Fabulicious!: On the Grill Read online

  4. Arrange the zucchini in a deep serving platter. Whisk the white wine and balsamic vinegar with the garlic in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in ½ cup of oil. Pour evenly over the zucchini, and turn the zucchini to coat with the vinegar mixture. Let stand for at least 1 hour. (Or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.) Serve at room temperature.

  CHAPTER 10

  Dolci (Desserts)

  Quando la pera è matura, casca da sè.

  Literally: “When the pear is matured, it will fall by itself.” What it means: “All things happen in their own good time.”

  In rural Italy, a true, traditional dessert menu following a summer meal would read like this: fruit, fruit, or fruit. Wine. Wine with fruit. More wine. Fruit.

  The only time people eat baked goods, cookies, or cannoli are at carnivals, saints’ days, holidays, and celebrations like weddings and christenings. The rest of the time, dessert is simple and naturally sweet: fruit.

  Of course, restaurants—mainly the ones catering to American tourists—serve our special national treats every day, so we’re going to do the same thing here. All of my own sweet summer recipes—except one—do include fruit. The exception is a chocolate hazelnut gelato-like semifreddo (page 195), and I think we can all make an exception for that!

  PEACHES, ITALIAN-STYLE

  If you’ve ever been to Hawaii and tasted the pineapple there, you know that the stuff we get on the mainland doesn’t come even close to tasting as good. The same is true of peaches in the Mediterranean. They are so delicious that it’s hard to even describe.

  Peaches are obviously a very fragile fruit, but they also stop producing sugar once they’re picked, so if they’re picked too early (and the farther they have to travel from tree to store, the earlier they will get picked), they are never going to be as sweet as they could be. The closer you live to where the fruit is actually grown, the better it’s going to be. That’s why I get fresh produce from farmers’ markets and roadside farm stands every chance I get.

  Unless you live on an orchard, though, you’re going to have to get fruit from the store sometimes. Here’s how to find the best summer fruit.

  PICKING FANTASTIC FRESH FRUIT

  Apples: This is one fruit where the brightest and shiniest color doesn’t really mean it tastes the best. (In fact, that “shine” is usually sprayed on commercially grown apples.) The most important thing is to get a firm, unblemished apple. And this is the one fruit I would always buy organic if you can because of the amount of pesticides you’ll save your body from. Organic apples aren’t as shiny on the outside, but they’re just as delicious and juicy on the inside. Apples will last the longest when stored in the fridge.

  Blueberries: Look for berries that are blue—not red or purple—and have a slightly waxy shine to them (that’s natural). You want blueberries that are plump, firm, and all the same size. Like other berries, make sure they are dry; pass on packages with leaks or stains. Store in the fridge, and don’t wash until just before eating them.

  Oranges: Water is heavier than pulp so if you want a juicy orange, pick one that’s heavy for its size. Also look for bright-colored skin with no blemishes.

  Peaches: First, a peach should smell like a peach. If you don’t get a rich, ripe, fruity smell off of it, it’s never going to taste very good. Look for a deep cleft and firm skin that gives just a little when you press on it. Store peaches at room temperature, with plenty of air around each one, and use them within a few days.

  Raspberries and Blackberries: Avoid dull-colored berries: raspberries should be medium to bright red; blackberries should be shiny and black. Look for dry berries; any moisture or juice is a sign of decay or decay to come. Store in the fridge uncovered, and don’t wash until just before you use them.

  Strawberries: When it comes to taste, bright red and shiny matters more than size. Look for ones with even color, a healthy green cap that’s still attached, and a nice fresh aroma. Don’t get any with brown or white spots as decay can spread to nearby strawberries in a matter of hours. If you can, buy strawberries the same day you plan to use them. Store them unwashed and uncut in the crisper drawer of your fridge. Don’t wash until right before you’re ready to serve them.

  Watermelon: You want a melon with brightly colored green skin, although it should have a yellow spot on the bottom where it sat on the ground when it was naturally ripening in the sun. Look for a melon that’s symmetrical, doesn’t have any dings or cuts, feels heavy, and sounds hollow when you thump it.

  * * *Dreamy Desserts* * *

  When I was choosing recipes for this book, I thought about making sure every single one could be made on the grill, but when it came to desserts, it just didn’t make sense. Grilled peaches are divine because the heat caramelizes them, but most other sweets aren’t so great on the grate. I could certainly invent some, but I’m all about authentic Italian cooking, and there just isn’t anything remotely Mediterranean about a grilled banana or melty marshmallow anything. So instead I decided to give you my favorite warm weather treats including a quick cassata cake, refreshing drinks, and the best almost-ice cream you’ve ever eaten, a chocolate hazelnut semifreddo—all perfect ways to end your hot backyard meal.

  Summer Cassata Cake

  Makes 10 to 12 servings

  A traditional cassata cake is a sponge cake soaked in fruit liqueur, stuffed with ricotta cheese, and topped with chocolate and candied fruit. Here’s a quick summer version that uses store-bought angel food cake as a little (calorie-saving) treat, rum instead of liqueur (or you can use orange juice to make it nonalcoholic), and doesn’t require any baking!

