Covid Cooking Part IV: Succotash!!

After what seemed a really long wait, fresh Jersey corn finally showed up in the farmer's market around the third week in July. We being a family of three, and our farmers selling corn four for three dollars, I always have an extra ear. "What are you going to do with that extra corn?" the family asks. I think for a minute. "Succotash!" People make a face-- it sounds awful. I look it up on the internet. Succotash generally contains corn and lima beans. Forgive my overly opinionated nature, but lima beans are revolting.

During this Covid pandemic crisis, it seems every meal you make is an episode of "Chopped," the Food Network show where contestants have to make a meal with whatever unlikely ingredients are found in the mystery baskets provided by the show. So, my basket now contains two ears of cooked corn, this amorphous idea of "succotash," and... hmm, what else is in the fridge? A red pepper, scallions, some dried chorizo, ...chick peas! Couscous! A dish is born. And oddly enough, the next day, this recipe for "Farro Salad with Corn and Crispy Chickpeas" shows up in The New York Times. You can link to their recipe, and here is how I made mine. Go out and do it now, before corn season is over!

Corn, Chickpeas, Couscous

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed, drained and dry-ish

Olive oil

1 1/2 t. cumin

1 t. turmeric

1/2 t. cayenne pepper

3 scallions diced

1 red pepper, diced

2 ears of corn, kernels sliced off

2-3 oz. dried chorizo, diced

Juice of 1/2 lime

Couscous

Heat a large non-stick skillet to medium high. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil, the drained chick peas and the spices. Mix everything together and let it cook for about 8 minutes. Stir only occasionally, as you want the chickpeas to brown and get a nice crunchy texture. Remove them to a bowl or plate and set aside.

Add about two more tablespoons of oil to the hot skillet and saute the scallions, pepper, corn and chorizo till crisp tender, about 5 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the couscous according to package directions.

Add the lime juice and stir in the chickpeas. Adjust seasoning. Serve with couscous on the side, or mixed in-- your choice.

Another similar chopped up kind of dish: riced cauliflower. I've always wanted to make this since cauliflower is one of the cruciferous vegetables alleged to fight cancer. So I tried it: Wash, dry and cut up your cauliflower into florets. Put them into the food processor and process for a minute or so until the texture is like rice or couscous. Now, you can use it like rice or couscous. Saute in a large frying pan for a couple minutes with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add whatever ingredients you like/have on hand such as: corn kernels, scallions or chopped onion, chick peas, chopped zucchini, leftover meat, sausage, chicken or chorizo, herbs, peppers, jalapenos, crumbled feta, croutons, salt, pepper, lime juice. Mix it all together and season to your liking. Very healthy and very delicious.

A friend asked me to publish some brunch or breakfast ideas, so here is a link to a wonderful plum cake recipe from Food and Wine magazine that works really well for breakfast or dessert. This cake is really fun to make because it's blended in a food processor-- no need to beat.

And here is my recipe for Egg Nog French Toast:

3-4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 oz. dark rum

1/3 c. milk or half and half

1 whole nutmeg, grated with a microplane

Thick slices of challah bread or crusty country white

Butter for saute

Maple syrup or jam for serving

Whisk together the first 5 ingredients. Soak bread in the egg mixture. Heat a large non stick skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter and when it's hot, add the bread slices. Cook till each side is golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with maple syrup or jam.

I also include with this post a review I wrote in pre-pandemic January of a lovely little restaurant in Brooklyn called Cremini's. Like so many, this young couple opened their restaurant last fall, filled with hope, great ideas and wonderful food from the Marche region of Italy! Then came Covid, and then came outdoor dining. Cremini's is open and is worth a visit for some excellent and unusual food, and of course to support our valiant restaurant industry.

Apericena! Is New York Ready to Embrace this Beloved Italian Ritual?

