It’s Nigiri! It’s Maki! No, it’s…Antipasti?!?

It’s almost New Year’s Eve! If you’re hosting a party, this means you’ve got to upgrade your appetizers—your taco dip may be delicious, but it doesn’t quite go with the gallons of champagne you’re bound to pour. Special holidays call for dishes that are unique and presented with some flair!

Try my twist on the traditional antipasti platter, where rich cheese, prosciutto, and roasted red peppers and eggplant are shaped and formed into Roasted Eggplant and Prosciutto "Maki" rolls and Roasted Red Pepper "Nigiri." Perfect for a festive occasion, these delightful nibbles will certainly surprise your guests!

To save time on party day, prepare the cheese blend and roast the peppers and the eggplants in advance.


Cheese Blend for Antipasti “Sushi”

15 oz. / 425 g. whole milk ricotta, drained
8 oz. / 225 g. mozzarella, finely diced (pieces should be about the size of rice grains)
1 small clove garlic, pressed
1 t. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch dried oregano

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well so that the garlic is evenly blended throughout. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate until ready to use.


Roasted Eggplant

1 t. salt
1 t. dried oregano
½ t. freshly ground black pepper, fine grind
1 small eggplant, sliced lengthwise into ½” slices

Combine the salt, dried oregano, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Lay the eggplant on a wire rack, and sprinkle with the seasoning. Rub the seasoning into the eggplant slices.

Preheat the oven’s broiler. In the meantime, line a baking sheet with foil and place the wire rack with the eggplant on top of the foil. When the oven is ready, place the eggplant under the broiler and broil for 5-7 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool until ready to use.


Roasted Red Peppers

2 red bell peppers*, cored and sliced lengthwise at natural rib

Preheat the broiler on high. Arrange the peppers on a baking sheet covered in foil (this makes clean-up much easier). Put the peppers under the broiler for 5-10 minutes, or until the peppers' skins have turned black and charred.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Using tongs, place the roasted peppers in a bowl. Cover the bowl and let the peppers cool.

Once peppers have cooled, gently peel off the charred skin and discard skin. The peppers are now ready to use.

* For this recipe, use the boxiest, most evenly square-shaped peppers you can find


Roasted Eggplant and Prosciutto “Maki”

Roasted eggplant, as prepared above
4 oz. / 115 g. prosciutto, very thinly sliced
Cheese blend, as prepared above

Prepare the eggplant by slicing lengthwise into thin batons, then slicing in half crosswise so that the batons are about as long as the prosciutto’s width. Set aside.

Lay a slice of prosciutto on your work surface. Heap a spoonful or two of the cheese blend onto about half of the prosciutto and spread until it is about ¼” thick. Place 2-3 eggplant batons about an inch in (see photo below), and roll up.

Using a sharp knife, slice each roll in half (see photo below), then trim the ends so that they will lay flat on a serving tray.

Repeat with the remaining eggplant, prosciutto, and cheese.

* Nutritional info per piece: 58 calories, 4 g fat, 2.7 g carbohydrates, 4.7 g protein.


Roasted Red Pepper “Nigiri”

Roasted red peppers, as prepared above
Cheese blend, as prepared above

Slice the roasted red peppers into rectangles, approximately 1 x 2.5 inches.

Place 2 heaping spoonfuls of the cheese blend into your hands and shape into pieces that are about an inch thick, and inch wide, and 2 inches long. Handle the cheese as little as possible, as the warmth of your hands will cause the cheese to soften.

Place a red pepper slice on the shaped cheese piece. Repeat with the remaining peppers and cheese.

* Nutritional info per piece: 97 calories, 7 g fat, 1.7 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein.

