Is It Still “Educational
Television” If the Host Is Uneducated?
Since
the decline and fall of Food Network, I have found myself turning to
other outlets for cooking shows. Most often this means my local PBS
station where I can catch America's Test Kitchen and
shows featuring the likes of Lidia Bastianich and Mary Ann Esposito.
But
even “educational television,” as it used to be called, has some
remarkably uneducated people in the kitchens. This is especially true
any time some people try to do anything Italian. A Tennessee gardener
named P. Allen Smith, who occasionally masquerades as a cook, lost
all credibility with me when I heard him instruct his viewers to cook
pasta until it was “al dante.” I'm sure he meant to say “al
dente,” referring
to a particular state of doneness for pasta and vegetables. Maybe Al
Dante was an Italian neighbor or something, but ol' P.'s credibility
took a nosedive with me nonetheless.
Same
thing happened with a perky blonde hostess named Lisa Prince, who
hails from North Carolina. Her producers call her “Queen of the
Kitchen.” Sorry. Not my Italian kitchen. Anybody who pronounces
“Caprese” as
“kuh-PREECE” and “bruschetta”
as “broo-SHET-uh” is not qualified to be a scullery maid in my
kitchen, much less a “queen.” (It should be “kah-PRAY-say”
and “broo-SKAYT-tah,” in case you are among the uninformed who
didn't see the problem.)
And that's as far
as my linguistic commentary will go – this time. Suffice it to say,
if you are going to be on “educational television” you should at
least try to sound educated.
That
said, I have a couple of ricette in
my repertoire for the very dishes Ms. Prince was mangling. Horrible
pronunciation aside, Insalata Caprese,
or “Caprese Salad,” and bruschetta are
both quite delicious and ridiculously simple.
BRUSCHETTA POMODORO
CLASSICO
(Classic Tomato Bruschetta)
Bruschetta
comes from the Italian word "bruscare,"
which means to roast over coals. In this recipe, I use my oven's
broiler, although you can also use a charcoal grill, a grill pan, or
even a toaster oven – anything that gets the bread a nice golden
color. Bruschetta differs from crostini in that crostini tend to be
thinner and less substantial. The thicker cut on bruschetta enables
it to stand up to heavier toppings.
1 loaf hearty Italian bread, sliced
1/2 inch thick (approximately 16 slices)
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, thinly
sliced
1 cup red and/or yellow tomatoes,
chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil, torn or
shredded
Preheat the broiler. Arrange the bread
slices on an unheated broiler rack or pan. Broil 3 to 4 inches from
the heating element for about 2 minutes or until toasted, turning
once to get equal color on both sides.
Remove the toasted bread from the oven.
Cut an end from a clove of garlic and lightly rub the cut edge of the
clove over the surface of the bread. (The cloves will wear down
fairly quickly; repeat with fresh cloves as necessary.)
Brush on enough olive oil to lightly
cover the surface of the bread. Sprinkle very lightly with kosher
salt then top the toasted bread slices with mozzarella cheese. Broil
an additional minute to melt the cheese.
Combine the tomatoes and basil. Top the
toasted bread slices with the tomato-basil mixture.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 16 servings
INSALATA CAPRESE
(Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil Salad)
Insalata Caprese, or
“Caprese salad” as it is sometimes called, is simple and simply
delicious. A traditional Neapolitan dish from the island of Capri off
the coast of Naples, Insalata Caprese is
not a “salad” in the American sense because it doesn't contain
lettuce, a garden of vegetables, and a quart of thick, creamy
“dressing.” It is composed of three fresh ingredients and a light
topping of salt, pepper, and olive oil. Don't “add to it.” Don't
“improve on it.” It's perfectly wonderful just the way it is.
1 to 1 1/2 lbs assorted ripe tomatoes,
cut into 1 /4 inch slices
8 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into 1 /4
inch slices
Fresh basil leaves
kosher or sea salt
ground black pepper
3 or 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
On a medium platter, layer the
tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil leaves alternately in rows or
concentric circles. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive
oil. Allow flavors to develop for about 5 minutes before serving, but
do not leave the salad soaking in oil for too long
Serves 4 to 6
Buon appetito!
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