The Spirits of Saturday Beefcake Antepasti Past

While starting to loosen up for the first course with a beverage, it is most worthwhile to accompany the drink with a culinary treat. Olives are furnished with what some people call "good fat" and good fat helps keep the "wobblies" at bay. They certainly seem at home in martinis.

This recipe was adapted from Christopher Idone's Lemons

Greek Olives, dry cured and pitted, about two cups
Garlic, 3 cloves, chopped
Anchovies, about six ounces, drained and patted dry
Imported Tuna, one can, in olive oil, drained
Capers, 1/2 cup, drained
Green Peppercorns in brine, drained and chopped
Fresh Thyme, chopped, 1/4 teaspoon
Lemon Zest, two tablespoons
Fresh Lemon Juice, 1/2 cup
Courvoisier, two tablespoons
Olive Oil, extra virgin, 2/3 cup

1. Pulse all ingredients except the oil in a processor until just about combined.
2. While the motor is running, slowly pour in the oil.
3. The result should be chunky. Do not overprocess.
4. There should be about 3 cups.

Crusty bread, feta cheese or another favourite are in order.

Since anticipation is the name of this evening's game, few things are better to anticipate than a man removing his shirt in anticipation of you.

Caponata





Priced accessibly the little cookbook Cooking Light Italian is not perfect.
There are two major faux pas within according to traditional Italian cooking, not to mention the unfortunate photography on the cover which makes Italian cuisine look like glop and not in the least light. The book, however, does point its reader in the right direction and has a decent recipe for Caponata, the Sicilian sweet and sour staple.

The recipe is noteworthy because it refrains from referring to it as a relish and it does not look like what most of the time is passed off as caponata, a murky coloured mush. Waverly Root in his landmark tome, The Cooking of Italy, says without qualification that the secret to a good caponata is that each element is cooked separately and then brought together to create this taste worthy treat as opposed to sloppily cooking everything in one big pot.

The preparation requires that the raisins be soaked in hot water for a quarter hour and the diced eggplant should be made to “weep” by being sprinkled with salt to drain for an hour. It should be rinsed and dried.



1. The eggplant should be sautéed in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat with a tablespoon of the oil for about nine minutes and then set aside.
2. Sauté the onion in a pan with one teaspoon of the oil over medium high heat until golden. Add garlic and sauté for one minute.
3. Now add the tomato and sauté for two minutes.
4. Combine tomato mixture and eggplant.
5. Return pan to heat, add sugar and vinegar. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
6. Stir in raisins, olive and capers. Add eggplant mixture. Combine, stirring.
7. Remove from heat. Serve room temperature. Yields twelve servings.




There are more elaborate caponatine, but the secret still is that each element retain its identity. The favourite in these parts involves zucchine and hard boiled eggs, but that’s for the creative lover of agrodolce to maintain and create.



Agrodolce points to the reality that food, romance and life in general is a sweet and sour experience. To make up for the unfortunate photography on the cookbook cover we’ve included two fine young men to show what light cooking might help one achieve—and to provide visuals that might symbolize living well.

Artichoke Bottoms

Artichoke Bottoms
Sour Cream
Alfalfa Sprouts
Soy Sauce
Egg Yolk, hard cooked

1. Spread each bottom with sour cream
2. Top with sprouts
3. Sprinkle the soy sauce over the sprouts
4. Top with half an egg yolk.
5. Bottoms up

from recipetips.com:

Artichoke Bottom




The fleshy base section of the artichoke, which is referred to as the artichoke bottom. The artichoke is a tall plant that is a relative of the thistle plant and native to Mediterranean regions, but is also grown in other parts of the world. It consists of tough, pointed, green leaves that are tightly packed around a gray-green base or bottom. It is the fleshy base of the leaves and the fleshy center or heart of the artichoke that are the sections of the plant most suitable for eating. Artichoke bottoms have a tender texture and flavorful taste, similar to the artichoke heart. The bottoms, like the heart, can be served as snacks, appetizers or as a tasty ingredient for salads and other side dishes.