BEANS WITH TOMATO & SAGE

I used to not think much of beans. They were mushy. They were bland. When I moved to Florence, though, I found myself in a place that praised the humble bean.  Fagioli, I quickly learned, could be full-flavored.  Florentines eat their beloved beans as a stand-alone dish -- adorned with a glug of olive oil and laced with herbs. One Tuscan recipe, fagioli all'uccelletto, confits cannellini beans in a savory tomatoes, fruity olive oil and sage

 Although the ingredients are simple, simmering over a low flame produces beans imbued with sage's earthy aroma.  Beans' starchiness thickens the tomatoes into a creamy sauce--ideal for sopping  up with a hunk of bread.  Satisfying on their own, these beans are also sturdy enough to be spooned atop braised or grilled meats.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups of cooked canellini beans, drained
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, rough chopped
  
• 6-8 leaves of fresh sage, whole
• 1 small can of crushed tomatoes, 14.5 oz
• 1/4 cup of water
• Salt and pepper to taste 

On the stove, heat the olive oil at medium. Saute the garlic until it is softened and aromatic (but before it browns). Add 5 sage leaves and frizzle them for 1 minute in the oil.  Then, pour in the tomatoes, water, drained beans and salt / pepper. Simmer over moderate (medium-low) heat for 20-25 minutes -- until the tomato mixture becomes creamy and thickens.  Before serving, garnish with 1-2 fresh sage leaves.  Serve while hot.

GARLIC BREAD TUSCAN STYLE

There are easy recipes. And, there are easy recipes --  food that  folks who struggle with Kraft Mac can make. And, make well.  Literally meaning an oiled up slice of bread, fettunta is Tuscany's bare-bones take on garlic bread.  (My high school English teachers would be horrified -- two sentences in one paragraph that start with "and").

For most Americans, just mentioning garlic bread conjures images of oven-toasted loaves doused in butter, parsley and mountains of minced garlic.  Some garlic bread leaks yellow. Some ooze gooey cheese. Others make you wonder why the bread looks like orange Kool-Aid.

While not straying far from the grease + bread + garlic equation, fettunta might better be called garlicky bread.  If American garlic bread showcases the zing of garlic and the stringiness of mozzarella, the star of fettunta is the bread.  To be sure, garlic is still here.  It's just not the main attraction -- one note in a choir rather than that voice that makes you forget all others. Since garlic won't overpower the bread, it's key that you get your hands on a quality loaf.

Raw garlic is rubbed right on top of toasted or grilled bread.  The warm surface absorbs just a hint of the garlic's punch.  You taste the bread. You taste the fruity olive oil. You taste the garlic.  No one flavor kills the others.  Served hot, this is easy and light finger food.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 loaf crusty bread
• Olive oil for drizzling (1/2 cup)
• 6 or so peeled garlic cloves
• Salt & pepper

Slice the crusty Italian loaf into thick "bruschetta-sized" slices. Each slice should be about 1 to 1.5 inches wide.  Once sliced, flash toast (on high) the slices. If you have a grill pan or a grill, grilling the bread is the way to go.  This will endow the final dish with a rich, smoky aftertaste.  

When toasty, take a clove of garlic and rub it into the bread's rough surface.  The garlic will rub off.  Garlic up each hot slice this way.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  If the bread is already salted, only use a smidgin of salt. As a final step, pour a big glug of extra-virgin olive oil over each garlicky piece.  The warm bread will absorb the oil. Serve hot.

                                               This photo is from http://theitaliandish.blogspot.com

BEEF & BLACK PEPPER STEW

San Francisco can get cold -- like teeth-chattering-in-August cold... despite the sweater and hoodie and thermals you've dutifully layered.  On foggy days, I want comfort food.  Stews. Bread. Braised things.  

When I lived in Florence, I quickly learned that Tuscans don't pride themselves on their pastas.  Fettuccine might grace menus in the region but when it comes to home-cooked meals, Tuscans want a minestra (soups made of beans, vegetables and bread) or meat (grilled, roasted, stewed, sauced).  Il peposo -- the "peppery one" -- sits somewhere between a meaty stew and a wined-up braise.    

Its ingredients are basic: beef, peppercorns, garlic and red wine.  Mix, cover and fire until the meat falls apart... roughly 3-hours later.  Medieval in origin, il peposo is cold-night food far from haute cuisine.  

In good Medieval fashion, the hunks of beef are served over thick plank of crusty Tuscan bread; cooked whole, the peppercorns add a spicy zing to the finished dish.  If Italy had rainy-day pub fare, this'd be it.  

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 lbs of beef stew meat or, alternately, pot-roast / brisket cut into stew-sized cubes. 

(Note: don't bother with pricy meat; the slow cook time & acid in the wine break down the fibrous beef) 

* 1 bottle of red wine (750ml); table wine is fine

* 8 - 10 whole cloves of garlic

* 1.5 tablespoons of whole black peppercorns (about 15 peppercorns); you could also add 1 tbs. of whole juniper berries or whole allspice

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.  Combine the beef, peeled garlic cloves and peppercorns together in a dutch oven.  The wine should cover all the meat. Bring to a boil over a high flame / heat, skimming off any fat that accumulates on the surface.   Add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir.

Remove from the heat and cook covered in the oven for 3-4 hours.  Stir every hour to make sure the beef does not stick to the pan bottom. When done, almost all of the wine will be gone.  The beef should fall apart if touched by a spoon.  Serve over warm polenta or on a toasted slice of Italian bread.