Recipe(tried): ITALIAN GARDEN PARTY for the FAMILY

ITALIAN GARDEN PARTY for the FAMILY

For next weekend we are celebrating my beloved niece's birthday party with an Italian theme Menu. At the same time, we will celebrate their fruitful marriage & 6th wedding Anniversary. I am planning to decorate the table with the colors of the Italian flag. Dinner will be served al fresco, beggining at 6:00PM, and several guests beside the family are invited. I plan to serve Pinnot Grigguio (white wine) & several Cabernet Savignon bottles for dry red wine lovers. The centerpiece will be a Little Italian Flag surrounded by two crystal cut big vases full of roses, specially ordered by Jos Luis (Seilita's husband) in red, white & green (pale green roses). The theme is Italian because they spent their honeymoon in Florence & Venice. Quite a tour! Nina & Gionelly (my resident assistants at Vega Alta) will provide their wonderful assistance & magic touch to the finishing details. Here is the Planned Menu for your enjoyment. Buen Provecho!

APPETIZERS:

FORMAGGIO FRESCO FRITTO
(Fried Fresh Cheese)
20 slices

lb Muenster cheese or 1-8 ounce package of commercial mozzarella
1 whole egg
1 cup yellow cornmeal
oil for frying
salt

Cut cheese into slices about inch thick. Beat the egg well. Spread the cornmeal over a paper towel. Heat the oil in a deep skillet. When it sizzles, it is ready. Dip cheese slices in beaten egg. Dip then into the cornmeal. Fry until golden & place in paper towel to drain. Sprinkle a little salt over them if you are using mozzarella (while still hot).

CROSTINI di POLENTA al GORGONZOLA
(Polenta & Gorgonzola Cheese appetizers)
Serves 15 to 20

For the Polenta:

4 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 cup yellow cornmeal

Add salt to the cold water. Add the cornmeal & mix thoroughly until it has no lumps. Place the mixture over low heat and stir until it thickens and is fully cooked. Wet a marble top or wooden table & turn the polenta into the wet surface. The Polenta is now ready for any recipe that you want to do.

2 tb butter
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 lb Gorgonzola Cheese
2 tb olive oil for cooking

Prepare the Polenta as explained above. Using the back of a big spoon dipped in hot water, flatten the polenta to a 1/2 inch thickness. Let it cool. Mix the butter & Gorgonzola (both at room temperature) very well, mashing them with a fork. Add the Worcestershire sauce & mix well. When the Polenta is cold, cut it into strips. Melt the oil in a skillet & fry the Polenta strips until golden & somewhat crisp. Place them in a paper towel. For serving, spread the Gorgonzola mixture on the Polenta & serve.

MINESTRE ASCIUTTE:
(Dry First Course)

RISOTTO AL LIMONE
(Risotto with Lemon)
Serves 6

2 quarts chicken broth
1 stick butter
2 cups Arborio or short grain rice
2 tb olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated, of very good quality
1 egg yolk
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Rind of 1/2 lemon, grated

Boil the broth and lower to simmer. Melt half the butter in a large saucepan (I use my big caldero), add the rice. Stir with a wooden spoon (I am not a purist, I use whatever big spoon I have available) until rice is shiny & totally covered with butter. Add the olive oil & keep stirring. Start adding the simmering broth to the rice. I add 1 cup of broth at a time. As soon as it bubbles strongly, reduce the heat & keep adding broth. Continue stirring to prevent sticking. After 25 minutes, the rice should be almost done. Add the rest of the butter & the cheese. Mix well. Beat the egg yolk with the lemon juice, Add the grated rind. Remove the rice from the heat for a moment so that the yolk won't cook as you add it to the rice. Place back on heat & cook, stirring well, for a minute longer. Whole cooking time should be about 30 minutes. Serve with additional Parmesan Cheese.

MAIN DISH:

PESCE SPADA al POMODORO
(Swordfish with Tomatoes)
Serves 4 to 5

2 large filets of swordfish, each inch thick, each slice weighing about 1 lbs each
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tb flour
2 tb butter
4 large very ripe tomatoes, or the equivalent canned tomatoes, chopped
salt & ground pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried oregano or 1 tsp fresh (I have 3 kinds of fresh oregano plants in my patio)
2 anchovy filets, washed with water to prevent saltiness.
1 tsp capers

Wash the swordfish filets well & part them dry with a paper towel. Remove the skin from the filets. Coat the fish with flour & fry them in a skillet with hot oil. Brown the fish filets. In a sauce pan, melt the butter, add tomatoes, salt & pepper & oregano. Simmer at very low heat. Chop the anchovies & add them to the fish in the skillet. Add the tomatoes to the fish. Cook over medium heat, moving slowly the pan back & forth to prevent sticking. Turn just once, very carefully. Cooking time should be 20 minutes or less depending on the thickness of the fish. When the fish flakes easily, sprinkle the capers over the fish. Transfer the filets to a warm platter. Reduce the liquid a little bit & pour it over the fish. Serve with small boiled potatoes.

ACCOMPANIMENT:

SMALL (young) BOILED POTATOES

PISELLI allo ZUCCHERO
(Peas with Sugar)

2 tb butter
1 tb olive oil
1 lb green peas, fresh or frozen
water
1 tsp sugar
salt

Melt the butter in a saucepan & add the oil. When they are hot, add the peas. Sautee briefly stirring. Add some water if necessary, sugar & salt. Cook for about 2 minutes. Serve with the fish & the potatoes.

DESSERT:

TIRAMISU PARFAITS
(4 servings)

1 Egg white large
1 pinch Cream of tartar
2/3 c Sugar
1/2 lb Mascarpone cheese
2 tb Dark rum
2 oz Bittersweet chocolate; fine quality/chopped fine
1 c Butter cookies; crumbs or pound cake crumbs
1 c Coffee; brewed/lukewarm

GARNISH:
2 oz Bittersweet chocolate; chop fine

Put the egg white in a bowl of an electric mixer and put the bowl in a second bowl of hot water and let the whites stand, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add the cream of tartar and salt and bet the whites until they just hold stiff peaks. While the whites are being beaten, in a saucepan combine the sugar and 1/4 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and boil the syrup until it registers 240 deg. on a candy thermometer. Add the sugar syrup to the whites in a stream, slowly, while beating and beat the mixture until it is cool. Add the Mascarpone Cheese, rum and chocolate and beat until well combined. Divide the cookie or cake crumbs among 4 stemmed glasses. Drizzle each portion with 2 tablespoons of the coffee and top the crumbs with half the Mascarpone mixture. Layer the remaining cookie crumbs, coffee and mascarpone mixture in the same manner. Chill the parfaits, covered for a minimum of 2 hours, or overnight.

Garnish: In a metal bowl, set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate. Line a baking sheet with foil and spread the chocolate about 1/8" thick on the foil. Chill the chocolate triangles on the baking sheet until it is just set, but not hard, and with a pastry wheel, cut it into triangles. Chill the chocolate triangles on the baking sheet until they have hardened and peel the foil carefully from them. Garnish each parfait with a chocolate triangle.