ITALIAN COMFORT FOOD

Food that nourish the body and soul.In Italy it differs with the regions.

I was volunteering for 6 months in Puglia, the South of Italyand hosted by the most adorable couple, Gianni and Graziella.

Graziella happens to be one of the most amazing cooks I've ever met.And trust me, I've been in the food business for a long time.

Cooking is her passion and her husband keeps a large organic veggie gardenwere we picked most of the fresh produce needed for her fantastic meals.

Top quality.

If I try to reproduce one of her meal with the sad tomatoes that I find at the grocery store this days it will probably taste like ...water (if I'm lucky)

Comfort food is a nostalgic element, and this baked pasta dish bring back memoriesof my great journey in Puglia this past winter.

Baked Pasta Puglia Style :

Ingredients: (4 people)

400 grs. rigatoni

120 grs. sausage

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 Tbs. basil, chopped

200 g ground beef

200 g tomatoes, diced

100 g bread

50 g milk

2 eggplants

200 grams mozzarella

100 g mortadella

extra virgin olive oil

salt

In a pan with olive oil, place onion, basil, tomatoes, salt and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

Mean while shred the sausage, chopped the mortadella and set aside.

Mix the ground meat with bread soaked in milk, sausage and a pinch of salt and make some small meatballs.

Cut eggplant into strips and fry in a pan with olive oil.

Cut the mozzarella into pieces.

Cook the rigatoni in salted water, al dente and strain.

In a greased baking dish put a layer of rigatoni and cover with half of all ingredients including meatballs, add a second layer with the remaining rigatoni and finish the rest of the ingredients.

Bake at 200 degrees for twenty minutes.

Best Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Sweet Potatoes with Tangerine Chipotle Glaze

I have a great cookbook from Chef Douglas Rodriguez; it’s called Douglas Rodriguez Latin Flavors on the Grill. The recipes are sophisticated approach to Latin cuisine and they are photographed beautifully.
A few weekends ago I sat in the kitchen with the book and after reading it back and forward 3 o 4 times I chose a menu; fish with a wonderful looking fruit salsa and a side a sweet potatoes with orange chipotle glaze, a real explosion of colors.
I made a detailed list of all the ingredients, went to the store and shopped for everything.
I was going to a friends house and we where going to cook dinner together.
I was running late (as always) and left in a rush. Halfway down the road I realized I’ve forgot the cookbook, there was no way I was turning around and I thought I would probably remember the recipes. Usually the first time I cook something from a cookbook I like to follow the recipe to the T, to learn something new. Then after that first time I make changes to my taste and eventually the recipe becomes mine.
Well, this was not going to be the case. By the time we started cooking after some chatting between some cheese and wine, I could no remember the recipes at all and I had several “EXTRA” ingredients.
I was not delighted with the fish and the salsa results, but I absolutely loved the sweet potatoes, that ended up with a Tangerine glazed instead of and orange glazed (part of my extra ingredients problem)
So I could say this recipe is INPIRED by Chef Douglas Rodriguez.

Sweet potatoes with tangerine chipotle glazed

· 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into ½ inch rings
· 2 tablespoons chipotles in adobo, finely chopped
· ½ cup fresh squeezed tangerine juice
· ¼ cup butter, melted
· Salt to taste
· Cilantro, chopped

In a medium saucepan boil potatoes in salted water until done (be careful to not over cook). Melt butter in a large frying pan and arrange sweet potatoes with out over crowding. Sauté until golden brown on one side; turn over and sauté on the other side, season with salt to taste. Meanwhile mix chipotle with tangerine juice, add to sweet potatoes and reduce until glazed. Serve and sprinkle with cilantro.

Batatas con un glasé de chipotle y jugo de mandarinas

· 2 batatas grandes, peladas y cortadas en rodajas de 1 cm
· 2 cucharadas de chipotles en adobo, finamente picados
· ½ taza de jugo de mandarina
· ¼ taza de manteca
· Sal a gusto
· Cilantro picado

En una cacerola mediana hervir las batatas en agua salada con cuidado de no sobre cocinar. Derretir la manteca en una sartén grande y distribuir las batas sin amontonar. Dorar de un lado y dar vuelta, salar a gusto. Mientras mezclar el jugo de mandarina con los chipotles picados y agregar la mezcla a las batatas. Seguir cocinando hasta que la mezcla se reduzca y las batas queden glaseadas. Servir y decorar con cilantro picado.