BetsaPasta Crispy Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan is one of my favorite Italian dishes. It's also a dish that takes a certain technique to prepare with a crispy texture. Very simply put, the preparation does not include layering with sauce.
Once you have tried this preparation, you may find it hard to go back to the traditional method of layering with sauce and then topping off with sauce.

Are you ready?


Ingredients: Serves 6 with a side pasta
- Flavored Panko Bread Crumbs
-1 LARGE Fresh Eggplant (ends removed)...Sliced rounds 3/8 thick...yield about 12-14 pieces
-1 cup Flour (I like unbromated/unbleached healthier King Arthur flour)
-2 beaten eggs w. 1 Tbsp 1/2 & 1/2...add some salt and pepper to egg mixture
   **EVOO (healthier) or Vegetable Oil for frying. If a second frying process is required, remove oil from first fried batch and use new oil
-Fresh Mill Pepper
-Kosher Salt
-Parmigiano Reggiano Parmesan cheese
-1/2 to 3/4 lb. Whole Milk Mozzarella
-Your Favorite Tomato or Marinara Sauce


Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees
*Slice eggplant in rounds

 *Dip in flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs (place all of these prepared slices in a single layer on a plate or baking sheet in order to be able to place in hot oil at the same time). This process should take app 6-7 minutes
*Heat oil on medium high
*In the hot oil, place all rounds in fryer at the same time (if possible) and cook until golden brown on both sides. It's ok to turn more than once if you have to
*Remove from frying pan and place on paper towels to drain off excess oil.
Salt & Pepper at this time
*Repeat process for more rounds of eggplant if necessary with new oil (I place the used oil in a DRY used can of tomatoes to toss away after it has cooled)
 *In a baking tray, place the rounds on the bottom in a single layer...top with mozzarella and some fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano...and repeat once more so there are two layers
*Place just one or two (to suite your taste) Tbsp of your favorite marinara or tomato sauce on top of stack and bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until cheese on top is melted and turning golden...then broil for about 3 more minutes until just starting to turn brown
*Remove from oven. You can then add more sauce sparingly on top or place sauce on a plate and sit the stack on top of the sauce.
Serve with fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano
**EVOO=Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The use of salt and pepper is to suit your taste, thus there is no instruction for it's use.


Mangia Baby!
Bert


As usual, please feel free to comment with ideas or suggestions...or to share your own recipe...
bs

Flora's Santorini Tomatoes, Oh My!

I love this place!
It's stunning how the North Fork of Long Island has gripped Sandy and me. You would think by making such a claim that we were in love with all of the same things...but not really. Sure...we can appreciate the same things. For me, however it is simply the food and wine...and in all seasons.
For Sandy, it's a lot more. As I just said, she can appreciate the food and wine...but it's the flowers, the gardens, the vintage and antiques (although nowadays it's quite hard to find a real bargain), and, of course, the horse community that draw us constantly to this part of our Long Island.
Getting back to "I love this place!" It's the end of August and peak tomato time...a highlight every year in my life for as long as I can remember. I just can't get enough of the selection available from all of my tomato girls.

 Flora's Heirlooms

 In 2010 I wrote about Cheryl's on River Road in Calverton and her fabulous cherry tomatoes ...in 2011 I wrote about Joanne Zelnicki on Sound Avenue and her brilliant "Champion" tomatoes. For 2012, even though I want her all for myself, I have to share with all of you Flora The Santorini Tomato Maven.
The selection here is astounding!
If you travel too fast on Route 48, you will miss her. Take a look at the pictures I post and they will be your guide as it sits on the south side of the road heading east. Look for the buoy...that's all I can say.

Flora, with the help of  her son Tony, stands ready to guide you through a hearty selection of tomatoes....and many planted with the seeds from her homeland in Santorini, Greece. They grow and sell their peppers, zucchini, squash, eggplants and other veggies...but the stars here are Flora's tomatoes.

We were there yesterday and walked away with about 5+ pounds of heirloom tomatoes for $10.00...not to mention beefsteaks (which were made into sauce a few hours later), red and yellow cherry, and other tomato shapes and flavors so varied, it's kind of mind boggling.

 Flora...someway...somehow...I'm wondering if it's possible to make you a stop along the North Fork Foodie Tour. We shall see...We shall see.


Oh yes!...One more important tidbit. If we really and truly love our tomatoes, we save the seeds and plant them in our garden (I'm still waiting for Joanne's Champions to ripen on the vine as we speak) and perpetuate the crop.
Saving the seeds is easy to do...and for the home grower here's how!