Celebrating Simple Pleasures

Yesterday was the first time all season that I was able to go to the Copley Square Farmers' Market, which is my second favorite outdoor activity, second only to the beach. Wandering through the crowds to inspect all of the fresh, colorful fruits, vegetables, and flowers makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. It's like a mini-vacation - even with sirens and construction noise in the air, somehow I no longer feel like an impatient city dweller whose life revolves around a smartphone and a train schedule. Seeing bushels upon bushels of just-harvested carrots, potatoes, beets, eggplants, lettuces, herbs, peppers, and tomatoes makes me wish I had the luxury of spending every day in a kitchen rather than an office. I'd give just about anything for more time to slice, to saute, to create. The joy of having someone walk into my kitchen and say, "It smells great in here, what are you making?" is a lot more satisfying than the text message I get when my paycheck has been deposited into my bank account. Keeping that in mind, I decided to spend my vacation day cooking and celebrating. What was I celebrating? Being alive and being able to enjoy the simple things.

Picking out my goodies

I circled Copley Square about four times, jotting down mental post-its noting whose lettuces looked the best, which stands had fresh herbs, etc. By the time I left, I'd picked up some lettuces, a bunch of fresh dill, a ball of local smoked mozzarella and a log of goat cheese, a few leeks, and fennel bulbs and a bag of wild arugula from Siena Farms, a local farm that supplies many of Boston's best restaurants. Siena Farms' fennel bulbs were smaller and flatter than the ones spotted in the produce coolers at the Mega-Mart; they were also much more fragrant. I was curious about these bulbs - was this variety of fennel different than the common kind? I did some research, and as it turns out, the gender of the plant determines the shape of the bulb. The male bulbs are larger and rounder, while the female bulbs are smaller in size and flatter in shape. Who knew?!?

Although I had plenty of goodies from the market, my mission was not done. I hopped on the green line and headed to the North End to pick up some seafood and prosciutto. At Mercato del Mare, I stared blankly at the case, trying to get inspired. Liz recommended their swordfish, so I picked up a swordfish steak, and while she was packing up the fish, inspiration struck and I also purchased a pound of calamari and some cockle clams. I was going to make seafood risotto with the leeks and the fennel I'd picked up at the market. Then, I walked over to Salumeria Italiana for their amazing prosciutto. The prosciutto would be wonderful with that wild arugula! On my way back to the train, I walked past Maria's Pastry. I almost made it, but their torrone is like a magnet - I couldn't leave the neighborhood without a sweet treat. I couldn't decide between plain and pistachio, which I took to be a sign that I was supposed to buy both.

I only had one more stop before I could go home and get started on my menu - I needed prosecco. Celebrating a great day would be incomplete without something bubbly in my glass. Once that was in my bag, it was time to go home and create.

Just as a writer has pens, an artist as brushes, and a musician has an instrument, I have knives, pots, and pans. I gathered my paints and my canvases, and I got to work on creating a lovely antipasto plate and a scrumptious seafood risotto. Try these recipes for yourself, and raise a glass in celebration of the simple things.

Individual Antipasto Plates

serves two

2 handfuls wild arugula

12 ripe figs, halved
4-6 thin slices of prosciutto
2 T. crumbled gorgonzola
2-3 t. chestnut honey
olive oil
lemon wedges

Prepare each plate as follows:

Place a handful of the wild arugula in the center of the plate. Surround the arugula with a ring of fig halves, skin-side down. Tear the prosciutto lengthwise into thin strips. Place the strips around the outer edge of the figs, and place one piece in the center on top of the arugula. Place a gorgonzola crumble in the center of each fig half. Drizzle a teaspoon or so of chestnut honey over the ring of figs. Splash a few drops of olive oil on the arugula, and squeeze with a bit of lemon.

Serve with prosecco.

Cockle clams

Shellfish Risotto

generous splash olive
1 leek, sliced (white part only)
1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs, thinly sliced, a few fronds reserved for garnish
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup prosecco
5 cups shellfish stock (see below)
1 pound calamari, mostly tentacles - slice tubes into 1/4" rings
1/2 pound cockles or other small clams
1 T. capers
sea salt
parsley, to garnish

Heat the shellfish stock to a low simmer.  In a separate large, heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the leek and fennel.  Saute for about 5 minutes, then add the arborio rice.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the prosecco.  Lower the heat, and stir continuously until the prosecco has been absorbed. 