  1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese

  ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

  Grated zest of 1 orange, optional

  3 tablespoons rum or fresh orange juice

  ½ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

  1 store-bought angel food cake, about 7 inches in diameter

  1½ cups heavy cream

  ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

  1 block semisweet chocolate, at least 4 ounces

  8 strawberries, cut in half vertically

  1. Line a wire sieve with paper towels and place over a medium bowl. Spoon the ricotta into the sieve and let stand for 10 minutes to drain. Blot the top of the ricotta with additional paper towels.

  2. Transfer the drained ricotta to another medium bowl, being careful to remove the paper towels. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the ricotta in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat in ¼ cup of the confectioners’ sugar and the orange juice, followed by the chocolate chips.

  3. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake crosswise into thirds. Place the bottom cake layer on a serving platter, and brush with 1 tablespoon of the rum. Spread with half of the ricotta mixture. Top with the middle layer, brush with another tablespoon of rum, and spread with the remaining ricotta mixture. Add the top cake layer and brush with the remaining rum.

  4. Whip the cream, remaining 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until very stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream mixture over the top and sides of the cake. Grate about half of the chocolate over the top of the cake. Refrigerate the cake, uncovered, for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours before serving.

  5. Just before serving, insert the strawberries, cut-sides up, into the cake, spacing them around the bottom of the cake. Serve chilled.

  Italian Peach “Sangria”

  Makes 6 servings

  “Vintage” Italians, as I like to call my parents’ generation, follow most meals like this: they slice fresh peaches, put them in a glass, pour red wine over the top, and then spend the rest of the evening spearing out the fruit with the tip of a knife. They eat, drink, eat, drink, repeat. I turned their tradition into an Italian “sangria” by mixing peaches with sugar in a pitcher (the sugar helps the peaches release some juice) and then adding the wine. Wh
ile my parents like it room temperature, I prefer it chilled.

  2 ripe peaches, pitted and cut into ½ inch slices

  2 tablespoons sugar

  1 (750-ml) bottle fruity red wine, such as merlot

  1. Combine the peaches and sugar in a glass pitcher. Let stand at room temperature about 1 hour, or until the peaches give off some juices.

  2. Pour in the red wine and stir well. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.

  3. Pour into wine glasses, making sure that each glass gets some peaches. Serve chilled.

  Una cena senza vino è come un giorno senza sole.

  “A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine.”

  Joe’s Juicy Applesauce

  Makes about 1 quart

  We always have homemade applesauce in our fridge. We eat it plain for breakfast and put it on roast chicken and turkey for dinner—but our favorite way to enjoy it is to spoon it over ice cream for dessert. The applesauce will change according to the kind of apples you use— McIntosh apples make a soft sauce, Golden Delicious apples make chunky sauce. Just taste the sauce before you serve it. It may be perfect for your palate, or you may want to sweeten it with a little sugar, or add some tartness with a splash of lemon juice.

  3 pounds apples, such as Macoun, McIntosh, Golden Delicious, or Empire, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks

  Sugar, optional

  Fresh lemon juice, optional

  1. Put the apples in a large saucepan and add enough water to barely cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat.

  2. Reduce the heat to medium and cook at a brisk simmer, stirring often, until the apples have broken down into a sauce, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until the applesauce is the desired thickness, 10 to 20 minutes longer, making sure that it doesn’t scorch on the bottom. Taste the applesauce and adjust the flavor, if needed, with sugar or lemon juice. Serve warm or cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

  Grilled Peach Sundaes with Caramel Sauce

  Makes 6 servings

  Grilling peaches brings their juices to the surface, where they take on a caramel flavor. Add a homemade caramel sauce, and it’s summer-flavored heaven. Feel free to drizzle a little Amaretto or peach schnapps over the ice cream, too. But without the booze, this is a great, kid-friendly dessert. Just hold off until you get good, ripe, flavorful peaches, as the sauce and grilling won’t really “fix” bad ones.

  Caramel Sauce:

  4 tablespoons unsalted butter

  ¾ cup packed light brown sugar

  ¾ cup heavy cream

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  Pinch of salt

  Grilled Peaches:

  6 ripe peaches, pitted

  Vegetable oil, for brushing

  1 quart peach, toasted almond, or vanilla ice cream, or a combination

  Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

  ½ cup sliced natural almonds, toasted (see Teresa’s Tip), for serving

  1. To make the caramel sauce: Melt the butter in a medium, tall saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir until melted and bubbling. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the cream—it will bubble up, so be very careful that it doesn’t overflow the saucepan. Let cook, stirring often, until slightly thickened and reduced to about 1 cup, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Let cool completely. (The sauce can be stored at room temperature for up to 8 hours. It will thicken more as it stands.)

  2. Preheat the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (400°F).

  3. To grill the peaches: Lightly brush the peaches all over with the oil. Place on the cooking grate, cut-sides down, and cover with the grill lid. Cook until the undersides are seared with grill marks, about 3 minutes. Flip the peaches over and continue cooking, with the lid closed, until they are heated through and the juices are bubbling, about 3 minutes more. Remove from the grill. Let the peaches cool for a few minutes until they are warm, not piping, hot.

