn about connection... to one another.  To the earth and to the culture we come from.  Cooking builds empathy, compassion, community and GREAT COOKS!

As I sit on that bench, feeling muscles work as I crank dough; I am reminded how fortunate I am to have had a good cook in my mother and both grandmothers who embraced me in their kitchen at an early age.  I am reminded of why I cook... that 'need to feed' that is a desire to share a simple pleasure with others. 

Paola and I spread the pasta on a clean towel to allow it to air dry as we prepare the rest of the meal...

Seared Nova Scotia scallops in a garlic, rose cream sauce to start.  Bigoli pasta tossed with garlic, onion, olive oil and anchovy.  A light green salad in a herb vinaigrette, and for dessert chopped fruit with whole, fresh walnuts marinaded in brandy (all afternoon) finished with a sweetened mascarpone cream.

Creamy.  Salty.  Sharp.  Sweet.

Our neighbour, Daname, joins us from across the hall as she returns from a day at the office and together with Paola's husband Ron we share a meal and talk about our day... sharing our lives and a bottle of wine. 

The pasta is fresh and (nearly) perfect (we had some breakage while boiling).  Our "wing it" approach pays off, Paola makes notes for her next pasta.  We pat ourselves on the back... something tells me that Ron may be eating a great deal more pasta in his future.  Lucky devil. 

This is a good life.  Saluté!

A beautiful meal with friends... chin chin!

Oh this?! Just a little something I whipped up... "Mangia, mangia!"

Antipasto (plural antipasti), means 'before the meal' - the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal.

The Italian equivalent of saying  "First, we eat this... then we EAT..."

The holidays are upon us and along with that comes entertaining, both planned and unplanned. I love a good pop-by, the unexpected pure pleasure of friends and laughter.

During the holidays I always have a supply of quick snacks on hand for those impromptu parties that just 'happen' on a Thursday night. And, really, elegant entertaining is so easy.

This antipasto was as simple as a run to my favorite deli and grabbing a favorite platter. I like to think in terms of contrasting and complementary tastes... the sweet with the savory... the salty with the acidic.

Colour and flavor all play a part, but the thing I like the most about this tray is that it is simple, delicious and... relatively healthy. I've done many versions of antipasto; it's easy on a buffet because it's quick to fill and easy to prepare ahead of time.

Start with sweet... figs, sliced.  Add a fine cured meat... prosciutto, rolled. A sweet, crisp cracker, here Raincoast Crisps Rosemary, Raisin, Pecan.  A grilled yellow pepper.

Three generous dabs of Balsamic reduction... which is as easy as simmering some good balsamic vinegar for a few minutes until thick and syrupy, then cooling and letting it drip.  Blanched asparagus - quickly cooked to a bright green, then immediately cooled in ice water to retain its crispness.  A mild cheese -  a round of buffalo mozzarella cut in thick wedges.

More figs (how I love figs!).  Chunks of sharp cheese; ripe, aged authentic Parmesan.  A bright, ripe tomato, sliced, and a grilled zucchini. (Forgive the grilling, indoor on an electric stove.   Miss my grill and an outdoor space.  I visit it from time to time in the storage locker. *I miss you Baby!!*)

I get in trouble all the time at Le Cordon Bleu for 'undercooking' my vegetables.  I like them crisp and fresh tasting.  I would have preferred a bit more even-heat on these.  I like to see the flesh a bit more golden.  Hey.  You rock it your way...

My point is - not complicated.  Not expensive.

Just add a little drizzle of olive oil and grab a good sourdough bread and... RELAX.

Took a little time to plate and that slight obsessive compulsive thing kicked in and next thing I know I was balancing yellow peppers and counting asparagus stems watching my numbers... even, even odd... odd, even... even... odd, even.  Lined up.  Perfectly.  (Must wash hands three times...)

My guests could indulge a little, still feel healthy and leave room for their entree while we all enjoyed a nice glass/bottle/bottles of champagne.

Hey, if there's enough champagne (and antipasto)... who needs dinner?!

Am I right?!

