Paulie's Zuppa di Pesce

PAULIE'S ZUPPA DE PESCE

This is an amazing recipe from our friend Paul Brusaschi. He is technically from Australia....but between his last name and the way he cooks, he definitely has to be part Italian as far as I am concerned. After eating this "fa boo" meal at his house, he texted me this recipe while waiting for a bus in NYC. He knows the recipe by heart?? Now that is a real chef!!


  
                                                          
Rather than the usual format, I am going to share it with you the way he texted it to me....

"Brown 2 onions, shallots, chopped celery & garlic in olive oil. Then add one large "tin" (that's "can" to us Americans) of crushed tomatoes, some dry sherry, and 3 cups of stock, fish stock if possible. Then add thyme, oregano, 1/2 tsp. saffron, salt and pepper to taste. Then add small red "spuds" (potatoes) cut into quarters, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add seafood (Paul used a white fish cut into small pieces, mussels, and shrimp). Then cook for 10 minutes. Garnish with parsley, and serve with a good, crusty white bread. Done!"

Well, before blogging about it,I had to go ahead and try making it myself. Here goes!

                        Ahh, the kitchen had already begun to smell AMAZING.

I knew I was on the right track. I did not have fish stock, so I used organic chicken stock. I found a medley of small gourmet potatoes at Costco. They were red, white and a beautiful purple. As far as the seafood goes, I used calamari rings, shrimp, scallops, and mussels. My shrimp were on the small side; next time I will use larger shrimp, like Paul did,  for more "wow" factor.

The parsley was an amazing finishing touch. So if you want to cook something fairly easy that tastes like it came from a restaurant, This is a perfect dish for guests! I made enough for 8 people with leftovers. It even tastes good the next day.Serve it with a loaf of crusty bread (for mopping up the juices!) and a nice bottle of white wine.

Also. keep an empty bowl on the table for the mussel shells, and the shrimp tails if you left them on. If you desire to enjoy the full seafood experience, then order some plastic lobster bibs on the Internet. Fabulous!!

 You will see what I made for dessert in my next post!

Ciao for now...

CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

I struggled with the title of this post. I wanted to call it "The Best Condiment in the Whole Wide World" or "The King of All Sauces", but I couldn't come up with anything  royal or prestigious enough to describe its worth. The bottom line is, I just cannot say enough about Chimichurri!

A long time ago, I found the recipe in a pamphlet that Willams-Sonoma was giving out. Back then, I started making it to accompany Argentinian Steak Kabobs, and it was a huge hit. Slowly over the years though, I have discovered that Chimichurri can be used as a mouthwatering topping for any cut of steak, beef, chicken, sausage, fish, even seafood!

Every time I serve it, guests beg for more, even after eating it with the main course. Usually they just slather some on their plate and then mop it up with bread! Mmmm....



Once, I was even asked for an entire vatful, "To Go", apparently so this person (who shall remain nameless) could take it home, and bathe in it.....               ?

That is taking it a tad bit too far if you ask me, but anyway.....

Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

(A quick note: I am happy to say that the subscription feature to my posts seems to be working again. But in order to enjoy all the fun my blog has to offer, feel free to go directly to the blog itself. www.fifisfinefoods.blogspot.com  


CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

1 CUP PACKED FRESH CILANTRO LEAVES
3/4 CUP PACKED FRESH FLAT LEAF PARSLEY LEAVES
4 LARGE GARLIC CLOVES, CHOPPED
2 FRESH JALAPENO CHILI PEPPERS, SEEDED
1 TABLESPOON OREGANO
1 1/2 TEASPOON SALT
1/2 CUP OLIVE OIL
3 TABLESPOONS WHITE WINE VINEGAR
3 TABLESPOONS FRESH LIME JUICE

IN A FOOD PROCESSOR OR BLENDER COMBINE ALL INGREDIENTS AND PROCESS TO FORM A SMOOTH PUREE. COVER AND REFRIGERATE UNTIL READY TO SERVE. (CAN ALSO BE FROZEN FOR UP TO TWO WEEKS. DEFROST BEFORE SERVING.)

