BOOK/A TABLE - Fegato alla Venezia

If you’re like me, you probably have a stack of books waiting to be read. The books in my pile are removed as I finish them of course, but new additions keep coming in and the pile never seems to dwindle...

I also keep notes in my datebooks (dating back to 1988!), listing more titles I intend to cross off one day. Somewhere around 1993, I made a notation to read Sister Carrie.

Well, saints preserve us, I finally read Theodore Dreiser’s novel just last month.

Was it worth it after all this time? Did I enjoy following Carrie’s eventual ascendence to the stage despite the unsuitable men complicating her life? Sure. I didn’t love (it ain’t Tess of the D’Urbervilles), but like so often when turning to the classics, I find it extremely satisfying to discover the lives secreted away in the pages, the stories I’ve long heard about unearthed at last.

At one point, Carrie proposes to make dinner for her tiresome husband Hurstwood:

“We’re all out of flour,” she said; “you’d better get some this afternoon. We haven’t any meat, either. How would it do if we had liver and bacon?”

Now, liver and bacon is something I do love, espcially when served with melted onions. When my D.C. friend comes to visit me in Manhattan, we hightail it to Joe Allen, one of the few places in town (Gene’s is another) that has liver on the menu. Reading Sister Carrie I was reminded too of the outrageously good Fegato alla Veneziana (Venetian-style liver) found in POLPO: A Venetian Cookbook (of sorts) and which may be easily prepared at home. 

The cookbook is so fabulous, filled with uncomplicated recipes that pay delicious tribute to the glories of Venice. Pictured above is my splattered copy. Sadly, I ruined the gorgeous cover during a misfortune that involved a pear galette—but that’s another story!

What are you reading? What’s on your reading list? Please let me know in the comments!

Fegato alla Veneziana
Adapted from POLPO: A Venetian Cookbook (of sorts)
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
6 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 large white onions (Spanish, or cipollini if you can find), finely sliced
Flaky sea salt and black pepper
12 sage leaves
1 kg (about 2 lbs) calf’s liver, trimmed, cleaned and thinly sliced
50 ml (a quarter cup) white wine
50 g (3-4 tbs) unsalted butter

Method
Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a heavy-based pan and sweat the onions with a pinch of salt on a very low heat for approximately 30 minutes, or until soft. The onions will become translucent and should not burn—they should be only lightly brown. Add a grind of pepper. Take off the heat and set aside.

Cut the sliced liver into thin triangles. In another large heavy-based pan, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil on a medium flame with the sage leaves and when hot add the liver, season, and cook until brown on both sides (if your pan is hot this should be no more than 1minute in total). Add the melted onions, heat through, and add the wine. Turn up the heat to get it bubbling for one minute and then immediately add the butter, simmer for another minute, check the seasoning and serve.

If you want to include bacon...fry up a proper amount, then drain off the fat and pat dry. Crumble when cool and top your dish.

COOKBOOK/A TABLE - Howdy, Dolly!

 

Someone’s in the kitchen with Dolly—and it’s her sister Rachel!

My cousin is one of those kind and generous souls who doles out little gifts throughout the year, whether or not it’s your birthday or a holiday. It’s her wonderful way to let you know she is thinking about you. When I recently visited my hometown in NH, she presented me with Dolly and Rachel’s Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals—A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food, featuring a whimsical calendar of seasonal recipes designed for delicious celebrations.

Included in the Parton sisters’s spirted, down-home collection are Southern favorites such as a Mother’s Day Mimosa, Barbecue Ribs for the 4th, a Thanksgiving Turkey with gravy, a festive Crème Brulée for Christmas—and Fried Chicken and Mac and Cheese, which of course are welcome anytime.

Fortunately for my family, my cousin also makes a fantastic Mac and Cheese that she brings to many gatherings, but until I wrest that particular recipe from her...here’s how the Partons do it!

“Ours is made with a variety of cheese, but we had to include a little Velveeta—ultimately, that’s what makes this version so creamy and good.”

 

Mac and Cheese
Adapted from Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals—A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food

Makes: 6 to 8 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
Butter, for greasing
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon mustard powder
8-ounce block Velveeta, cubed

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with butter.

Place a large saucepan of water over medium heat, add the salt, and bring it to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for 2 to 3 minutes less than indicated on the package. Don't overcook and don’t rinse. Drain the macaroni well in a colander, return it to the pot, and add the olive oil. Gently stir to coat so the macaroni doesn’t stick together.

Set aside 1/4 cup of the shredded cheddar and 1/4 cup of the shredded Monterey Jack for topping.

In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to combine the eggs, milk, sour cream, butter and mustard powder. Add the Velveeta, remaining cheddar and remaining Monterey Jack, stirring well. Add the macaroni to the mixture and stir until well combined and the macaroni is nicely coated.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, spreading it evenly, and sprinkle the top with the reserved cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Bake until the cheeses are bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes to thicken before serving.