Enjoy your guests.  Enjoy the holidays.

Think joyful thoughts and... be HAPPY!

“Honey, I’m HOME!” – Gypsy

(upon setting foot in La Bottega for the first time...)

“Italian” is synonyms for “joy” in my life. There is little else that can comfort, soothe and completely quiet; mind, body and soul quite like Italian food. Elegant in its simplicity and selective in its ingredients, Italian is (by far) my favourite food and the reason I dream in full Mario Batali technicolour and the reason I drag my Gypsy self to Italy as often as I can.

As I settled in Ottawa this fall, before starting classes at Le Cordon Bleu, I busied myself getting to know the city... scouring malls... walking streets, in search of all those things that one must have - such as premium olive oil, giant wheels of Parmesan (free of plastic wrap) and oil cured olives.

Every time I asked there was only one answer: "Have you been to La Bottega yet?!"

Cue La Bottega Nicastro. The tiny store front in the Byward Market is completely deceiving; it could pass for any deli, anywhere... until you walk through the door to isles jammed to the rafters with every fine imported (Italian) food you ever imagined.

On a busy Saturday, customers line dozens deep for deli and cheese. The cafe bustles and overflows as customers dine on gourmet sandwiches, homemade soups, salads, Panini and... pizza.  The olive bar entices.  The appliances gleam and I am completely overwhelmed by choice and authenticity.

Italian owned, La Bottega began in Ottawa in 1973 when the Nicasto Brothers, Joe, Rocco & Frank opened their first store in Little Italy. Times change, the business expands, and in 1995 the Byward Market location opened in Ottawa’s downtown core.

Still a family business, the second generation now pursues the mark of excellence that is their legacy. The very best of everything.

Hard cheeses; Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, and Provolone. Soft cheeses; Asiago, Gorgonzola, Mozzarella di Bufala, and Taleggio. French cheeses; Brie, Camembert, Chevre, Comté and Roquefort. International cheeses, Canadian cheeses.

They sell a tonne of cheese a week.  Literally.

Charcuterie that drops me to my knees. Salami; Genova, Sopressa, Calabrese, Al prosciutto. Cured meats; Prosciutto di Parma, Bresola, Pancetta. Hams & specialty meats, plus other familiar deli items like turkey breast and FRESH... Italian... sausage.

Amazing the difference between imported European salami (for instance) made with choice cuts and with the very best, buttery fat marbled in.   Products made in a cultural cuisine; slow food, slow wine.

There is an entire isle dedicated to olive oil and its flip side... balsamic vinegar (balsamic fetish... don’t get me started).  Pastas. Rice. Bread. COFFEE (espresso) and the sparkling (sexy) Italian appliances to make the perfect cappuccino.

“It’s easy to cook well if you start with great ingredients... and we’ve got great ingredients.” Rocco Nicastro Jr.

I’ll second that.

While the selection is outstanding, the service and depth of knowledge of the staff is second to none. Down to the last, they are equally passionate and capable of in-depth explanations and recommendations on the most complex of questions...

“Which Prosciutto would be best to stuff  a turkey breast?”

It truly is this level of service that sets La Bottega apart from many a deli. Without it, it is just a bunch of stuff on shelves.  You can go to Costco for that.  You go to La Bottega for expertise as well as stellar ingredients.

Unfortunately, my current schedule does not allow me time to frequent La Bottega as often as I would like... maybe I could just sleep there.

As I'm going “all-out-Italian” this Christmas it is fair to say that they'll be seeing a great deal of me in the next few weeks.  Currently 'researching' said extravaganza.  It's a tough job.

Gypsy confession:the last three times I’ve arrived to La Bottega, I’ve left empty handed. (I think I have a brain injury!)  To be honest I am so overwhelmed that I am completely incapable of making a decision.

Obviously I require someone capable of making tough choices to accompany me as my guide “OK Gypsy... now... let’s start simple with a piece of cheese...” or just hand me a bag  and direct me to the nearest check out... “Here you go... Buon Appetito!”

Gourmet Italian grab bags... this is a concept that could catch on!

