Southern Italiano

Cooking on Sundays was hosted this week by Jacey and Lee in their most excellently kitted out kitchen. Roberto had a cold and couldn't join us, but we had a good crowd nonetheless with Fred and Yvette and newcomers Asher and Brian. As for themes, we didn't take Asher's ambitious recommendations: "A Tantalizing Taste of Tuscany" or "A White Trash Foie Gras Tasting" or "Sparkle: a Jazz Hands Supper." We'll archive these themes (ahem) for later use. Tonight was Southern Italian so Mangia! Mangia everyone!

It all started with mozzarella, smoked in the backyard in the new Bradley Smoker with flavor Bisquettes. Served with slices of french bread and tomatoes, it was a most admirable baptism by fire (or rather smoke) for Lee and Jacey.

Next we had Asher's Arancine, fried rice balls that put all other rice balls to shame. We spit on Lil Dom's and all other pretenders! Arancine means "little oranges," which gives the false impression that these treats might be healthful. They're not. The workload boggles the mind -- this dish required help from the neighbors. Make a 45 minute risotto, roll the arborio rice into balls around truffles, wrap them in bread crumbs and fry fry fry. With this, Asher made a most impressive debut. We all held up cards that read 9.5 (no 10s, since we wanted to leave room for growth).

After taking our seats, Robert served up a homemade pasta -- Wine Pasta Tortelloni with Artichoke and Mascarpone. Very light and subtle in a reduction of homemade broth and butter. Along with his cold, Roberto caught the following behind the scenes action:

We moved on to the main course. Jacey's Braised Oxtails cooked down to a shimmering glistening moist and tender falling off the bone goodness.

They were perfectly balanced by Brian's delicious sides. A dish of delicately braised fennel in oil and wine (shown above) and a baked carrot puree with gorgonzola. Unbelievable.

Yvette showed up with an enormous bouquet of Swiss Chard that she sauteed with onions and other ingredients and sprinkled with cheese. It was a deconstructed tart recipe and it was crisp to the bite and fresh and flavorful.

Fred killed it with the desserts one more time with his Semi-Freddo (we all asked how he chose the recipe and none of us realized it was because it had the name Fred in it). Cream and eggwhites whipped with pistachio nuts and almond extract. Frothy and not ice cold. Half cold one could say.

Cute little Barnaby pulled a Jeffrey Dahmer on his toy and created a mess, which we all found amusing. Somehow Brian looks so calm in his clutches.

So all in all a nice visit to Italy. . .

Are we now worthy to be called food aficionados? Here's an excerpt a recent study:

"Food offers much more than nourishment. It offers a framework through which they can build relationships, make new friends, explore the world and even examine which behaviors are ethical. They use food to define who they are in greater society. The term foodie, which first appeared in the early 1980s, has entered the English language to describe this new type of food lover and a surrounding new culture of food. Foodies are distinct from gourmets in that their interests tend to be more wide ranging. Foodies enjoy high-end gourmet food, to be sure, but they also seek out hole-in-the-wall BBQ shacks, taco trucks and Chinatown markets. Foodies enjoy the thrill of the hunt and being the first to catch on to new food trends, and food outlets considered “authentic” carry the most prestige in the foodie world. As authenticity frequently equates to a degree of separation from big food conglomerates and corporate marketing campaigns, foodies can be an elusive target for marketers. At the same time, foodies are a desirable demographic, as they are avid, tech-savvy consumers who embrace all sorts of trends, not just those that are food-related, and who introduce these trends to their communities and peers. Through an analysis of selected lifestyle statements in Simmons Market Research Bureau’s national consumer survey, Packaged Facts has determined that 14% of U.S. adults—or 31 million—are foodies. There are five distinct foodie cohorts—foreign/spicy foodies, restaurant foodies, foodie cooks, gourmet foodies and organic/natural foodies—pinpointing the unique characteristics of each across areas including demographics and attitudes, media responsiveness, shopping habits and restaurant behavior."

Which cohort are you most associated with?

http://www.packagedfacts.com/Foodies-Cohorts-Foreign-1653977/