Day Two of Eat Until You Pop (Aka Cooking Class)

So the first day was great, but we were just getting started.  We began the day with a trip to a market in La Spezia (Paolo is one crazy driver but more on that later).  Paolo mainly wanted to show us the fish market and how to pick out fresh seafood but we got to take a tour of the whole place to see the produce, cheeses and meats as well.  

As we were walking through the fruit/veggie stands admiring the goods, Red and I decide to buy some fruit.  So, like any normal person, I start picking up peaches to smell and see if they are ripe.  WELL, that triggered something - women started giving me the death-stare and male shop keepers looked at me like I was smearing something nasty all over their produce.  I started thinking, "What the hell, I'm looking at fruit, not porn, give me a break."  But then Paolo saw me "doing it" and he was like, "No no, you touch it you buy it".  WELL, now who looked stupid?  Apparently there is too much bacteria and fruit bruising for all of the touching.  Whatever, I'm still going to do it when no one is looking - touch and smell still count.

Moving on, below is one of the the meat stands - yummy salami, prosciutto, pancetta, etc.  Apparently Italian meats appeal to more than just people!

But the main attraction of the morning was the fish market.  Paolo walked us through and explained that when buying fish, always try and buy the whole fish - you can usually see how fresh it is by looking at the skin (and eyes) and most often when you see fillets, the fish is older (practically a guarantee that it has been frozen) and may have been dyed to make it look better.  Paolo said to look at the fish skin to determine freshness - most fish should have iridescent scales and quite a bit of slippery looking mucus on the skin (mmm, mucus, doesn't the word just make your mouth water?).  We went around comparing fish, calamari, shrimp, octopus, etc.

After the market it was back to the kitchen to prepare mountains of seafood.  All of the recipes were quite fantastic, but strangely enough my favorite was the Spaghetti alla Vongole (with clams).  The dish was so simple to prepare and is a regional favorite along the Italian coast.  You can really taste each flavor in the dish and the clams are not overwhelming.  Here is Red making the dish and below is the finished product.

The rest is the Vongole recipe and a list of others we made - if anyone is interested in a recipe let us know and we can email it.

Red is doing the next post about our day trip away from Lucca, so I won't spoil it - miss you guys!

Spaghetti alla Vongole

2 lbs clams

olive oil

fresh parsley, finely chopped

red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons (each) of butter and flour mixed

butter

white wine

chicken stock

spaghetti - 4-6 ounces

Soak the fresh clams overnight in salty cold water to purge them.

Place the clams in a large pan with heated extra virgin olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan) and immediately add the garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes (or more if you like spicy).  Cook on medium heat until the clams start to open and then add a healthy splash of white (dry) wine.  After a minute, add the stock and let simmer for a minute or two and then add butter/flour mixture (vigorously stir to mix that into the sauce).  Sprinkle in the parsley and add additional butter or salt if the sauce needs it.  Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan and mix in with the sauce before serving.

The following are recipes we made that we think are worth sharing - if you want any please tell us and we can email them!

• Orange and Shrimp Salad (delicious and tangy)
• Mussels saute with garlic, lemon and wine 
• Mussels saute with celery, cream and Sambuca (or Pernod)
• Pasta with pistachio and shrimp sauce
• Grilled Tuna with lettuce sauce (surprisingly good) 
• Panna Cotta 

 

Comments

[Sara Mesing]

Dude - I promise to leave more food/wine relevant comments in the future, but PROPS for giving the zobha top so much exposure. You're wearing it in every picture! I should negotiate to get you a cut for product placement.

[Rose and Red]

It looks like I only have one outfit but I swear most of those shots were on one day! And yes, now that I think of it, I would like a % of any Zobha products sold as a result of this blog. We are famous after all!

[Sara Mesing]

So this past weekend, Beth was referencing the death-stare episode when you were picking up the fruit to touch & sniff. Well, actually we were in Whole Foods grocery shopping for the family when I was picking up peaches to touch & smell. Then Beth gives ME the death-stare and starts talking about your post. I bumble about with lame-o excuses, feeling so embarrassed that I haven't actually read your post. Beth is incredulous and I walk away with, 'shoot, I was just try to find us some good peaches.'