Coming here for me meant having the opportunity to follow my passion for Italian food, as well as Italy's rich history and culture. It meant "il dolce far niente". Living life differently. Slowing down. Savoring every bite. I recommend to all of you: slow down. Stop being so busy just for a moment. Look around you and savor what it is that you love. Il dolce far niente, il dolce far niente.
Our time here in Italy is almost half-way through. Sometimes, I have to slow myself down and really just enjoy where I am. It is easy to get caught up in thinking about next week's travels or what we should do the next day. Of course I know I cannot slow down time, but I can most certainly make the most of it...
Just in case you're wondering what you should make for dinner this week, I'd figure I would share with you an Italian dish we made a few weeks ago in my Food and Culture class. It is a perfect meal for a cool, brisk Fall day.
Ossobuco alla Milanese con Risotto allo Zafferono
(Veal Shanks with Saffron Risotto...Milan style)
Ossobuco
Ingredients:
4 thick (3/4 inch) slices of veal shin (shanks)
All purpose flour (for dredging)
salt & pepper
1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
2-3 cups chicken/beef broth
3 tbsp flat Italian parsley
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 anchovies (optional)
Directions:
Trim the fat just around the edges of the veal shank. Lightly salt and pepper and dredge the veal in the flour until lightly coated.
Heat oil in a large pan. Place the veal in the pan and brown just the outsides of the veal, not cooking all the way through. Remove veal and set aside.
In the same pan, add the finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Season with salt (this will help dry out the vegetables when cooking too). Saute until soft and translucent. Add tomato paste and mix well. Return the veal to the pan, add the wine and reduce by half. Then add 2 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer until almost all the broth is gone (about 30 minutes). If mixture becomes too dry, you can add more broth. The vegetable mixture should be a thick consistency and not soupy. The meat should be cooked all the way through and you may even notice the tiny hole in the bone of the meat. This is why the dish is called "ossobuco" which translates to "bone hole".
Risotto allo Zafferono
Ingredients:
1 onion, finely diced
12 oz Arborio or Carnaroli rice
6 cups of chicken/vegetable broth
2 oz butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 small package of saffron
1 oz butter
3 oz grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper
Directions:
In a large pan, saute the onion with 2 oz of butter until they are soft and translucent. In a separate pot, heat the broth. Add the rice to the onion and stir to coat the grains well (toasting them). Pour the wine in and let it evaporate.
Gradually add the broth by using a ladle. Each time you add more broth, let it be completely absorbed by the rice, stirring it as you go. Season with salt. Once you have added half of the broth, add the saffron to the broth and continue to ladle the broth into the rice. When the rice is done, turn off the heat (the consistency should be creamy, but the rice grains should still be firm or "al dente"). Add the rest of the butter and the grated Parmesan cheese (this last part of adding the butter and cheese is called "mantecare" in Italy). Serve immediately.
I don't know why, but I have fell in love with this dish.
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