Schiacciata- What Kind of I-talian Word Is That?

Schiacciata is thinner and crisper than foccaccia.  It is very simple in toppings.    If you use the Easy bread dough recipe and keep some in the fridge all the time, then you can whip this out in no time!  My favorite version gives me a use for all the wonderful cherry tomatoes I have coming in right now.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. 

Knead about a grapefruit size ball of yeast dough for each one. Here'she Easy bread dough recipe .Put olive oil on a pan or a pizza stone and press the dough out pretty thin. Leave the indentions from your finger.  At this point you have choices about simple toppings.  This version is what I usually make.  I have seen it made with grapes just like I'm using the cherry tomatoes.

Savory Tomato and Rosemary Schiacciata

-cherry tomatoes (or Roma or other paste tomato cut in a large dice)

-rosemary

-black pepper

-coarse salt

Spread cherry tomatoes over the dough.  There may be a inch or two between them.  You can leave them whole or cut them in half.  I choose to cut them in half with the cut side up.   My thinking is that I don't want the juice to spill out and make the crust soggy.  Instead, I want it to become more concentrated.

Coarsely mince fresh or dry rosemary and sprinkle all over.

Grind coarse black pepper all over and sprinkle coarse salt.

Now drizzle with olive oil.  (I like to use garlic oil.)

I have learned that it works best to go ahead and run your pizza cutter around and cut it before it is cooked, otherwise if you just break pieces off after it's cooked, the little tomatoes fall off.  

Put in oven for about 20 minutes.  When it is done, you want there to be some crisp places on it.  

*Option:  You can drop some pesto around a few minutes before it is done. 

Toasted Almonds - A Little Thing

Sometimes the addition of one little thing to a dish will make a huge difference in flavor.  You may have heard the term umami recently.  Umami is just a little ingredient or technique that provides greater depth of flavor or perhaps even a "meatiness." even when it is a meatless dish.  Umami is often what makes the difference between a good dish and a great dish.

So I'm going to write some Little Pieces about some Little Things that I do.
 

Toasted Almonds

Toasted Almonds is Little Thing that will make a big difference.  And it is simple, simple, simple!

I add this to the top of a dish after it is already plated.  These toasted almonds will give you nice changes in texture, and when you get a piece in a bite, you'll have a big boost of flavor.

I have used it to to top dishes that have a base of quinoa, rice, farro, or roasted zucchini.  These are just what I have tried so far.  I wouldn't use it on a dish that already has lots of very strong flavors.  It will be lost there.  I've used it on warm salad type concoctions that are meatless and I have used it in dishes where I've added some salmon.
Now, you are probably thinking that you can buy already roasted almonds or slivered almonds.  The slivered almonds are just not a big enough so don't waste your money there.

Here's what I do.

Preheat oven to 350.
Take some whole natural or raw almonds and put them on your cutting board.  With a chef's knife, carefully chop across the pile a few times.  You'll need to cover them with your hand a little so the pieces don't go flying into the floor.  The goal here is to have random big pieces. You're trying to get each almond cut about one time but not necessarily in half.  Think abstract  art and don't try to be perfect.

I put the pieces in a trusty black skillet, but you can just use any pan, and put it in the oven for about 8-10 minutes.  Keep a close eye out so they don't burn.  You'll know they're ready when you can smell  a little change.  Pull them out and that's it!

You can make extra and store in an airtight container for another meal if you want.

Fried Squash Blossoms, Y'all!

These will disappear quickly!
(There are 2 fried basil leaves on this plate also.)

I don’t eat lots of fried foods, but THIS is worth it!  Fried Squash Blossoms, Y’all!!

I had read about these in some of those dreaming about  living in Italy books I like to read. 

I have read different folks’ take on them, and here is how I like to make them.  As usual, this is not an exact recipe because I just don’t cook that way.  I’ll tell you what I do and you make changes as you see fit.

Fried squash blossoms make a great appetizer, but they need to be eaten soon after they’re cooked.  That means the people who you’re feeding need to be visiting with you in the kitchen or they won’t get any.  It’s sort of a rule.

This is a male blossom.
You want to leave a little stem on for a handle.

This is a female bloom of butternut squash. You can see the
tiny squash at the base of the flower.  