ACQUA PAZZA or How to Feel at Home in California

If you ever have the pleasure of visiting the San Fransisco Bay area, you'll find that there is no shortage of great places to eat out! We were "out west" just a few weeks ago to visit our new niece. While we were there, one restaurant in particular stood out to me as extremely blog-worthy. Acqua Pazza.

 Acqua Pazza is located on 3rd Avenue in San Mateo. From the minute we walked in, I felt an elegant yet cozy vibe in this two story establishment. Acqua Pazza is tastefully decorated, and we were warmly welcomed by two of the owners, Tullio and Enzo Rosano. Our table service was impeccable, and the friendliness of the staff made us feel right at home.

The menu offered several specials to choose from, and we shared a few delicious appetizers at the table. Then we moved on to dinner entrees... I was in the mood for some Homemade Ravioli with Fresh Pesto Sauce. It was everything I was hoping it would be! True comfort food, Italian style. (Plus plenty of leftover Pesto, to mop up with my warm Italian bread.) Mmm....

A few others at the table chose Mamma Carmella's Homemade Gnocchi. It was served with Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese and Fresh Basil. They licked their plates clean!

The fish special of the night was a Mediterranean Sea Bass (whole fish) better known as "Branzino". I am not a fan of whole fish entrees, but my husband and my daughter are huge fans and both ordered it with gusto.When the time came that they served us our entrees, we were happily surprised that Tullio and his assistant Vittorio offered to fillet the fish for us! I snapped a photo after they had already gotten started removing the head and tail.

Here you can see Tullio quickly filleting the fish with a smile. It takes talent, to do it so quickly yet so efficiently!

Here is Vittorio, working his magic at the same time. These guys really know what they are doing!

Dinner was a complete success, and all in such a lovely, friendly atmosphere. Just when we thought we had no more room in our stomachs, Tullio brought us a warm calzone...filled with Nutella and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

(Um, Hello....is it even possible for the words "Nutella" and "calzone" to really be in the same sentence?) It tasted SO GOOD!! I felt as if I needed to close my eyes to truly appreciate the flavor...Semplicemente Fantastico!

In keeping with true Italian tradition, we were not rushed from our table; but were allowed to linger,  and we shared an after dinner drink while listening to the soft Italian music by candlelight. It was as if the Rosano family were our new friends, even sharing a goodbye hug and kiss as we left.

Here is a link to their website:  http://www.acqua-pazza.com/ They will be opening another restaurant soon. Hmm, I wonder if we can convince them to open one in New Jersey....

Quinoa Fish Tacos and 12 Reasons Why You Should Eat them

In the past, I have tried to convince myself to become a fan of quinoa. Why not, right? It's really good for you*, it's trendy,...but up until now I personally have found it kind of...well,...boring. (I'm just sayin'!)

Anyway, I was emailed a quinoa pilaf recipe recently, and as usual, I was reaching for the delete button. Then I read the personal note which said: "Tastes like tacos, yum!".  This comment sparked my interest.

Ingredients

2 cups vegetable broth (I used organic chicken broth)

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon salt and pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tomato, finely chopped

1 (15-ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 cup pitted black olives, sliced

Optional: fresh mint, cilantro or parsley for garnish

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine broth, quinoa, turmeric, salt, pepper and olive oil in a saucepan and cover. Simmer until water is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Add tomato, artichokes, onion and olives, mix well to combine. Top with garnish and serve.

