Patricia Wells in her book Patricia Wells' Trattoria (William Morrow) described Italian food most succinctly when she called it "homey, unpretentious, honest, and homemade." That's the kind of food that we've tasted and loved from a roadside trattoria in the rolling vineyards of Piedmont, in a trendy restaurant on the quay in the Ligurian resort of Portofino, to an after-hours supper in a small family restaurant in Stresa near the icy blue waters of Lake Maggiore, in the lively eateries in Milan and Rome, to a seaside spot outside Palermo. The Italians are masters at composing dishes with infinite variety and flavor surprises.
I've put together a festive, casual buffet that captures the essence of Italian cookery. The buffet is set on wood tables, using my extensive collection of handmade Italian dishes and serving pieces (whenever I travel to Italy, I always end up buying another carry-on bag to bring back my "finds" in Italian pottery and glassware -- I've even been known to mail back some of my clothes to have room for another candlestick, pot, or casserole.)
In keeping with the earthiness of the food, I've used whole fruits and vegetables in the table arrangements, and orange and lemon leaves (ordered a week or two before the party from my local florist) to line the baskets and trays. Loaves of fresh breads from a nearby Italian bakery are arranged in rustic baskets with roasted whole buds of garlic to squeeze onto the bread. Add some chunky candles and Italian music (from popular to opera) playing softly on the CD, and you'll have a stunning buffet party with mouth-watering recipes that you'll want to make again and again.
A stuffed roast turkey breast is wonderful for entertaining -- its lean, tasty meat with its aromatic herbs is typical of the cooking of the Italian Riviera. And Italians love turkey! I had a similar dish as part of a luncheon buffet before boarding an Italian cruise ship in the port of Genoa. Ask your meat person to open the turkey breast and flatten it out so that it looks something like a large veal cutlet. With that done, it'll take only a few minutes for you to stuff the breast with fresh herbs, reroll it, and tie with kitchen string for roasting. Carve the roasted turkey breast in the kitchen, discarding the skin (that contains most of the fat). Arrange the slices on a large serving platter and garnish with fresh herbs and slices of lemon.
I have been friends with Carole Peck since shortly after she opened her first Connecticut restaurant. Voted one of the ten best chefs in the country by Food Arts Magazine and Eating Well Magazine, Carole is now chef/owner of the Good News Cafe in Woodbury, CT. Since I can't dine at Carole's place as often as I once did, I find myself opening her new cookbook, The Buffet Book by Carole Peck with Carolyn Hart Bryant (Viking Penguin) for inspiration. Her rendition for polenta with eggplant was the beginning of this recipe for Baked Polenta with Eggplant and Red Bell Peppers. The fat and salt have been reduced significantly to produce a healthy, robust-flavored starch addition to our Italian buffet.
Years ago I was privileged to watch Gulliano Bugialli teach his classic Italian cooking techniques at the Greenwich, CT, Hay Day Farmers Market. He followed a perfect wild mushroom rissoto with young green beans which were first blanched, then sauteed with aromatics and served as a separate course. I think my version makes a perfect green vegetable accompaniment.
When I co-authored my first cookbook, Kitchen Herbs (Bantam Books) in 1988, arugula was available only at upscale produce markets and trendy restaurants. Herb growers called the slightly bitter greens rocket. Today arugula is available throughout the country and contrasts splendidly with organically-grown cherry tomatoes and shavings of Parmesan cheese for a salad with lively, fresh colors and flavors.
If you've traveled in Italy, you are sure to have noticed that Italians love prunes. They are served with breakfast and frequently appear again in the dessert selection following a restaurant meal. Here we've poached prunes in red wine for a light, fruity dessert that finishes our buffet with a flourish. Serve these plump beauties in your prettiest stemmed dessert glasses -- everyone will love them!
If you and/or your doctor object to your cooking with wine, substitute bunches of green and red grapes for the prune dessert. Italians frequently end their meal with grapes. Also check out this month's "cooking tips" for suggestions on substitutions for wine in cooking.
(for the recipes, click on The Recipes or click on the individual recipe above)