Now, add a half-cup of shellfish stock.  Stir continuously until the liquid has been absorbed.  Repeat this process until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is almost fully cooked.  In the meantime, place the calamari and the clams in another pan with a bit of olive oil and a splash of the shellfish stock.  Cover, and steam until the clams have open and the calamari has firmed up.  Set aside a few clams in their shells for garnish, remove the meat from the rest and discard the shells. 

When the rice is almost fully cooked and you're on the last addition of liquid, add the calamari, clams, and capers.  Continue to stir until the last of the liquid is absorbed.  Finish with sea salt.  Serve in individual bowls with a clam shell or two, garnished with fennel fronds. 

Shellfish Stock

Shellfish stock is easy to make.  Every time I eat shrimp or lobster, I save and freeze the shells.  Once you have a decent amount of shells, place them in a stockpot with enough water to cover all the shells, add a squirt of lemon juice, a few peppercorns, a pinch of sea salt, and a small handful of celery leaves.  Bring to a boil, then simmer until the broth is reduced a bit and the flavor has intensified.

Christmas 2010

This weekend, I celebrated Christmas with my mom in Portsmouth, NH. As is the case with most major holidays, my mom did all the cooking, as she has for years. Sure, I pitched in here and there (someone had to operate the salad spinner and open the Chianti), but the hard labor was my mom’s territory. She began planning well in advance of my arrival, and as always, she pulled off a delicious and delectable Christmas dinner.

This year, I wasn’t as overcome by the Christmas Spirit as I have been in the past. My roommates and I are hardly ever home, so we didn’t bother to decorate. My head has been spinning due to the stress that accompanied leaving my last job to advance into a new position. I’ve had a roller-coaster of a month with many ups and downs, and Boston didn’t even get any snow until December 20. I wasn’t exactly bouncing around in my Santa hat singing jolly carols. Thankfully, I was able to look past the harsh realities of adulthood because I got to spend the holiday with my mom in her decorated living room while the familiar smells of her cooking drifted in from the kitchen. We watched Christmas Vacation and drove around in the snow to admire (ok, make fun of) people’s decorations. Those things helped my mind decompress, and I was able to muster up some Christmas spirit. Thankfully, while I do enjoy the trappings of the season, my interpretation of the true meaning of Christmas is centered around what’s on the dining room table and who occupies the chairs.

Obviously we had several meals while I was home, but I’ll focus on our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners. Following Italian tradition, we've always served seafood on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, my mom developed an allergy to fish and shellfish (she usually makes meat-free pasta fagioli), but she is always more than happy to supply me with some sort of freshly plucked ocean creature to throw into a pan with some garlic and olive oil. This year, I chose calamari and oysters. We stopped in at Seaport Fish, where I purchased a half-pound of fresh calamari with the heads still attached and the cuttlebones remaining in the tubes. This calamari was incredible, and it worked fabulously quick-cooked in a spicy tomato and wine broth, served over angel hair pasta (recipe below). I plumped some golden raisins in the wine broth, threw in a few capers, and I added a generous amount of thinly sliced garlic as well, which is typical of Sicilian cooking. Finally, a sprinkling of minced flat-leaf parsley adds a fresh foil to the sweet and spicy flavors.

5-inches of oyster!

Along with my calamari, I purchased a half-dozen oysters, and in doing so I turned myself on to a new oyster variety that I haven‘t seen before but will search for in the future. Typically, I buy Island Creek oysters which are easy to open, buttery-sweet, and perfect on the half-shell. Seaport Fish did not have any Island creeks, but they did have two other varieties in stock. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the name of the type I didn’t purchase, but when I asked which they recommended, I was steered towards the ginormous Wawenauk oysters from Maine. I chose these simply because I was told that they are easy to open - I certainly didn’t want any oyster drama on Christmas Eve! Each shell was almost the size of my hand and probably weighed about a pound. OK, maybe not a pound, but nobody would ever refer to these babies as “delicate.”

