In the Cucina #2

By the time I get to the kitchen in the morning, vessels filled with assorted concoctions are alive with heat. A pot full of shrimp heads will be a luscious broth. Another with tomato sauce will become an essential ingredient, added to Polpetti (meatballs), to the Amatriciana sauce (from an Italian city call Amatrice, about 70 or so miles from Rome), and more. Still another pot simmers with onions, celery, carrots, chick peas, tomato paste and water. In an hour it will be the Cantina's creamy Zuppa de Ceci, vegetarian chick pea soup, garnished simply with a few grinds of black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Velentin, remember him (the adorable Romanian?) is furiously whisking a bechamel or white sauce for the Vegetarian Lasagne. He tells me in English, "you make the lasagne." My usual answer is, "mostra" (show me). While I've made my share of lasagne, of course Cantina's is Cantina's, so I have to see it prepared once. Valentin roasts zucchini, red and yellow bell peppers, and onions. He spreads layers of bechamel sauce (flour, butter or oil, milk and salt) in a pan, layers fresh sheets of pasta, adds more bechamel, the veggies, Buffalo Mozzarella, fresh basil and grated Parmesan. Repeat. Bake for 40 minutes.  Of course these are but a few of the menu items being prepared. (Look for the recipe soon).

In the meantime he soup is now ready to be pureed. Here's the zuppa recipe I think is pretty close to how I see it prepared (made for 6-8 instead of 40!)

Zuppa di Ceci

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped celery

2 cans (about 15 ounces) chick peas, drained

8 cups water or vegetable broth

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

Salt to taste

1 twig of fresh rosemary

Extra virgin olive oil, garnish

Fresh ground pepper, garnish

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook until the onion is softened. Add the drained chick peas and water, raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly, add the tomato paste, about 1 tsp. of salt and rosemary. Bring to a boil again and cook for about 45 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft. Allow to cool a bit before removing the rosemary (if using) and pureeing the soup until smooth. Add more water if needed if the soup is too thick. Adjust salt to taste.  Serve hot, garnished with fresh ground pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and some toasted, good bread on the side. Makes 6-8 servings. 

NOTE: Small world. I'm now Facebook friends with most of my coworkers. There's Paolo, the chef, Guissepe, a cook, Valentin, another cook and Valentina, a waitress. Amjad and Donna (waitstaff) and Albano, the dishwasher/prep cook don't Facebook.

NOTE 2: I'm writing this while watching the Colbert Report and cracking up. Colbert is talking about his image being used in Iran to sell men's clothes. I can hardly focus on what I'm writing.