Squeeze approximately 30-40 seeds from any tomato that you LOVE...place in a cup with two tablespoons of water...cover with plastic wrap and punch a hole in the top. Stir daily for 3 days. After that time, the seeds will have separated from the gelatinous goop that surrounded it as it came out of the tomato.
Place the seeds on paper towels or a coffee filter and let dry in an airy space for at least another 3 days...depending on humidity levels (rainy or dry days). Move the seeds around after a couple of days to insure they don't stick to the paper.

                                         Store the seeds in your own home made seed package.
                                  All you have to do is go to: www.countryliving.com/seedpacket


                                                                      Mangia Baby!
                                                                              Bert



"Sharing your garden bounty can mean more than handing out juicy tomatoes. Why not also pass along homegrown vegetable seeds? Learn how to harvest them at seedsave.org—then package those future plans in our sweet little DIY envelopes. Simply download the free PDF (plus instructions), then print on earthy paper, fold, and give the gift of gardening for mere pennies".

                                                      Country Living Magazine

                                               As usual, please feel free to comment
                                                                         B

It's Time For Pesto...Plain & Simple

 Most folks know pesto is made with fresh basil...however go online and you will see many variations of this dish that originated in Genoa, Italy in an area called Liguria.
Specifically, pesto is a sauce made with fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, pignoli (pine) nuts, and either Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino...or a combination of both. It developed the name "pesto" since it was traditionally made with the mortar and pestle many moons ago.
There are a few quite useful tips that I apply when making my pesto.
#1...Toast the pine nuts. Big difference and fuller flavor
#2...A squeeze of fresh lemon will keep the pesto a beautiful green and will not overpower the strong flavors in this recipe. If anything, it adds to the flavor.
#3...Although raw garlic is quite tasty...it is also quite powerful and I have found that it can disagree with some people. Instead of adding the many cloves of garlic most recipes call for, I suggest you use the same amount of garlic and oil utilizing the infusion method which will impart the flavor without the physical effects of raw garlic. Let the sliced or crushed garlic sit in the oil for about 30 minutes and remove most...if not all...of the garlic from the recipe. Save it to cook with in another recipe.
#4...I don't add the cheese if I am going to freeze my pesto. I add the cheese at the time of serving.even though most recipes mix in the cheese and all the other ingredients right away.

Now...here is Bert's BetsaPasta Pesto Recipe...for the books!
Serves 6-10 (depending on what else is served)

4 packed tight cups of fresh basil
2 large garlic cloves
2 oz. pine nuts
2/3 cup EVOO*
Large pinch Kosher salt
Few turns of the white pepper mill
2.5-3 cups Parmigiano Reggiano
1 wedge of fresh lemon (remove seeds)
1 lb. of your favorite pasta (if you like a stronger flavor pesto, use less pasta)

Blend pine nuts, salt and pepper and 1/2 of the infused olive oil in a Cuisinart
Place basil in Cuisinart, add the lemon, and process adding the rest of the oil through the chute until pesto mixture is smooth
Mix in grated in cheese at this time or hold off the cheese until ready to serve. If freezing, DO NOT add cheese until ready to serve another time

Refrigerate the mixture and let sit for a minimum of a few hours to let the ingredients blend.

Serve at room temperature (if possible) on top of freshly made warm pasta and toss with some warm pasta water. Adding starched pasta water will add texture and flavor to the entire dish.

Feel free to salt and pepper to taste. A pinch of red crushed pepper adds zing!

As usual...please feel free to comment


                                                                Mangia Baby!
                                                                       Bert              

*EVOO= Extra virgin Olive Oil                      

.

Read more: What Is the Origin of Pesto? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_10005505_origin-pesto.html#ixzz241Ba6zhn

R A O' S !

Anna & Vincent Rao
	A tidbit from Rao's website plus a tidbit of my insight from the inside... Chef Bert
"Rao's is renowned for its jukebox, its quirky decor, its unmatched hospitality and most of all, the spectacular Neapolitan cuisine. It's also notorious for being one of the most difficult restaurants in New York in which to get a reservation. But what is it about this tiny, charming restaurant that makes it the most in-demand spot in the city night after night, year after year? For decades Rao's existed as a neighborhood restaurant. Its local customers would fill the tables with such regularity that eventually they were given standing reservations - bookings that persevere to this day".