Buon Appetito...

La Bottega Nicastro, Byward Market
64 George Street
613-789-7575
Nicastro's Merivale
1558 Merivale Rd.
613-255-3470
http://labottega.ca/

Cerignola... my (current) favorite olive...

 Italy.  Just that one word alone conjures up a whole world of magic.  Art, culture, fashion, design, language, design, history... FOOD... WINE... and a people so generous and so willing to feed, they are completely captivating. 

I have this... Italian “thing”.   

It includes all of the above and a healthy measure of Italian leather.  Generally in the form of shoes.  Don’t tell the French, I'm quite certain that being an “Italianophile” in a French cooking school is strictly forbidden.  I could be expelled from the halls of butter.      

But there you have it... I have a deep, passionate love of Italy and her people.  This explains why, upon moving to Ottawa, I sought out - first and foremost - all things Italian.  First stop; Little Italy, Preston Street.      

Which is surprisingly “non-Italian” in its present incarnation.  I counted three shawarma shops, four Vietnamese Pho restaurants and two Irish pubs; Little Italy has been invaded.    Where is the Corelone family when you need them?      

Not to worry.  These Gypsy feet traipsed in and out of every cafe, restaurant and store front, finding several places to go back and explore,  but Simply Biscotti stopped me in my tracks.      

I’m a sucker for a good bakery.     

Shelves lined with cookies and coffee paraphernalia and  tiny front shop jammed with customers gripping steamy cups of cappuccino, drooling over the pastry display; Simply Biscotti is a must stop in Ottawa’s little Italy.  In fact, it was so impossibly packed it was difficult to take pictures.     

It was my good fortune to be in line behind a darling older couple hosting a dinner party that evening.  They came for dessert.  Simply Biscotti’s mini pies and cakes make the perfect desert assortment.  Like employing your own pastry chef.      

They painstakingly agonized over each choice, breaking occasionally to bicker good naturedly at each other, him holding her hand and I could not help but think what fun it might be to sit over a cup of coffee and something sweet after a great meal and much wine and listen to the tale of how they met.      

“Make sure we get the fruit pie Dear, our daughter loved those last time...”  she says to the young woamn behind the counter filling her box of goodies.      

“No, it was the chocolate pecan...” he interjects.      

“No, it was the fruit tart... oh and a tiramisu... can’t leave without that.”      

“No, it was the chocolate pecan...”      

“And... a chocolate pecan...”  she shoots him a look and laughs “and two cannoli...” she lowers to a whisper “... they’re for us Dear, don't wrap them!”      

 I have nothing but respect for people willing to have cannoli for lunch before entertaining.         

... the disputed fruit tart, fresh berries over a light vanilla custard in a crisp sweet shell...

That settled it, along with a dozen assorted biscotti - including flavors like, cayenne & chocolate, poppy seed, cranberry and of course almond, crisp and delicately favoured - had to have cannoli.        

Among the (many) things I love about Italian food... is it’s simplicity.  Among the biscotti the classic almond became my favourite.  Simple.  Easy.  A little bite with coffee in the morning.  Nutty.  Not too sweet.  Double baked perfection.     

The cannoli on the other hand; rich and creamy, crisp cookie shells, creamy, cheesy center filling, covered me in a fine dust of icing sugar right down my shirt (like I care), was joyfully consumed on the spot!    Coupled with a fine Italian coffee.  Heaven.      

Cue angels singing.      

It took me back to my very first cannoli on my first solo journey, a month shy of my 16^th birthday in a little cafe in Palermo, Sicily.   Long before I knew what ricotta cheese was, I sat surrounded by older, smartly dressed gentlemen who thought it brave of me to try espresso,  laughing and cheering when I made a face, violently shook my head and asked for more, in my crappy Italian.     

I missed my tour of the catacombs.      

Not much has changed, I still choose cannoli, espresso and laughter over dead people... any day.      

Vito would be so proud.

Simply Biscotti    

354 Preston St

Ottawa, ON
613-234-5336

... I'll take the cannoli!