Pancetta White Bean Soup with Crostini

Crostini

• 1 whole French baguette
• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 tsp grey salt

To start the crostini, preheat the oven to 375° degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the baguette into 1/2" -inch slices and place the pieces onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Brush lightly with olive oil. Bake, oil side up, for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly golden.

While the bread is cooking, peel the garlic and set aside. Once the bread is ready, lightly rub the oiled side with the raw garlic and while the bread is still warm, sprinkle with a little grey salt.

Soup

• 3 cloves garlic
• 6 slices pancetta (or prosciutto, bacon or ham)
• 2 - 28 oz cans whole tomatoes
• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 Parmesan rind (optional)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt (depends on saltiness of pancetta)
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 - 19 oz cans cannellini or white beans
• 1/2 head iceberg lettuce (optional)

To start the soup, first mince the garlic. Slice the pancetta into small strips. Dice the tomatoes and reserve the juice.

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the oil and sauté the pancetta for a few minutes. Add the garlic and cook until it just starts to turn golden, about 30 seconds to a minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato juice and chicken stock. Then add the rosemary, Parmesan rind, salt and pepper and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the beans and bring just back to a simmer to heat the beans through.

Just before serving the soup, check and adjust the seasoning. Shred the lettuce. Place a small handful of lettuce in the bottom of a bowl and ladle the soup over top. Serve immediately with the garlic crostini.

Note: Save those leftover Parmesan rinds! Store them in a freezer bag and toss them into soups for added flavor.

Torta di Mele - Apple Cake

 

 

 

 

Instead of a firm, crisp apple like Granny Smith, I prefer using one that will soften while baking, such as Fuji, Golden Delicious, or McIntosh.

Ingredients
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup grappa or rum
1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• • •
Confectioners’ sugar (optional)
Ground cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in the eggs and grappa. Stir in the flour mixture.

Spread the batter into a greased 9-inch springform pan. Making a decorative circular pattern, set the apple slices into the batter. Bake until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Serve warm, sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon, if desired.

Serves 6 to 8.

Regina's Hamburger & Cabbage Soup

Thanks to my friend Regina for sharing this great recipe. Sorry no picture available, I guess I was too hungry when she made the soup and I forgot to take a picture.

Ingredients:

1 Head of Cabbage
1 Bell Pepper
1 Onion
4 Cans of Kidney Beans (do not drain)
2 Large Cans of Crushed Tomatoes
6 Lbs Fried Hamburger Meat
Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper

Cook cabbage, bell pepper and onion in a stock pot. When almost ready add the beans and the tomatoes, stir. Add the fried hamburger meat and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Very simple but very yummy.

Jota Triestina - Trieste-Style Sauerkraut and Bean Soup

This hearty soup is enormously popular in and around Trieste. In restaurants, the meat that has been simmered in the soup is usually lifted out before the soup is served and offered later as a separate course. At home, it's more typically removed from the bone and mixed into the soup.

1/2 lb. dried borlotti beans or kidney beans
2 smoked ham hocks
1 lb. pork ribs
2 bay leaves
1/4 lb. (4 strips) bacon, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 lbs. sauerkraut, drained
3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Put beans into a large heavy-bottomed pot, cover with cold water by at least 3", and set aside to soak at room temperature for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain beans in a colander, then rinse and drain again. Return beans to pot, add ham hocks, pork ribs, bay leaves, and 12 cups cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming any foam that rises to the surface.
2. Meanwhile, mince bacon and garlic together with a sharp kitchen knife until they form a smooth paste, then add to pot with beans. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, until beans are just soft, about 1 hour.
3. Rinse sauerkraut thoroughly in a large bowl of cold water, then drain in a colander and rinse again. Drain sauerkraut and add to pot with beans. Add potatoes to pot and continue simmering, partially covered, until potatoes are soft when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 30 minutes.
4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a large bowl and coarsely mash with back of spoon. Return mashed potatoes to pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. Partially cover pot and continue simmering soup, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 20–30 minutes more. Pick meat off bones, discarding skin and bones, and add meat to soup, if you like. Discard bay leaves before serving.