The mystique of Rao's in East Harlem, New York City, will remain just that for those who are not fortunate enough to know someone who "owns" (they're not really owned, but essentially owned) one of the ten tables that serve dinner only and Monday through Friday only.
My high school buddy Roy just happens to be in the meat business in NYC, and between him and Joey 'Meat' (whom we had never met. no pun intended), Sandy and I were extended an invitation for dinner at the famed and famous Rao's on my birthday. The fact that it was my birthday was a coincidence and left room for a more celebratory state of mind.
Walking into Rao's, especially for the first time, is like entering hallowed ground. My emotions were running high not knowing what to expect...yet anticipating something that went beyond culinary delight. It's tough enough for me to go to an Italian restaurant since I can prepare the staple Italian dishes as good as lot of  restaurants (if I don't say so myself). I can't even imagine how Mario Batali would feel.
As far as I was concerned, I wasn't here for the food. Sound crazy? Not really, when you consider I bought the Rao's cookbook about 13 years ago and knew what to expect since over that time I prepared many of their dishes at home. This included...as a little aside...the unique task of removing the core, as Rao's does, from every canned tomato prior to cooking.
Nope...
I was here because of the mystique...plain and simple.
Upon entry, we gravitated (literally) to the canopied bar where we could see the entire restaurant in view was decorated with a perpetual Christmas and holiday motif, which only added to the sense of celebration.
We met Nicky the bartender...ie."Nicky Vest"...probably because of his one of a kind vests he always wears...and decided on a nice Tuscan bottle of 2007 Antinori Pepoli Chianti Classico as we waited for our hosts to arrive.

                                                                        Nicky 'Vest'

Not until Roy walked in did Sandy and I realize we were sitting and talking to Joey 'Meat' at the bar. A pleasant surprise.
My curiosity pulled me to the kitchen entryway and was again pleasantly greeted by two of the chefs (one chef and one chefess) and a couple of the waiters, who were quite accommodating as they posed for pictures.

                                                             Chef, Cheffess May & Bert
                                                 

                                                         Smiling Chef, Chefess May, & Waiters

                                                               

Joey and Roy

                                                                         

                                                           Joey, Roy, Sandy and Bert

                                                                     Photo Gallery

                                                                    Photo Gallery

As we were seated, the bruschetta hit the table and the maitre'd and captain all in one came over...pulled up a chair...sat down...and with a cordial smile started describing all the dishes off an unwritten menu. In just a few minutes, the order for their famous cold seafood salad, fresh tomatoes and mozzarella caprese' and baked clams was served.

                                                      Cold Seafood Salad Topped With Fresh Lobster


                                                Fresh Tomato & Mozzarella Caprese'


Later came the linguine with white clam sauce and a touch of tomato (some may call it red clam sauce) with big beautiful clams, veal parmigiana, shrimp scampi, meatballs, sauteed escarole,and penne marinara (made with certified San Marzano Italian tomatoes and, oh yes, De Cecco pasta). Sooooo much...and sooooo good!
Each of these orders was shared by the four of us and each were fabulous by most folks definition of the word! My personal favorites were the cold seafood salad topped with lobster, the shrimp scampi and the linguine with clam sauce and clams. 

                                              White Clam Sauce with Tomato & Big Fat Juicy Clams

                                                               Veal Parmigiana

                                                                        Shrimp Scampi

                                                                      Meat-a-Balls

                                                                 
                                                                    Penne Marinara

For dessert, we had raspberry sorbet...Roy's favorite,the best Italian cheesecake you will ever taste...and coffee.
By the way, if you are ever fortunate enough to get the call to come to Rao's...don't worry about parking. It's free just across the street on the street. How's that for accommodation?
Roy ... thanks for celebrating with me and Sandy on my birthday...and thanks for the past and future memories! Joey...Along with Roy, thank you for a truly unforgettable experience.
We sincerely hope your new B Free hangers work as well for you as this evening worked for us.

                                                            Mangia Baby,
                                                                   Bert


          Rao's on the corner of East 114th Street & Pleasant Avenue in East Harlem, New York

 

Perfect Time for Lavender By The Bay in East Marion, L.I, N.Y.

Gracious host Serge with Emma

 

 

 
Luis with fresh cut lavender

 

  
Emma with her fresh cut lavender and sachet for mommy

I know of no place so unique in New York like Lavender By The Bay in East Marion, Long Island.
It's pure therapy in the true sense of the definition.
Lavender has bloomed early this year, so get out to experience the lavender while still there for the picking, literally.They even have kids scissors so the young ones can have fun picking lavender with mom & dad.
There are some bees doing their lavender thing also, however you know the story: leave them alone and they won't bother you.
 If you're not in the picking state of mind, it's cut and ready and waiting for you...either fresh, dried, or in sachets along with many other lavender related products.
Their lavender honey is not quite ready and according to Serge, who operates Lavender By The Bay with his wife Susan, it will be ready by the end of July.
Short and Sweet...and as succinctly put by the Moody Blues, "Go Now"!


