From Cosa Bolle in Pentola:
While we're on the subject of books, about a year ago I was asked if I wanted to review a book put out by Buca di Beppo and said "Sure;" it arrived shortly thereafter and ended up mixed in with papers from the Salone del Gusto. I apologize to Joseph Micatrotto for being so slow in getting to it. For those unfamiliar with Buca di Beppo, it's a chain of restaurants that started out in Minneapolis, the result of a meeting between Phil Roberts and Mr. Micatrotto, who joined forces with a Calabrian born chef named Vittorio Renda and began to expand their vision. To be frank, I have never been to one of their restaurants, so I cannot say what they're like, but the book is interesting, and begins with a basic premise that is central to Italian cuisine:

"When you go to the market to choose your ingredients, choose only the best. Smell them, touch them. Let other people squeeze the Charmin; you squeeze the tomato. Maybe people will look at you funny, but take your time to search out il migliore (the best), because what comes out of the kitchen is only as good as what you bring in."

This is Italian cooking in a nutshell, and the book follows its advice. The recipes, about 60, are distinctly southern in feel, and are the sorts of things one could easily encounter in a Calabrian home; they haven't changed things to suit American tastes, nor have they reelaborated dishes to suit their creative fancy. At the most, they touch on differences in ingredients; they note, for example, that [south] Italian ricotta is from sheep or buffalo whey, and is nuttier than the relatively sweet American ricotta, which is from cow whey. They then say neither is intrinsically superior, simply that they taste different -- we do tend to forget that ingredients vary from place to place, and this is a welcome reminder. In addition to the recipes and the observations there are a great many illustrations, of the dishes (in lavish color), and of life in Italy, both current and in the distant past. With a cookbook the proof is in the recipes, and considering that Christmas drawn near, here is Grandpa's Salt Cod (Baccalà del Nonno Skipeci), which will be nice if you plan to do a fish-based Vigilia meal:

• 4 6-ounce dry salt cod filets (or 1-pound box frozen salt cod)
• 1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted and halved
• 1/2 cup green olives, pitted and halved
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
• 4 lemon wedges

Place the salt cod in a large plastic container and cover with fresh water. Let the cod soak, changing the water every 4 to 6 hours, until it is soft and water isn't too salty. In a large braising pan, sauté the olives and onion in 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Set aside. Dust cod pieces in flour and sauté in 3/4 cup of olive oil until both sides are brown, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside the fish; discard the frying oil.

In a mixing bowl, make a cold sauce by combining the tomatoes, wine, oregano, lemon juice, salt, olives and onion. Add sauce to braising pan. Over medium heat, bring the sauce to a boil. Add browned cod. Reduce the heat to low and cook covered for 30 minutes, or until the fish is tender.

Meanwhile, boil the potato wedges until al dente. Drain and add the potatoes to the cod about 10 minutes before it is done cooking.

Gently place the cod on a large serving platter. Pour the sauce over the fish and arrange the potatoes around the fish. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Serves 4

Practical things:

Into the Sauce! 100% Authentic Southern Italian Recipes from Buca di Beppo

By The Buca di Beppo

About 150 pages and about 60 recipes, with many illustrations, and a handy wallet-sized card with common Italian expressions

ISBN 0-9721029-0-6

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