  4. For each serving, place 2 peach halves in a bowl. Add a large scoop of ice cream and drizzle with about 2 ½ tablespoons of sauce. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, if using, and a sprinkle of toasted almonds. Serve immediately.

  Teresa’s Tip

  A toaster oven is a great appliance for toasting almonds, pine nuts, walnuts, and other nuts because it won’t heat up the house like a large oven does. Preheat the toaster oven to 350°F. Spread the almonds on the tray, and bake, mixing occasionally, until lightly browned and fragrant, about ten minutes. (You can also spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast them in a conventional oven at 350°F for the same length of time.) Let cool completely.

  Non si può avere la botte piena e la moglie ubriaca

  Literally: “You can’t have a full barrel of wine and a drunk wife.” What it means: “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.”

  Grownup Fabellini Sorbet

  Makes 6 servings

  The creaminess of sorbet really compliments a fizzy, fruity sparkling wine, and make an amazing dessert. You can mix and match the sorbet and fruit (there’s no reason why you couldn’t use strawberries or blueberries if you have them), and even substitute fruit soda for the wine to serve to the kids. But I love this “Melba” combination of raspberries and peach-flavored wine.

  1 ½ pints raspberry sorbet

  ½ pint (6 ounces) fresh raspberries

  1 (750-ml) bottle peach-flavored sparkling wine, such as Fabellini

  Scoop the ice cream into six chilled wine glasses. Divide the raspberries among the glasses. Slowly fill each glass with the chilled wine. Serve immediately.

  Watermelon Granita

  Makes about 2 quarts

  Granita is sorbet’s country cousin. It’s not very refined or smooth, but everyone loves it anyway. You don’t need an ice cream maker for this fruity iced dessert, just a freezer. Watermelon is the dessert of choice at many backyard cookouts, and when it is made into granita, it’s easier to eat, and you don’t have to spit out the seeds.

  6 pounds watermelon, preferably seedless

  ¾ cup sugar

  2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  1. Place a metal 13 × 9–inch baking pan in the freezer and let chill while preparing the granita.

  2. Cut the watermelon flesh into chunks, discarding the seeds and rind. In batches, purée the watermelon in a blender. You should have 6 cups purée. Process 1 cup of the purée with the sugar and lemon juice in the blender until the sugar dissolves. Stir back into the remaining purée.

  3. Pour the mixture into the chilled pan. Freeze until the sides of the mixture are partially frozen and slushy, about 1½ hours. Using a fork, mix the frozen edges into the center (leave the fork in the pan). Freeze, repeating the stirring procedure about every 30 minutes, until the mixture has a slushy consistency, about 3 hours total freezing time. (The granita can be made up to one day ahead. If it freezes too hard, just scrape the mixture with fork tines to make it into slush.)

  4. Spoon the granita into chilled glasses and serve immediately.

  * * *Watermel-ON* * *

  Like another watery red fruit—tomatoes—watermelon are chock full of the antioxidant lycopene. And because it contains an amino acid called citrulline, which helps relax blood vessels, watermelon is known as the “natural Viagra.” More, please!

  Baci Semifreddo

  Makes 6 to 8 servings

  As always, I had to leave you with a happy ending. This time, with baci—“kisses” in Italian. Gelato is amazing, but requires an ice cream machine to make. Semifreddo, which means “half-frozen,” is a soft, spoon-able, homemade ice cream that can be made in a regular freezer. Add the fact that it’s a chocolate-hazelnut flavor and uses my favorites—Nutella and Baci candies—and you’ll agree with my friend who says this is the best thing she’s had in her mouth since her honeymoon. You’re welcome.

  1 cup heavy cream, divided

  ½ cup Nutella
or other chocolate-hazelnut spread

  3 large egg whites

  ½ cup sugar

  5 ounces Perugina Baci or other chocolate-hazelnut truffles, finely chopped, plus more for serving

  1. Put a medium bowl in the freezer to chill. Line an 8½ × 4½-inch loaf pan with a large sheet of plastic wrap, letting the plastic hang over the sides.

  2. Heat ¼ cup of the cream in a small saucepan until warm. Remove from the heat. Add the Nutella and whisk until smooth. Let cool until tepid. Wash and dry the whisk well.

  3. In the top part of a double boiler, over barely simmering water, constantly whisk the egg whites and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is opaque and hot but not cooked (the whites will begin to set), 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat until the whites form very stiff, shiny peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold about one-quarter of the whites into the Nutella mixture to loosen it.

  4. Using the same beaters, whip the remaining ¾ cup cream in the chilled bowl until it forms very stiff peaks. Add the remaining beaten whites and the Nutella mixture to the whipped cream and fold everything together with the spatula. Spread half of the mixture into the loaf pan, smoothing the top, and sprinkle with about two-thirds of the chopped truffles, reserving the remaining truffles as garnish. Spread with the remaining mixture. Cover the top with the overhanging plastic wrap. Freeze until set, at least 4 hours or overnight.