Apricot and Sweet Onion Mostarda - Recipe

Mostarda of apricot and sweet onion

Mostarda di frutta is a most unusual Italian condiment. It is made most famously in Cremona (and is sometimes known as mostarda di Cremona), though I first tasted it much further south, at a restaurant in Siena that offered three varieties at the table.

The flavor of mostarda is a complex mixture of sweet and sour, fruity and pungent. It is traditionally served with blander boiled meats, but it also pairs well in small amounts as part of a cheese course (or an upscale grilled cheese sandwich). I would venture to say that if you find sweet pickles awful, this isn't for you, but if you like relishy stuff, you'll probably love it.

Modern chefs have taken this basic idea of mostarda and applied it to any condiment incorporating fruit, sugar and mustard. The recipe I'm offering you today is definitely not traditional. I'm using a single fruit (apricot), and cooking it down almost to a jam instead of keeping it in larger pieces. Sweet onion provides the structure and snap.

If you have mustard oil on hand (possibly from Indian cooking), you can use that, but I substituted a prepared Dijon mustard. The effect isn't quite the same but I think it is delicious on its own merits.

If you aren't inclined to make your own, but want to taste mostarda, here are a plethora of options on Amazon.

Apricot and Sweet Onion Mostarda
Yields about 1 cup
Vegetarian, vegan, and potentially gluten-free (be sure and check the pre-prepared ingredients)

• 5 large or 8 small apricots (about 400 grams total)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• dash Tabasco
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds and 1 teaspoon fennel seeds ground in a mortar and pestle
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 sweet (Maui, Vidalia, Walla Walla, etc.) onion, finely diced

1. Combine all of the ingredients except the onion in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, adding a little water as needed. Cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Take off the heat and puree (using an immersion blender if you have one). Strain through a coarse sieve to remove the apricot skins.
3. Return the puree to the cleaned pot, and add the finely diced onion. Simmer about 15 more minutes until quite thick (remembering that it will thicken a bit more when it cools; you want the end result to be something like a pickle relish).
4. Taste and adjust seasonings to give a nice balance of fruity, sweet, sour and piquant/mustardy.

Grilled Eggplant with Arrabiata Fresca - Recipe

Grilled Eggplant with Fresh Arrabiata

In the course of planning an Italian-oriented meal, it occurred to me that an arrabiata sauce has mostly the same ingredients that you would associate with a fresh Mexican-style salsa. Traditional arrabiata contains onion, garlic, tomatoes and fresh chili peppers. "Arrabiata" means "angry", referring to the heat from the chilis.

So it might be a bit of a stretch, but I prepared this raw version with cherry tomatoes and chile de arbol that went smashingly with simple grilled eggplant. You could serve this as an appetizer or salad course. If you are grilling, throw the eggplant on first and your guests can nosh on this while you prepare the rest of the meal.

As you can see from the picture, it would have been wise to drain some of the liquid from the tomatoes first - so the recipe is written with that instruction.

Grilled Eggplant with Arrabiata Fresca
Serves 6 as an appetizer
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (or an equivalent amount of larger heirloom tomatoes, large dice)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 small white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 fresh chile de arbol, seeds and ribs removed, minced (more or less to your heat preference)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large or 4 smaller eggplants - look for ones that feel heavy for their size - cut into 3/8" thick slabs or rounds
• olive oil for grilling

1. Put the cut tomatoes in a sieve, toss with the salt, and let drain for one hour. Drain that over a bowl and drink it, cook's treat!
2. Transfer the tomatoes to a small bowl and toss with the garlic, white onion, hot pepper, and olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning. Allow to rest awhile for the flavors to develop. As long as you are serving within an hour, don't refrigerate - it tastes much better at room temperature.
3. Brush eggplant slices with olive oil and grill (or roast in 400 degree oven) until thoroughly tender. Undercooked eggplant is horrible, please don't do that.
4. Serve the eggplant and pass the salsa.

Arancini Di Riso - Deep-Fried Risotto Balls - Recipe

Arancini Di Riso

Arancini. "Little oranges". Only these guys aren't quite so healthy as a piece of citrus. They are actually balls of risotto, stuffed with molten cheese, rolled in breadcrumbs and deep fried. What. Is. Not. To. Like?

Apparently in Sicily, where they originate, they can be filled with all sorts of things ranging from a slow-cooked ragout, to ham or even mushrooms. Traditionally, they are served with a tomato sauce for dipping, but I opted for a simple drizzle of good balsamico this time.

Although arancini are traditionally street food, you could serve them as a passed appetizer at a party, or a fairly filling first course. And although they are a bit labor intensive, you can prepare everything the day before so all you have to do at showtime is the actual rolling in breadcrumbs and frying.

Please don't use commercial "Italian" breadcrumbs for this (or anything else). It is well worth the minimal effort to run some day-old bread through the food processor. Experts differ on whether you need to remove the crust. Marcella Hazan says yes, Mario Batali no. I'm in the Batali camp, because it saves time and produces less waste. Either way, you can freeze any leftover breadcrumbs (that haven't touched raw egg) and use them to top gratins, casseroles, pasta, etc.

Arancini di Riso
Makes about 12 depending on size
Vegetarian; not vegan; could be gluten-free if you use gluten-free breadcrumbs and broth

• 4 cups clear vegetable broth (not some soupy thing; I like Seitenbacher broth powder for this kind of thing)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 1 1/4 cups arborio or other risotto rice (must be a risotto rice!!)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 egg
• about 4 ounces of scamorza, smoked mozzarella or other flavorful, meltable Italian cheese, cut into cubes a little bigger than 1/2" on a side
• salt to taste
• oil for deep frying
• 1 1/2 cups finely ground fresh breadcrumbs (whiz day-old non moldy bread in food processor; if not dry enough, toast lightly first)
• 2 eggs beaten with 1/4 teaspoon salt
• flaky sea salt
• tomato sauce or balsamico for dipping

1. Bring the broth to a simmer.
2. Heat a medium saucepan over a medium-high flame. Saute the onion in the olive oil for 1 minute until it softens but doesn't brown. Add the rice and saute for another minute, until it turns translucent. Add the wine and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Begin to add the broth. Initially, add enough to cover the rice. Reduce to a simmer. Stir occasionally - you don't need to do it as much as you would if you were serving this as regular risotto. Add broth occasionally, as you see it dip below the level of the rice. You probably won't need all of it. Stop when the rice is tender to bite but still has a hint of toothsomeness left - the equivalent of al dente for pasta. Stir in the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Taste and add salt if needed.
4. Allow the rice to cool to room temperature (you can spread it out if you need that to happen faster), then stir in one egg thoroughly.
5. With dampened hands, form balls of the rice. Something around golfball size is good. Poke a hole and insert a cube of cheese, then re-form the rice around the cheese so it is in he center. If you like, you can now store these pre-formed balls in a single layer in the refrigerator for a day. Wrap them well so they don't dry out.
6. When you are ready to cook them off, heat your oil for deep frying to about 360 F. Dip each ball first in the beaten eggs, then roll them around in the breadcrumbs. (Hint: don't put all the breadcrumbs in the bowl at once - then if you have some left they will be uncontaminated to save for later). Fry the balls in small batches so the oil doesn't cool down too much, or they will be greasy. Cook, turning occasionally, until deep brown.
7. Remove the balls to plates covered in paper towels. Season with flaky sea salt. Allow them to cool a bit before serving and warn your guests, so they don't burn their mouths! These guys really hold the heat, especially the molten cheese. Serve with the sauce of your choice. Live on as a legend.