Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites (3 page)

Here’s why I love this dish: it looks gorgeous on the plate, and it’s much more sophisticated than the simplicity of the ingredients would suggest. It’s a two-biter with lots of strong layers of flavor: first the bite of the cheese, then the crisp lemony tang of the apple and the sweet jammy aftertaste of the figs. Together, the combination is amazing. Use the fig jam on anything from pancakes to pork chops.

4 to 6 servings

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Combine the figs, simple syrup, and brandy in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, then turn off the heat and set aside for 10 minutes to plump the figs and cool slightly. Transfer the fig mixture to a food processor. Add the hazelnuts and blend, pulsing a few times, until puréed. Set aside.

Place the baguette slices on a heavy baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Top each slice with 1 teaspoon of the grated Pecorino Romano. Bake until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted and golden, about 7 minutes.

Quarter the apple and slice off the cores. Cut each quarter into 6 thin slices.

Top each toast slice with 2 teaspoons of the fig jam, a slice of apple, and a piece of shaved Pecorino Romano. Transfer the toasts to a platter and serve.

Note:
To toast the nuts, heat them in a small, dry heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat until they are fragrant and lightly toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet to cool completely before using.

Most Italians would have all these ingredients readily at hand in their pantry; in fact, it’s what my mother fixed for me and my siblings as an after-school snack. I’ve updated it a bit with fresh mint to make a snappy appetizer bite.

Makes about 16; 4 to 6 servings

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle the bread slices with olive oil. Grill the bread until golden on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the bread to a plate and squeeze the lemon juice over the bread slices. Sprinkle the bread slices with the dried oregano, salt, and pepper.

In a medium bowl combine the ricotta, tomatoes, mint, salt, and pepper. Stir gently to combine.

To serve,
either spoon the cheese topping onto the bread and sprinkle with more chopped mint, or place the cheese topping in a bowl garnished with the mint and serve with the grilled bread alongside.

If you think stuffed mushrooms are bland, you’ll find these a welcome change of pace: the flavors are quite robust. These are equally good right out of the oven or at room temperature, and they make a nice hors d’oeuvre option for non-meat-eaters.

4 to 6 servings

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix together the roasted red bell peppers, olives, cheese, scallions, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

On the baking sheet, arrange the mushrooms, gill side up. Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities, mounding it slightly. Bake until the mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the mushrooms to a serving platter, sprinkle with the chopped basil, and serve.

Everyone seems to love this simple combination of clean, fresh flavors. If watermelon is not in season you can substitute cantaloupe, but for a burst of pure flavor that really plays off the herbal flavor of the tomatoes, you can’t beat watermelon. Stacking the skewers vertically and serving them upright looks especially elegant.

6 to 8 servings

Combine the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Cut the top and bottom off the watermelon, then make 4 straight cuts down the sides so you have a cube of rindless watermelon. Cut the cube into 1½-inch slices, then cut the slices into 1½-inch cubes. Assemble the skewers by pushing a basil leaf to the end of one skewer. Then skewer a cube of watermelon, then a tomato half. Continue with another watermelon cube, basil leaf, and tomato half, ending with a basil leaf. Repeat to make 15 more skewers.

Drizzle the skewers with the reserved balsamic syrup and the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Serve.

Honestly, there’s not much that’s better than fried mozzarella with something sweet drizzled on top. In Santorini I tasted a dish like this, but made with feta; here I’ve substituted smoked mozzarella, which has a similar salty flavor but is a bit creamier. The smokiness plays off the sweetness of the figs beautifully.

6 servings

Unfold the phyllo sheets and place on a dry work surface with a slightly damp towel on top to keep them from becoming brittle. Take out 1 sheet of phyllo and place it vertically on a work surface, with a short edge toward you. Place 1 piece of cheese near the bottom of the sheet. Fold the end up loosely over the cheese, then fold in the sides. Keep folding until you have a tidy package about 3½ × 4 inches. Make 5 more packets with the remaining cheese and phyllo.

In a large pot, heat an inch of vegetable oil to 350°F over medium heat. Fry the phyllo and cheese packages, 2 or 3 at a time, until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

While the cheese packages fry, combine the figs and honey in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until the honey is warm.

To serve,
place 1 cheese package on a plate. Spoon some figs onto each cheese package and drizzle some honey over each serving. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds and serve immediately.