Reheating Calamari

How to Reheat Calamari Leftovers

Well, when is there EVER leftover fried calamari?  For me, once, when I ordered it along with a pizza from one of the better pizzerias.  I thought it would be portion for 2, but it was enough for 4 people as an appetizer.  They were the first and only Italian takeout place to ever get it right.  Crispy, crunchy, perfectly cooked, they even cut a hole in the top of the tin/plastic container so the heat would not make them soggy.  IN any case, Franco’s in West Caldwell gets my vote not only for best takeout calamari, but best calamari anywhere I have tried.

But now, what to do with all this left over calamari?  I let it cool, put it in a plastic container, stored in the refrigerator, did some research online, and the best way to do it is spread it over a baking sheet, hopefully with parchment, foil if you do not have parchment, oven set at 450F for no more than 5-7 mins.  Sure, it might be a little more chewy than the first time, but its still good and still worth eating.  Just remember to have fresh wedges of lemon to squeeze over it.  I prefer it over the marinara sauce, but either way, it still works.  Like wine, calamari is not a familiar leftover, but if you do find yourself with it, just reheat it (not in a microwave) and it should be nearly as good.

There are also other recipes that will suggest doing it “thai” or Asian style, I am all for that, its a difficult leftover… you cant reheat it without cooking it more, and that will result in overcooking it.   However, do it gradually and it will still be a delicious appetizer should you ever find yourself with calamari leftovers.

I’m Just Sayin’

There is a new term in North Jersey, perhaps other place, but its basically, when you are not sure of something and it sound a little funny, but you cannot cancel it out as certainty, you insert your opinion along with the disclaimer “I don’t know, I’m just saying”.   Let me give you a current event as an example “Tiger Woods out at 3am, he can spot a small white ball hundreds of feet away but he cannot avoid a bright red fire hydrant in front of his house”?  There is something suspicious?  ”I am not saying nothing, I am just saying”.     So, that is only an example, I have no interest in golf, celebrities, private life, public incidents or whatever, I’m not saying anything about it, I’m just saying.

Ok, so, I am at the local “chain” wine importer today searching for a particular beer.  They only have the same one lame brand everyone else has, its a dark beer, and this particular country is not know for its dark beer (although not bad, not what I wanted).  So, they have a bar with 3 wines for sampling.  Hey, where else can you go to have a glass of wine for free while shopping?  SO sure, I chose the cheapest bottle because its the bottle I tried before, but had not enjoyed, but also because if I liked it now, I would buy it.  I was not prepared nor going to purchase any bottle of wine over $15-25 (granted, I should have tried it since I could not afford a bottle at that price, but read on).  So, I chose the one that was $8, tasted good.  So what was it the first time I did not enjoy?   This time they had a wine “aerator” on the bottle, and it tasted good, not good, but more than tolerable, so I asked for a bottle and on the check out I picked up the wine aerator in the checkout aisle thinking it would enhance my wine-tasting experience.  It was $20, but if it can make a $10 bottle wine taste better, why not?  Well, I got home and used it on a bottle of Chianti leftover from the night before.  Sure, tasted good, but it also tasted good the night before.  So there was only one glass left of that Chianti, so I needed to open a new bottle, what better bottle to open than the one I just bought and tasted hours ago using the very same areator?  So, I pour it, taste it, and It was like night & day (in a bad way).  I do not believe for a second that the wine I tasted in the store was the very same wine I bought and had for dinner.  If I hadn’t bought the wine areator, I would be left to guess, but the fact was, I poured using their same device from the same bottle and this wine tasted the way I first tried it months ago — not something I would buy again.

So, I am left to guess, did the wine need to “breathe” more and be decanted, or, was this a different wine that they poured from the bottle than what  bought?  OR, was it simply a case of inconsistency where one bottle was great an the other bottle from the same case not so great… it could be any one of these things.  But the fact that the flavor was so different, I don’t know.  I can’t see that this wine was the same I tasted in the store that I drank a few hours later at home.  I am not saying anything dishonest took place, I am not saying anything, I’m just saying.

New Foods

Well, this certainly was a very interesting Thanksgiving weekend because it was mostly void of the traditional turkey.  Of course, I had turkey, but even if you hate turkey (as many famous chefs and even ordinary people do), its like going to Italy and not having pasta or going to South America and having rice & beans.  Its something you do even if you do not like it, and you manage to get through it.  I love turkey.  I wish I could eat it more often outside of a sandwich, but the fact is, I am not going cook a whole turkey for myself at any given time of the year.  So this year, I explored the food of other cultures as well.  Feijoada is the national dish of Brazil; I learned from a old highschool friend about “rolled up” lasagna, I tried to explain that then it is canneloni or over-stuffed manicotti, but she sent photos and insisted its “rolled up” lasagna; I went shopping for wine and found a great mix of nuts, lima beans, chick peas, almonds, corn and pistachios, etc., it was called a “Mix from Spain”, and a bucket twice the size was half the price; and then I ran into something I’ve never seen before from Ines Rosales called Tortes de Acieta — http://inesrosales.com — the simplest way to describe it is a bakes pita made with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with sugar.  Its actually crispy and while I do not enjoy a lot of sugary items (especially combine with savory) this was interesting.  Sure, I paid $5 for 5 of these items which were individually wrapped, and while I HAD to try it, later I said to myself “relax, yes, they are $1 each, but you would pay the same for  bagel or doughnut”.   And yes, its quite the unique experience made for over 100 years.  I am not saying I am in love with it… in fact, I am not sure I would ever have it again, not because it does not taste good, but I much prefer a croissant with my espresso.  However, I am grateful for learning and discovering another great culinary food.  New discoveries of any kind are always good, even if they are bad.  Just when you think you have tasted and seen it all, you find another from a small, forgotten village and/or culture.     I will enjoy another tomorrow when I have it with a cup of espresso beans I ground myself.