First, you need to know that there are male and female blooms.  The female blooms will have a tiny squash at the bottom.  When that bloom gets pollinated, that baby squash will grow.  The male blooms don’t have anything at the bottom.  The blooms you need for this dish are the male blooms.  You can use the female blooms too, but it will cost you a future squash.  But maybe you WANT less squash!  

Some folks say that zucchini blossoms are best, but I’ve tried blossoms from zucchini, yellow squash, butternut squash, and spaghetti squash, and I never can remember which plant they came from by the time I get back to the house, and they all taste good.  Some blooms are bigger than others is the main thing I’ve noticed.  

You have to pick these blooms in the morning while they are wide open and fresh.  Later in the day they will start closing and will get more fragile.  Do shake out any little bee or critter that’s inside. Just make sure you don’t pick all the male blooms or there won’t be anybody there to provide pollen.  Remember your biology class.  It is possible to save blooms in the fridge for a day or maybe two.  I do it by putting a paper towel in the bottom of a good sized plastic container and putting them in that.  I like an ice cream container for this because it doesn’t cause them to be crushed.

Next, you need to pick out the stamen from the middle of the bloom.  That’s the part that has the pollen on it.  Do this right away because it’s harder to do after it’s been in the fridge.  

Now decide if you want filling or no filling.  In Italy they do both.  In my house, I do filling because that’s the best part to me.  Besides the crunchy outside.

Filling: 

Some folks use ricotta cheese, but I prefer Greek yogurt because it has more tang and flavor so….

• Greek yogurt - a good teaspoonful for every blossom 
• salt and pepper
• Lemon zest or a little bit of good lemon or lime juice (zest is best)
• I also use some chopped fresh thyme.  Use any herb you have that you think will taste good.
• Basil is also a good choice.

         Taste it and adjust for salt.

Batter:

• plain flour (I use whole wheat.)
• salt and pepper
• baking soda - this makes the batter foam which makes it lighter
• IF you have it, sprinkle in a little citric acid (the stuff in the canning section that keeps fruit from turning brown.)  I think it makes things foam more, and it adds zing.  
• water
• vodka if you have it — just a splash or two

I know you’re wondering about the vodka!  Vodka is good to use in any batter or pie crust because the alcohol evaporates faster than water.  Wine doesn’t work well—or it didn’t the one time I tried it just to see.  I don’t know about beer.  I think the sugar part doesn’t work in this.  So buy you some cheap vodka.  I’ll give you some more reasons to use it another day.

Stir it and keep adding liquid until is thinner than pancake batter.  You want this to be a thin coating.  

Take your teaspoon and put a spoonful of filling in each blossom.  Sort of twist or just bring together the ends of the blossom.  

Heat your oil in a skillet.  It doesn’t have to be very deep at all, just a half inch or so. 

I put it on medium heat.  You want them to cook fairly quickly.  If they cook too slowly, the filling will get too melty.  

If I only have 6 or 7 to do, I use my medium skillet so it doesn’t require as much oil.  Now, I use olive oil for this because that’s what they use in Italy and because that’s what Mario Batalli would use.  If I were smarter, I would probably use another oil.  Use what you want to use.

Dip the blossoms one at a time in the batter holding by the stem.  Make sure it is coated completely and let some of the excess batter drip off.  Next, carefully lay it in the hot oil.  You want to hear lots of sizzling!  By the time you get 3 in the oil, it will be time to turn over the first one.  Make sure it’s brown on the edges.  Turn it very carefully because you don’t want to puncture the blossom.  When it’s brown on the other side, take out with a slotted spoon or spatula and put it on a wire rack to drain over paper towels.  

*You want to use some sort of rack when you fry things because it will stay crunchy on the bottom and not have a soggy bottom that way.  

Immediately sprinkle with salt while the oil is still wet.  I especially like to use Rosemary Salt !

Let cool just a little and divide them very, very evenly between you and your loved one.  Do not cheat and get more!  (Well, if you’re the cook you CAN legally get an extra one.  This is called “The Cook’s Share.”) 

If all went well, the outside will be crisp and the inside will be soft and just warm.  Some may drip down your chin.  That’s perfect!  

Eat well, y’all!