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#254 - Claire's Italian Feast Claire Criscuolo, chef and owner of Claire's Corner Copia (one of the nation's oldest and most popular vegetarian restaurants) in New Haven, Connecticut, and cooking teacher and cookbook author, shares recipes with Carol from her cookbook entitled, "Claire's Italian Feast; 165 Vegetarian Recipes from Nonna's Kitchen." This is Claire's second appearance on Cookin' with Carol. She appeared in 1999 (show #203) with her other cookbooks, "Claire's Corner Copia Cookbook," and "Claire's Classic American Vegetarian Cooking." For more information about Claire, her restaurant, and cookbooks, please visit her website at: www.clairescornercopia.com. Linguine with Pumpkin Sauce Serves 6 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 4 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 2 pounds pumpkin squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 large sweet onion, cut into thick ribs 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves 1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley Salt and pepper to taste 1 pound linguine 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 cup lightly toasted pumpkin seeds (optional) Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, squash, onion, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat with the oil. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes, or until the squash is just tender and has released some of its moisture. Meanwhile, bring a stockpot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat and cook the linguine according to package directions. Before draining the linguine, reserve 2 cups of the cooking water. When the squash is just tender, add the reserved pasta cooking water and the nutmeg. Stir well to mix. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasonings. Add the cooked linguine to the pot and toss well. Taste for seasonings. Turn into a serving bowl. Top with the toasted pumpkin seeds if desired. Sautéed Spinach Serves 4 1 10-ounce bag fresh spinach 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 large cloves garlic, cut into thin slices Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 lemon, cut into 4 wedges Trim off only the thick spinach stems, leaving the thin stems intact. Wash the spinach thoroughly to remove any grit, then drain in a colander for a few minutes. Place the spinach with the water still clinging to its leaves in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, uncovered, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the spinach is just wilted, using tongs to turn the spinach occasionally. Drain in a colander. Carefully wipe the skillet dry with paper towels. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes, or until it is golden brown but not burned. Add the drained spinach, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, or until the spinach is tender and completely coated with oil. Turn into a serving dish and arrange the lemon wedges around the edge. Chocolate and Almond Stuffed Figs Serves 8 16 large dried figs (Mission or other) 1 cup orange juice (preferably fresh) 1/4 cup chocolate chips 15 whole almonds Cut a 1-inch-long slit in each fig, about two-thirds through. Place the cut figs in a shallow bowl, add the orange juice, and let the figs plump somewhat and absorb some of the juice for about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a glass baking dish large enough to accommodate the figs in a single layer with nonstick cooking spray. Drain the figs, reserving the juice. Open each fig and stuff the slit with 3 or 4 chocolate chips. Top each slit with an almond. Arrange the stuffed figs in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. Pour the reserved juice evenly over the figs. Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. To serve, spoon the figs into a dish and spoon a little of the juice evenly over the top. >Recipes from Claire's Italian Feast by Claire Criscuolo (Plume / Penguin Putnam Inc.) |
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