My point is, Thanksgiving is a feast of many foods, giving thanks and discovering what other cultures bring to our table no matter where they are from.  These other cultures, foods and traditions work their way in to what we typically call “traditional” and only add to the amazing experience.    In the old days people would laugh at me when I told them we Italians would often eat the cold antipasti, the hot antipasti, THEN the meatballs, sausage (hot and sweet), braciola, AND manicotti, ravioli and/or lasagna… THEN came the turkey… yes, you would need 4 stomachs like a cow, but that is what was traditional served.     And while I love this tradition, its only the North Americans that celebrate it, so when you have Europeans, South Americans and others who come to North America and celebrate the holiday, the food becomes far more interesting and the turkey practically takes 2nd place to everything else.

Don’t like turkey?  Enjoy an international feast of other food.  As I said in my previous post, Thanksgiving does not and should not remain only a North American holiday of food, I think EVERY nation should recognize this festive holiday of food and giving thanks for what they have, whether it be turkey, pasta, or any other traditional food.  In this manner, we will bring the world closer together.  If any culture shares anything, it share 2 most common things, food and drink.  So let’s capitalize on that.

 

Happy Thanksgiving

I just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving.  While I know these are tough times for everyone all over the world, I still hope we can find things to be thankful for.  North America is the only country that celebrates this holiday, Canada usually a month earlier than the USA, I think it should be an international holiday.  Its a holiday where no gifts need to be exchanged, just a day of food, friends, family, and reason to come together to forget the world’s troubles.  While I am a religious person, I like the fact that this holiday is not based on any religious feast, but does focus on food.  I know there are many who do not have close family or even the resources for food.  But if you think of all the food that is wasted and how many hungry people there are on the planet, if there was a way to shift the scales so that canned food in our pantry has been sitting for over a year can be donated to local churches, charities and if only 1 family could donate $1 this day, a billion dollars easily could be donated worldwide to make this not only an international holiday, but a holiday that people in other parts of the world would be truly thankful for when most of us take it for granted or find it a day of inconvenience and travel.  I wish (if not wonder) if there was a worldwide fund, United Nations committee and/or UNICEF organization that can ask each citizen of the world for just $1 to make this an international holiday the entire planet would welcome and be thankful for.

How to NOT taste Wine

Hot to taste wine is to NOT taste wine, its simple…

Often I buy an inexpensive bottle of wine, $15 or less because it is rated a 90+ by Wine Spectator.  Safe bet, right?  NOT!  I sampled 2, both under $10 and both something that made me squirm to drink.   You can’t throw away anything at this point in time.  Not food, not wine, these are times when we have to live like its a depression (because it basically is).  So, I manage to finish what I can with regret then go and buy something I am almost sure to be regretful… an Argentine bottle of Malbec for $8.  Its gotta suck, right?  However, when I ordered it with a white-wine lover in a Brazilian Churrascaria, it was a hit.  From then on, I explored this wine… always great from Argentina, but I later found it was originally a French wine/grape.  I bought a bottle and was disappointed.  I understand you take the grape out of the region and it tastes different in different sun/soil/climate, but Argentine Malbec is a clear classic and hit.

Sure, some bottles were lame out of a case when others I thought were great – no accounting for consistency, however, when you pay $5 or less for a bottle of wine, you already won even if it is lousy, because you bought something drinkable without paying the going rate.  So, this week I had so many glasses of bad wine I did not care for.  Almost enough for me to stop drinking wine and drink beer instead.  But tonight I was rushed, hurried, stressed and cooking a meal on the stove and outdoor grill (portuguese sausage, peppers, potatoes and onions).  I opened a bottle of Argentine Malbec and was drinking while cooking with basic appetizers as olives, cheese, etc.  I had not paid any attention to the taste.

I sat down to eat, poured myself another glass and continued to eat my wonderful traditional Italian meal.  It was then when it hit me that this wine did not SUCK.  If I had a first sip and been totally turned off, I would have known this wine was another failure, but I didnt even notice, and this was a GOOD thing… so after the 2nd glass, I realized, wow!  This is a great wine… not because it was spectacular, but because I was drinking it and enjoying it long before  I come to realize, it was a very drinkable wine and worthy of purchasing a whole case of it.

