Parmigiana di Melanzane (a guest post by Linda Poulnott)

I have been proud and pleased to host a "residency" of guest posts from my friend and Italian food aficionado Linda Poulnott. Linda, originally from Scotland, moved to the Bay of Naples over 20 years ago. Since then, she has immersed herself into Neapolitan life, the language and culture - in particular, the culinary heritage. 

Somehow, Linda managed to find me through the magic of the internet. We have lots of interests in common. She appears to tolerate the fact that I prattle mainly about nonsense, and has somehow seen fit to give me her own authentic recipes and cooking tips to share with my readers. I wonder why such immense generosity, but gladly and gratefully accept. It would be churlish to do anything else, right?

Regular readers will have discovered her excellent thoughts on how to cook like a real Neapolitan Mamma here: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/come-facette-mammeta-guest-post-by.html. Her first recipe, a satisfying supper dish of mixed mushroom risotto can be found here: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/risotto-con-funghi-misti-guest-post-by.html

If you're not a regular reader, then I highly recommend that you read all of Linda's guest posts, but perhaps you would like to dig into this, her newest post, first!

Thank you Linda for an amazing series of blog posts. I am truly gobsmacked at the time, trouble and effort you have gone to - and I'm not a woman usually lost for words. I would also like to say your recipes are wonderful. Simple, direct and full of all the things which make the best Italian food special; great ingredients and cooking done with love.

PARMIGIANA DI MELANZANE (Neapolitan Baked Aubergines)

This dish has got to go down as one of my all-time favourites. In Naples it’s usually eaten as a starter or served as a side dish with meat. I sometimes make a batch at the weekend and use it as a sandwich filler on a crusty bread roll to take with my packed lunch on workdays. It can also be cut into small portions and frozen. This version is suitable for vegetarians.

Ingredients for 6 people

1.5 kilos of aubergines

A 400g bottle or can of tomato “passata” (sieved tomatoes) or chopped tomatoes

1 small onion

300 grams of Mozzarella, sliced

A small bowl (around 8 tablespoons) of finely grated parmesan

A handful of fresh Basil

Olive oil (not extra virgin as it can be too strong and overpower the flavours)

Salt and pepper to taste

You will need:

An oven proof dish (a casserole dish is ideal)

2 frying pans

A colander

An oven

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius.

2. Wash and cut the aubergines lengthways into thinnish slices. Cover in salt for around an hour and leave in a colander to drain out the bitter liquid. Rinse the aubergines well and gently squeeze out any remaining liquid. Pat dry and set aside.

3. Chop the onion finely and add to a frying pan with a couple of tablespoons of oil. Fry gently until soft, then add the tomatoes and a couple of basil leaves to the pan. Simmer  for about 20mins until the sauce becomes quite thick then add salt and pepper to taste. (Remember the aubergines may still have some salt left over from the draining process, so go easy!)

4. While the sauce is reducing. Add some oil to another frying pan and fry batches of the drained aubergines. Cook them until they turn a light golden colour, then drain them on some kitchen roll paper.

5. Slice the mozzarella cheese and grate the parmesan.

6. Use an ovenproof dish. A casserole is ideal. Spoon in enough sauce to cover the bottom, then add a layer of aubergine, a couple of slices of mozzarella and sprinkle some parmesan on top. Add another layer of sauce, aubergine then cheese etc, etc. Continue layering until you use all the ingredients.

7. Finish off with some mozzarella and parmesan sprinkled on top. This will turn a nice golden colour in the oven.

8. Bake in a pre-heated oven set at about 150 degrees Celsius for around 30mins.

Locally, we have variations of this dish. If you don’t like aubergines you can use courgettes instead. Some people dip the aubergines in a beaten egg before frying. (In my opinion, it makes it a bit too heavy).  Some folk add slices of ham or salami. Delicious served with chunks of warm, fresh, crusty bread.

BUON APPETITO!

January 2015 Favourites List

Brrr! I am writing this post wrapped up as warmly as I can manage. My boots have some extra space in them (I always try to buy them that way), allowing for double sockage. When the going gets tough. the Snigdha wears at least two pairs of socks!

Things were so different for me just a matter of weeks ago! I was in Penang, wandering around Georgetown, enjoying the street food and street art. 

This month's pictures are from that trip, and were taken in the "Khoo Kongsi" in Georgetown. 

Many Chinese migrants came to live and work in Penang in the days of Empire. To assist them with settling in and getting established, they set up "clan houses" where people who came from the same region of China with the same family name (surname) could live and find support. These clans, by their hard work, prospered, and they reinvested in their clan houses. The Khoos were particularly successful, and the Khoo Kongsi is a celebration of their financial success and their devotion to their faith and culture. It's a gorgeous building and shows exactly why the historic centre of Georgetown is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. 