As always, comments are welcome.
Mangia Baby!
Bert

THE Quintessential Lobster Roll is in Amagansett, L.I., N.Y.

 "The Clam Bar at Napeague, smack dab in the middle of Amagansett and Montauk on Montauk Highway is THE NEW HOME OF THE BEST EVER LOBSTER ROLL" says me.
When one plunks down $20.00 plus dollars for chunks of lobster, mayo...and in this case, celery with the right crunch...on bread the size of most hot dog rolls, you would expect to walk away both satisfied and smiling. Until today, I've never had a lobster rollanywhere that left me with either. Actually, the price at the Clam Bar for this stunningly overstuffed sandwich is $19.50 and quite reasonable compared to any others I've had over the years.
There were chunks of lobster in every bite and I do not jest when I say they must have taken meat from a 1.5 lb lobster to fill this baby...no pun intended.
Do you know what flibberty jibbers are?
In the case of a lobster roll, these are the long red triangular tips attached to the white meat in a lobster claw. Argghhhh!
There were none of those, so common in others, in this delectable mix.
Short and sweet. If you are in the Hampton's this summer, trust me...it's worth driving the approximate 5-6 miles east of East Hampton for lunch or dinner where you will see "CLAM BAR" on the north, I repeat, north side of the road.>

The Clam Bar address is 2025 Montauk Highway and they can be reached at 631.267.6348. You can pull right up to the tables and chairs on the side of the road for waiter/waitress service (our waitress was Alison) or sit at the bar where a full menu is served at both.

BTW...don't miss stopping by the new Espo's Surf & Sport (just west of  the Clam Bar) for surf boards, boogie boards, wet suits, bikes, kayaks, canoes, small boats, skateboards, sunglasses beach equipment, pool toys and, ohhh yes, your own pair of Reefs with the bottle opener embedded (a must have at the beach) into each sole.
Ask for John and tell him Bert the hanger guy sent you.
Enjoy...and please feel free to comment.
Have a safe holiday...and remember the Veterans this fine Memorial Day, 2012.

Mangia Baby
Bert

                                                         Absolutely Brilliant Lobster Roll

The Bar 

Clam Bar Menu

Clam Bar Outside Dining

 

John & Bert @ Espo's New Surf & Sport Shop

Frank Pepe's Apizza with Sarah, Cathy & Nicole

Sarah...Cathy & Nicole @ Pepe's in Fairfield, CT.

I went to Quinnipiac College back in the late 1960's.
I enjoyed burgers at the Fireside and the most memorable Hot Dogs ever at the Glenwood...both in Hamden, a suburb in the area of New Haven, Connecticut where Frank Pepe's (known as Pepe's by locals) was founded in 1925.
In my entire time in Connecticut, I never ate at, let alone heard of, Frank Pepe's Pizza. Crazy! Nuts!
As a matter of fact, I used to wonder why most, if not all the pizza restaurants in Connecticut called their pizza "Apizza". I thought it may have had something to do with the way the old time Italians would say MeatABall and I wasn't far off. In this case the dialect for the pronunciation of pizza was "ah-beets"...thus Apizza was born.
My food buddy Jan told me about Frank Pepe's and their white clam pizza several years ago, however it wasn't until last year did I actually make it my business to get into one of their restaurants while travelling on I-95 in Fairfield, Connecticut.
"White clam pizza please"!
Stunning!
Their traditional pizza's are refreshing, especially
in light of all the tradition that is lost on many pizza menus today.
The kitchen is the showstopper. Watching these artisans wielding 15 foot long paddles to place pizza's deep in their traditional ovens is eye-opening....as are many of their pizza selections.
Since I haven't had anything but the white clam pizza and the traditional tomato sauce and cheese in my only 3 visits, I can't speak for how they all taste. These traditional crusts are thin, thus my tendency would be to limit the amount of ingredients, especially those that contain water since they can reduce the crispiness of the crust.
Short and sweet...the service is friendly. Just make sure you time your visit to arrive before or after the normal lunch or dinner time...or you will have a major wait.
If you are in Fairfield, just ask for Sarah, Cathy or Nicole and tell them Bert sent you.

Mangia Baby!

Frank Pepe

Frank Pepe & Family Celebrating

The Ahhhhhh...White Calm Pizza...No Mozzarella

Traditional Tomato Sauce & Mozzarella  

Sausage & Pepperoni

Roasted Red Peppers