Any bottle of wine that does NOT displease you and is under $10 is worth purchasing.  Argentina’s Malbec wines are on the rise and are of great value, better you purchase them now at $5/bottle than in a year when the could easily be double.  Rarely do I seek wines outside of Italy or California, but the economy has led me to seek elsewhere for good wines at an economical price.  Consistency is always an issue, but for me, Argentine Malbec is almost a sure thing.

 

Seaside Fare: Camarones (Shrimp)

Seaside Fare: Canoa Quebrada, Brazil

 

Canoa Quebrada, near Fortaleza in the Brazilian State of Ceara is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.  While Brazil is in South America, they are the only country in that region that speaks Portuguese instead of the “usual” Spanish.  One of the amazing things is, how great the food tastes with minimal preparation.  Its literally caught right in front of you.  You can see the fishermen on a boat maybe 100′ away.  The shrimp are probably the best I have ever had.  I love shrimp, always have.  in Jamaica they were seasoned with habanero peppers, (the hottest on the planet), but they eat them with the shells on, and the shells are thicker and much crunchier and harder to chew/swallow.  The shrimp in Brazil are perfect.  here in the USA we eat the shrimp with the shells off, and discard the tail.  But we are missing a great component… when the shrimp are cooked in their shell it adds so much more flavor.  And in Brazil, you remove the head, and eat the whole shrimp, shell and all, some eat the tail, but some also discard the very end of the tail.  The shells are so soft and delicious, you want to eat as much of it as you can.  They either cook in olive oil or cook over an open flame.  In any case, the best afternoon snack I ever had on the beach was an ice cold beer and a plate of a couple of dozen fresh fish caught just a few minutes ago from a few feet away.  A squeeze of lime, maybe some french fries, I wish I was back there already and it hasn’t even been a week.

 

 

 

Fortaleza

I am not sure how many people have heard of Fortaleza.  It means the “stronghold”, in this case, it was the Northeast corner of Brazil.  Invading ships from Europe would approach this area first, but they would be prepared.  Fortaleza is an amazing place.  Anyone has heard of Rio de Janeiro, but those who are experienced travelers know that Fortaleza is the place to go.  Even Brazilians from other parts of the country visit here on vacation.  Its not an easy place to get to.  In fact, even from NYC, you can get no direct flight to Fortaleza.  You must either fly through Sao Paulo or Rio and then up to Fortaleza.  This adds at least 5 hours to your voyage.  It is almost like you want to fly to Chicago, but you must first fly down to Miami, change planes, the fly back up to Chicago.    Now I know they are crunched all the numbers, but I still can’t believe that this waste of fuel and time justifies a direct flight to Fortaleza.  IN any case, Fortaleza is an amazing place and has a significant Italian population.

Minestrone

Minestrone is a vague term.   Its basically a vegetable soup which can consist of any ingredients, usually vegetarian.  Today I went to my friend Vittorios’s house for lunch.  The last lunch I will eat before I leave the country to explore Brazil.  It was a cold day, so he was using sliced up zucchini from the garden, some basil, salt, some beans from the garden, and a handful of linguini broken into 4 parts to serve as noodles rather than linguini.  A dash of grated cheese and it is wonderful.  This is not soup, and not quite a pasta dish but it is minestrone, you add vegetables one day, pasta the next, and maybe even something else like chicken the next so it lasts a week or more.

What I have learned from Vittorio is that leftovers are not bad, as long as you continue to re-invent them every day.  I quite frankly don’t care for most leftovers, some, but not most.  But in this manner, the Italians re-invent the dish so its something different each day.

While it is is getting colder and we need hotter food to warm our bodies, we use the leftover vegetables from the gardnen, hard pasta, olive oil, salt, and some boiling water.  Again, this is not traditional fare.  It is if you are not used to it, but if you are old school, its the norm.

 

 

Sicilian prefers prison to house arrest with wife

Sicilian prefers prison to house arrest with wife

PALERMO, Sicily (Reuters) – A Sicilian builder transferred from prison to house arrest tried to get himself locked up again to escape arguments with his wife at home, Italian media reported Thursday.

Santo Gambino, 30, did time for dumping hazardous waste before being moved to house arrest in Villabate, outside the Sicilian capital, Palermo, Italian news agencies reported.

Gambino went to the police station and asked to be put away again to avoid arguing with his wife, who accused him of failing to pay for the upkeep of their two children.

Police charged him with violating the conditions of his sentence and made him go home and patch things up with his wife.

www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE59L56L20091022

Beans

Today I went to Vittorio’s house to check on the fermentation of the wine.  He invited me in for lunch.  It was all food harvested from the garden.  Tomatoes, basil, peppers (hot and sweet), mushrooms he found in the woods, and beans.  He soaked and cooked the beans all day, added sage leaves he grew, and served it with the fire roasted peppers from his garden.  I don’t know the raw costs of this, but I know the time to care and harvest it basically turned into food for free.  Sure, time, care, harvesting takes time.  He is retired, but this labor of love translates into enough food to eat for months.  If you cannot eat it fresh, you cook, preserve, freeze, ferment or cure.  How much do you spend on groceries?  How much land do you have?  If you even have a few square feet, you can grow enough food for  season. The best part is, it will be the best food you eat and far surpass anything you would have spent money for this season.