Recipes:

Tibetan dumplings, chicken momos. http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/chicken-momos/

A purple inspired whole grain recipe by Sarah of Maison Cupcake, Freekeh and beetroot salad: http://maisoncupcake.com/beetroot-salad-with-freekeh-whole-grains-recipe/ 

Columbian style braised beef. Slow cooked meaty heaven by the brilliant Kavita (aka Kavey): http://www.kaveyeats.com/2014/12/colombian-cartagena-braised-beef.html

Roasted Butternut Squash and Chorizo Soup: http://howtobeagourmand.com/roasted-butternut-squash-and-chorizo-soup/

Anyone up for a 100 year old curry recipe? Victorian curry recipe unearthed. What are your views? My thanks to Karin Struyk for bringing to my attention!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-30718727

Nigel Slater’s tuna with miso, edamame and wasabi recipe, a quick and tasty fish supper for midweek nights: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/02/nigel-slater-tuna-with-miso-edamame-and-wasabi

10 mins prep, 40 mins to cook, a weekday freezer recipe for casserole: http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/quick-lamb-and-chickpea-casserole

Vegetarian Chilli with sweet potato and kale. Warming, satisfying and inexpensive! http://wallflowergirl.co.uk/sweet-potato-kale-chilli/

Roasted "curried" carrot salad. Or, as I am thinking, an alternative accompaniment to the Sunday Roast.
http://www.thekitchykitchen.com/?recipes=/roasted-curried-carrot-salad-with-raisins-and-pine-nuts/

Articles/Know How:

If "detoxing" is... well.... a load of bollocks.... then what can we do to get healthy? http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/05/detox-myth-health-diet-science-ignorance

Fay Maschler's round up of London's best curry restaurants. A brilliant and varied selection. My thanks to Kavita of Kavey Eats blog for bringing it to my attention!
http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/restaurants/keep-calm-and-curry-on-londons-best-indian-restaurants-9982343.html

What you may have missed at Snig's Kitchen:

Penang's street food demystified by my hosts at Chulia Mansion: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/mini-hawkers-affair-chulia-mansion.html

Come facette mammeta (like mother makes) or How to cook like a Neapolitan Mamma! (guest post by Linda Poulnott): http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/come-facette-mammeta-guest-post-by.html

Risotto with mixed (fresh) mushrooms, second Guest Post by Linda Poulnott: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/risotto-con-funghi-misti-guest-post-by.html

Film:

Get On Up

The Book Of Life

A Walk Among The Tombstones

TV:

The Sounds of The Eighties

BBC 4 Sessions: The Great American Songbook

Synth Brittania

Music:

Atoms For Peace - Amok

Depeche Mode - Black Celebration

Nitin Sawhney - Beyond Skin

Please note: as with every monthly Favourites List, all of these items have been selected by me simply because I love them. I do not receive any money, benefits in kind or other incentive for posting these links or recommendations.

Risotto con Funghi Misti (A guest post by Linda Poulnott)

I was delighted to host the first of my friend Linda Poulnott’s posts about Neapolitan cooking, based on her experience of living in the Bay of Naples for over 20 years.

Linda’s first post, about how you can cook like a real Neapolitan Mamma [Come facette mammeta (like mother makes)] is full of useful tips which can be easily followed to great effect can be found here: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/come-facette-mammeta-guest-post-by.html

But right now I am very pleased to be hosting the second of Linda’s guest posts. This is her take on an authentic southern Italian risotto. I love the directness of this recipe. I love risotto, and I enjoy making it at home, but perhaps have been overcomplicating this classic dish. Linda’s version is deceptively simple, but lives up to one of her guiding principles for “real” Neapolitan food; to let the ingredients shine and speak for themselves.

So I will now leave you to enjoy Linda’s brilliant recipe, which I hope you will make at home and share with your family and friends.

Linda Poulnott; friend, cook, guitarist, music fan and all round lovely person

RISOTTO CON FUNGHI MISTI (Risotto with mixed mushrooms.)

Ingredients for 4 people

350g of arborio risotto rice

150g of fresh mixed mushrooms (you can use a pre-packed selection)

1 medium onion

1 small glass of white wine (or a large one and you can drink half!)

50g of cooked ham (optional) (look out for Italian proscuitto crudo, but any cooked ham will do)

500mi vegetable or ham stock

1 clove of garlic

2 tablespoons of olive oil

A handful of finely grated parmesan

A teaspoon of finely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

Salt

Pepper

You will need:

A frying pan

A saucepan

A ladle

Method

1. Clean and chop the mushrooms, onion and garlic.

2. Add a tablespoon of oil to a large frying pan and fry the mushrooms, garlic, ham and onion gently until cooked (about 10 minutes), add a little salt, then set aside on a warm plate. If you prefer to add the garlic towards the end of the cooking time to prevent burning, this is a good idea.

3. Prepare the stock in a saucepan and IMPORTANT (!) keep it simmering! Have a ladle ready to add the stock to the frying pan when needed.

4. Add the remaining oil to the frying pan which should be on a medium heat. Add the rice and stir until it starts to turn opaque. At that point pour in the glass of white wine and stir.

5. When most of the liquid has been absorbed add the first ladleful of stock. Once again stir until the liquid has almost been absorbed then add another ladleful. The secret of a good risotto is to keep it simmering and stir often. Do not be tempted to add lots of liquid at once or turn up the heat. This results in rice that's soggy outside and hard in the middle. Yuk!

6. After about 12 minutes try some rice to check if it's almost ready. Add salt if needed. 

7. Near the end of the cooking time add the mushroom mixture, parsley and, just as you are ready to serve, add the grated parmesan. The risotto should have a very creamy texture. 

You can garnish with the remaining parsley.

BUON APPETITO!