The new restaurant Cremini's in Brooklyn's Carroll Gardens introduces a charming version of Happy Hour with a killer menu that showcases specialties of the Marche region

Americans know it as Happy Hour-- that magical time between work and dinner where you kick back a drink or two, a beer or glass of wine, and if you're lucky, maybe you'll get some peanuts or pretzels. Some bars lure customers with a full buffet to encourage buying more drinks and possibly even skipping dinner. In Italy, it's Apertivo time-- some wine or prosecco, Campari/soda, Aperol spritz, and generally a far more generous spread of snacks. This cherished ritual takes various forms in different regions of Italy. Best known are the bacari or wine bars of Venice serving an array of cicchetti -- elaborate finger food featuring local seafood, salumeria and fried delicacies. When these tasty snacks become more abundant, you've graduated to apericena-- a fantastic hybrid somewhere between aperitivi and dinner (cena), made up of small plates and savory bites-- a distinct departure from the standard four course Italian meal.

A recent addition to Brooklyn's restaurant scene, Cremini's offers a menu that perfects the notion of apericena. Owner Riccardo Massetti and his lovely wife Elena Salati are from Le Marche. When they were dating, she took on the challenge of cooking his nonna's regional recipes, becoming an expert in the particular piatte of Le Marche (and thereby clinching the deal-- they were soon married). Chef Elena is now serving a menu found nowhere else in New York that includes such Marchegiani specialties as stuffed, fried olives (olive ascolane), fried cream (cremini) and polpette fritte, or fried meatballs. Combined with a selection of excellent wines from Velenosi vineyard in Marche, this menu forms a unique and delicious means to experience apericena alle Marche, minus the airfare!

Traditional olive ascolane are stuffed with three types of meat, breadcrumbs, herbs and cheese. Cremini's superb take on this regional specialty also includes versions with truffles, vegetables, tuna and gorgonzola. Fried cream is another component of a typical Marchegiana frittura. These are small cubes of custard breaded and fried. At Cremini they are available in several flavors-- vanilla, chocolate, espresso, anisette and pistachio. Sounds strange, I know, but adding a bit of sweetness to this savory array makes for a pleasant jolt to your tastebuds.

Another regional tradition that Cremini has aced is Polpette Le Marche. Similar to arancini, the fried rice balls famous in Sicily, this one is made with fettucine formed into rounds with minced meat and bechamel in the center, breaded, fried and served under a generous glug of ragu. Cremini's ragu is as good as any my Marchegiana mama friends have made-- rich with ground meat and a perfect balance of tart, sweet, tomatoey flavor. It is a substantial dish, perfect for sharing and very satisfying.

Cremini's wines are all from Le Marche, and if you've been paying attention, you'll know that Lonely Planet recently named Marche second in the Best in Travel 2020 top regions. At a recent tasting we tried two Velenosi wines: a bright and fruity Passerina Brut, and a Lacrima, which is a beautiful red, moderate in alcohol content, and a rich, creamy flavor with a smooth finish. Cremini's is the only New York restaurant serving wines from Velenosi, which is located near Ascoli Piceno. The terroir here is known for fertile soil rich in clay, sea breezes and sunny hillsides. The resulting wine is refreshing and new.

Cremini has a cozy space for private parties, and in nice weather, the backyard garden is open. Their menu offerings include other Marche favorites such as vincis grassi, a typical lasagna with both a red sauce ragu and bechamel, and other Italian classics such as a towering caprese, fresh salads and chef Elena's burger, which boasts three types of meat, chopped olives, provolone and carmelized onion on a pretzel bun. The crescia is a flatbread sandwich with Italian charcuterie, cheeses and greens, and there is a nice selection of interesting desserts not often found in New York.

With the many shared work spaces cropping up in Carroll Gardens and Gowanus, I'd guess the hipster, creative types in the neighborhood will flock to Cremini's to meet the creative, hipster owners Elena and Roberto and to indulge in a genuine Italian Apericena, Marche style.

Cremini's, 521 Court Street, Carroll Gardens

www.creminis.com