Williams-Sonoma's "Essentials of Italian"

While not in the “world of cuisine” when Chuck Williams opened his first culinary in Sonoma in1956, he was already well known a decade latter as my career began to take flight. A few years later I got to go to his store in San Franscisco and as the saying goes, “I thought I’d died and gone to (culinary) heaven.”

It was as good as any culinary store anywhere in the world. For many years it was the only place a serious cook could be assured of getting equipment and specialty products for what was then the emerging (think Julia Child) and mushrooming interest in fine food prepared at home.

Fast forward to today: there are more than 200 stores and the Williams-Sonoma catalog has an annual circulation of 40 million.

All that came from one man, one idea and one location.

Today one of Chuck Williams’ legacies is the all-embracing Williams-Sonoma library of cookbooks. Since publishing began the company has produced 250 unique titles…certainly right up there with the publishing numbers of only a handful of companies.

One of the more recent cookbook is “Essentials of Italian” with recipes credited to Michele Scicolone, text by Steve Siegleman and General Editor, the founder himself: Chuck Williams.

The recipe collection is both interesting and intriguing as it follows the geography of Italy in a comfortable and simplified manner. I found myself in a dream-like state reading how each came to be, folkoric information about ingredients and a true belief in my ability to recreate this satisfying and nearly universally appealing cuisine anytime I wanted. And so can you.

Here then is a bit of a sampling of recipes well suited to the season.

The vegetables in this classic antipasto signal the arrival of midsummer. The dish could also be an excellent partner to something from the grill. Add rustic bread, unsalted butter or olive oil and the entrée is complete. Fresh fruit and cheese for dessert….it may just seem that you are on an Italian trip. Bon appetito!

Grilled Vegetables

2 cloves garlic

About ½ cup fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley

½ cup extra virgin olive oil plus 2 tbsp. for brushing

2 tsp. red wine vinegar

1 eggplant, 1 to 1 ¼-lb., trimmed and cut crosswise into slices ½-inch thick

2 zucchini, trimmed and thickly sliced lengthwise

2 red or yellow bell peppers

6 green onions, including tender green tops, trimmed

Sea Salt

½ tsp. red pepper flakes, optional

Prepare charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat. Oil the grill rack. Using a chef’s knife, mince together the garlic and parsley. Transfer to a small bowl, add the ½ cup olive oil and the vinegar and mix well. Set aside.

Brush the vegetables with the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Using tongs, lay he eggplant and zucchini slices, the peppers and the green onions over the hottest part of the fire or directly over the heat elements. Cook the eggplant and zucchini slices, turning once, until both sides have grill marks and the slices are tender, about 6 minutes total for the eggplant and about 3 minutes total for the zucchini. Grill the green onions, turning as needed, until slightly charred and tender, about 4 minutes total. Grill the peppers, turning as needed, until the skin is blackened and evenly blistered on all sides, about 10 minutes total.

As the vegetables finish cooking, transfer the eggplant, zucchini and onions to a platter. Place the peppers in a paper bag and fold over the top so they will steam. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove from the bag, remove and discard the stems and slit the peppers open lengthwise and remove and discard the seeds and ribs. Peel away the blackened skin, and cut the peppers lengthwise into strips about ½-inch wide. Add the pepper strips to the platter.

Drizzle the olive oil-parsley mixture evenly over the vegetables, and then sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes, if using. Serve at once. Makes 6 servings.

Swiss card is a dark leafy green vegetable common to southern Europe. It seems less common in the USA. This is a quick Italian-style stir-fry. It’s a perfect choice to serve with pork, lamb or chicken.

Swiss Chard with Raisins and Pine Nuts

2 tbsp. pine nuts

1 ½ lb. Swiss chard, tough stems trimmed

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 tbsp. raisins

In a small, dry frying pan over medium heat, toast the pine nuts, shaking the pan often, unto golden about 3 minutes. Pour onto a plate to cool.

Cut the chard crosswise into strips 1-inch wide. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the chard, water and about 2 teaspoons salt. Cover and cook, uncovering to stir once or twice, until wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander, pressing out any excess moisture with the back of a spoon.

Rinse out the saucepan and return to low heat. Add the butter. When it melts, add the chard and the raisins and cook, stirring constantly, until the chard and raisins are evenly coated with butter and the flavors are blended, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with the pine nuts. Serve at once. Makes 4 servings.

Yukon gold potatoes are relatively new to the produce counters. Yet potatoes similar to this variety have been grown and cooked in Calabria for many, many years. Serve these with a steak, grilled salmon or leg of lamb.

Garlic Roasted Potatoes

1 ½ lb. Yukon gold or other roasting potato

3 tbsp. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Scatter the potato chunks and the garlic in a single layer on the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the rosemary. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining oil. Toss gently to combine the ingredients, then spread them out evenly.

Roast the potatoes, stirring 1 or 2 times, until the skins are crisp and browned and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve at once. 4-6 servings.

It was impossible for me to resist this classic soup which can be served for a light lunch or supper with a salad and bread. In the cookbook it is written that the name of the recipe name comes from the tradition of several different cuts of pork and a big variety of vegetables, which were slowly simmered together until the ingredients were pronounced

“married.” Isn’t that a charming explanation! And the soup is just as enticing!

Italian Wedding Soup

3 qt. quality chicken stock

1 lb. dinosaur kale, escarole or other greens, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces

3 large carrots, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 lb. ground pork

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup minced yellow onion

½ cup plain fine dried bread crumbs

½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

3 tbsp. olive oil

Grated Pecorino Romano cheese for serving

In a large soup pot, bring the stock to a boil over high heat. Add the kale (or other greens), carrots and celery, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until he vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine the pork, eggs, onion, bread crumbs, cheese, 1 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper and mix well. Moisten your hands and shape the mixture into small balls, handling them gently. As they ae formed, place them on a plate.

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. When all the meatballs are ready, gently add them to the frying pan and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully add them to the simmering soup and simmer gently over low heat until the meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Ladle the soup into warmed soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with grated cheese. Serve at once. Makes 6 servings.