The ingredients looked good, so I made it as a side dish for some sauteed wild caught Turbot fillets. Yum, it DID taste like tacos! But it still LOOKED pretty boring. My fish fillets didn't actually look very exciting either...ugh. I was picturing my family sitting down to this lacklustre dinner, when suddenly...it hit me. WHY NOT MAKE THIS INTO FISH TACOS!?!?!?!? Dinner suddenly became fun again!!! I cut up my fish fillets, tossed them into the quinoa mixture and served it in these wonderful Habanero Lime Flour Tortillas. (You can do this with whatever kind of fish and tortillas you like.)

 We suddenly had the perfect meal, covering all the food groups! We dolloped on some sour cream, shook a little Tabasco sauce, and life was good! Well, at least dinner was good.

*Here are 12 reasons why Quinoa is good for you:
1. Quinoa is rich in protein content. It is a complete protein as it contains all the essential amino acids, especially lysine, which is required by the body to grow and repair tissues.

2. It has high content of manganese in it, which acts as antioxidant in the body and helps it get rid of dangerous cancer cells and other diseases.

3. The seed is a good source of magnesium, which provides relief from migraine headaches, relaxes blood vessels, and decreases the risk of hypertension.

4. Riboflavin present in quinoa reduces the frequency of migraine attacks, by producing energy metabolism within brain and muscle cells.

5. The presence of potassium and magnesium in quinoa prevents clogging of arteries and relieves stress on the heart.

6. Quinoa has low content of saturated fats and cholesterol.

7. It is a good source of calcium, which is extremely important for the growth of healthy teeth, bones and skin.

8. The grain is great for people who are allergic to wheat and are suffering from Celiac disease, as it is gluten free.

9. Quinoa is a wonderful source of fiber for the body, which aids easy elimination and toning of colon.

10. The food is rich in carbohydrates, an efficient fuel for energy production required by children and athletes.

11. It is a good source of insoluble fiber that helps avoid gallstones, especially in women who are more prone to them.

12. The high content of copper present in it helps in oxidizing glucose, produces skin coloring agent melanin and acts as catalyst in the formation of hemoglobin.

I would love to hear your feedback, let me know what you think!!!

One fish, two fish, red fish, BLUEFISH?

If you, or someone in your family likes to go fishing, then there is a chance you have eaten bluefish before. It's.... not really the most popular tasting fish. However, my husband went on a fishing boat with his sales team from work. He came back with a big bag of blue fish in his hand, and a big grin on his face. "Honey, look at what we are going to have for dinner!! Think of all the Omega 3 we will be eating!!!" 


Ugh,... What was I going to do to make this taste good. I was dreading it. But my negativity didn't dampen Randy's spirits. Instead, he decided that he was going to find a way to prepare them himself. That was fine with me! Because that way, I wont be getting the blame if it doesn't come out tasting so good.

I must tell you, the outcome exceeded my expectations! And all the ingredients he used were items we already had in the house. We had a fabulous dinner of bluefish, mashed potatoes, tossed salad and Italian bread. Sounds yummy, right? And I did feel especially healthy after eating it.

So here are the ingredients he used. (Note: Amounts vary depending on how many fish you were fortunate enough to catch.)

RANDY'S FINE FISH
bluefish (or any kind of fish for that matter) fillets
Equal parts of fresh squeezed lemon juice and red wine (you can use white wine if you prefer)
Olive oil
Chopped garlic (be generous)
dried thyme leaves
dried parsley flakes
salt and pepper
bread crumbs
milk

If your fillets are thick enough, remove the dark meat and discard. This will enhance the flavor. Spread bread crumbs on bottom of baking pan. Then dip fish fillets into a bowl of milk and coat. Lay fillets on top of bread crumbs in a single layer. Then spread more bread crumbs over the top of each piece of fish. Generously spoon Olive oil, wine, lemon juice, chopped garlic, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper evenly over the top of of each piece of fish.

Bake in a 500 degree oven for approx 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet. Then broil on HI for 2 minutes. Serve with extra wedges of lemon on the table. Serve with the side dishes of your choice, and bask in the health benefits of eating fresh, wild caught fish!