Urban Italian

I was in New York last month with one of my oldest friends, Chelsea.  Per usual, I made all dining reservations 30 days in advance of my arrival (gotta love NYC restaurant rules), and I was especially looking forward to Friday night's destination, Locanda Verde.  A handful of my NYC pals told me to check it out, and the Italian-taverna vibe fit perfectly with my mood for casual and affordable.  This meal was perfection, so naturally it came as no surprise to find that the mastermind behind it was Andrew Carmellini.  

For those of you who are not familiar with Andrew, he is a chef, restaurateur and author of Urban Italian, a straight-forward cookbook written with his wife Gwen Hyman for whom I like to call the 'non-chef chef'.  Andrew writes his recipes in a way that are accessible to the reader and Gwen offers her own thoughts and tips on food and culture.  Andrew also peppers this delightful grouping of dishes with real-life stories and anecdotes from his cooking life.  Part cookbook, part auto-biography!  

All photography taken from Urban Italian.

Go Fish

 

Recently, I was visiting my best friend Amy and her darling two-month old daughter for the afternoon.  Amy's mother-in-law had recently been in town and left the fridge and freezer stocked with home-cooked favorites.  My visit's timing was perfect because Amy was leaving town and needed to get rid of the leftovers (and I lurve leftovers).  I was feasting on panko-encrusted tilapia, roasted tomato risotto and frozen chocolate-chip-toffee-oatmeal cookies - for lunch!  A wonderful departure from my typical egg salad or tuna fish sandwich.  But it got me thinking about incorporating more fish options at home so tonight I made a similar version of tilapia, replacing the panko bread crumbs with Parmesan and a mix of herbs and spices.  The side dish you see here is orzo with chopped red onion and cucumber, kalamata olives, feta cheese and spinach.  

I typically don't gravitate towards Rachael Ray, but I do like her easy recipe for Parmesan-crusted tilapia.  With only five ingredients, what's not to like!?

Ingredients

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons paprika

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

4 tilapia filets (1-1 1/2 lbs)

1 lemon, cut into wedges.

1. In a shallow dish, combine the cheese with the paprika and parsley and season with salt and pepper.  
2. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and dredge in the cheese mixture. Place into a non-stick frying pan and cook until fish is opaque in the thickest part, 6-8 minutes.  Serve the fish with the lemon wedges. 

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray's Everyday Magazine, October 2006 Issue. 

And for those of you wondering, I have yet to receive the Centerville Chicken Pot Pie!  4 days late!  Stay tuned...

Roasted Romas

I don't love tomatoes.  I hate admitting that, but it's true.  They make sandwiches soggy and the taste has never appealed to me.  But manipulate them in any way, and I'm a huge fan, especially when they're roasted.  My cousin Lauren tops them with goat cheese and basil, and they are delish!  You could also put in pasta, on sandwiches or serve on top of a bruschetta.  The options are truly endless.

Ingredients
Roma tomatoes - enough to fill a baking sheet when cut in half

Salt & Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment and cut each tomato in half lengthwise removing the core and seeds; I use a spoon to remove.
3. Drizzle oil over tomatoes and finish with salt and pepper.
4. Roast for 2-3 hours, until tomatoes are wrinkled and pruney in appearance