Readers, I must pause and ask a simple favor of you before I begin the next few sentences - please keep in mind that everything I’m about to say is in reference to oysters, and nothing else. Please keep your bacon, butter, and booze-soaked minds out of the gutter.  Wawenauks are larger than any oyster I’ve seen before, and after opening one, I observed that the meat was about twice the size of my usual Island Creeks. Although they are large, their size is not as difficult to accommodate as you may imagine. They are plump and meaty, but not cumbersome to swallow whole, and they taste sweet and briny like ocean water, without any hints of mineral or metallic flavor. I did not serve these with any sauces or dips, just a spritz of fresh-squeezed lemon juice is all I added to these meaty morsels, unless you count the complementary pinot grigio I sipped between shucks. (Double entendre-laden section complete). Although I purchased a half dozen, by the fourth oyster I was full. If you serve these to a crowd, I recommend two per person; they are incredibly rich.

On Christmas Day, my mom took control of the kitchen. While watching old movies, we nibbled on antipasti skewers containing grape tomatoes, bocconcini mozzarella, roasted red pepper strips, cannellini beans, and green olives. This recipe is so simple that it does not require a recipe - simply skewer all the ingredients onto toothpicks (or, for fancier presentation, cocktail picks or those cute little bamboo skewers with the curly tops), saving the halved grape tomatoes for last. Skewer them so that the cut side of the tomato is flat on the platter, making the skewers stand upright. These are perfect for a standing-room-only party, as they do not require utensils. She also followed in her family’s footsteps and brought out a plate of fresh dates stuffed with cream cheese. Dates are naturally very sweet - no refined sugar is necessary, making them a far healthier choice than the usual cookies and candy.

Finally, on to the dinner! My mom brought out the absolute best flavor I’ve ever had from a small beef tenderloin roast - perfectly pink in the center, with an unsurpassable natural flavor. Seasoned only with salt, pepper, and a little olive oil, it required nothing else. It was juicy, tender enough to cut with a butter knife, and bursting with flavor. She served this with horseradish whipped cream - only a little bit is necessary to complement the flavor of the roast, more than a small dab can be overwhelming.

Alongside the beef, we had braised fennel with butter and parmesan, and she made the most interesting veg/carb side I’ve had yet - individual escarole and polenta soufflés, topped with roasted red pepper butter. The soufflés were light and fluffy, yet enormously satisfying! The balance between polenta and escarole was perfect, as one flavor did not dominate. Once again, my mom took a holiday dinner and knocked it out of the park.

Somehow, I saved room for dessert - chocolate & whiskey mousse with chopped hazelnuts. Three of my favorite things, whipped and chilled in one small ramekin packed with delicious dessert flavor! Not too sweet, this was the perfect end to another fabulous Christmas dinner.

Every year, my mom manages to put together a dinner that raises the bar just a little bit higher. Someday, if I am ever in charge of Christmas, my only hope will be that I am able to execute a meal that‘s even half as good as my mom‘s. I’ve got some big shoes to fill.




Calamari in Spicy Tomato-Wine Broth

8 oz. dried angel hair pasta
generous splash olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 T. golden raisins
2 T. capers
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 T. tomato paste
1 roma tomato, diced
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 lb. calamari, cleaned, tubes sliced into rings
salt and pepper to taste
minced parsley, plus sprigs for garnish

Cook the pasta.  In the meantime, heat the olive oil over a medium flame in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan.  When the oil is hot, add the garlic and raisins.  Saute for 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic becomes fragrant but does not turn golden. 

Next, add the capers, white wine, tomato paste, roma tomato, and crushed red pepper flakes.  Stir vigorously so that the tomato paste breaks up and blends with the wine.  Cook until the liquid begins to bubble gently, about 5 minutes. 

Now, add the calamari.  Cook for only about one minute.  The calamari should start to firm up.  Drain the pasta, and add the hot pasta to the pan with the calamari and tomato broth.  Stir so that each strand is coated with the sauce.  By this time, the calamari should be cooked through.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, and divide among two serving dishes.  Sprinkle with minced parsley and garnish with a sprig or two of fresh parsley.