The Light Italian Hand

To most fledgling food fanciers, the mere mention of Italian cuisine all too often conjures up weighty images of veal parmesan and chicken cacciatore served up with brimming bowls of hot pasta--fine, filling fare in their proper places, but by no means do they indicate the full extent of Italy's Lucullan art, which adjusts itself to seasonal changes with imaginative aplomb. In summer, Roman gourmets wisely pass up heavy offerings and feast instead on light dishes of succulent shellfish, salads and seafoods in delicate sauces. Many of the viands are so easy to whip up, in fact, that they don't need cooking at all, but just the lightest sort of Italian hand to quickly prepare them in a fashion ordained by the season. This easygoing Italian culinary attitude stands the natives in good stead during the dog days, when a casual picnic in the country is a must. In tiny Italian villages, as well as in the booming metropolises, you can see sporty little FIATs (to say nothing of sporty big Ferraris) racing through town with parcels of mussels and rice salads, tomatoes stuffed with seafood, chicken pepperoni, ricotta and Spanish pies, and a thousand other forms of rich vivande on sale at neighborhood groceries all helping to make athome cookery and picnic preparation presto, presto. And those shops that hungry explorers in Italy have recognized by the welcome sign salumeria are now springing up like wild garlic across the United States. Dangling from their ceilings are forests of ready-to-enjoy foods--salamis, dried or fresh, thick or thin, mild or peppery; and pear-shaped provolone cheeses in rope nests, ranging in size from little provoletti to giants weighing in at hundreds of pounds. As a summer substitute for weighty hot-weather vittles, try your light Italian hand on such foodstuffs as luscious corned legs of pork called zampino, slices of paper-thin prosciutto to wrap around wedges of ice-cold melons or figs, freshly baked loaves of crisp Italian bread, and bottles of sweet red and yellow peppers well pickled in vinegar. The bachelor who wants to prepare fresh Italian salads, sandwiches and cold platters has an endless variety from which to choose.

America's Italian-food counters are always piled high with a wealth of delicacies; some come from Italy or other parts of the Mediterranean area, some are made in this country, but all are inspired all' italiana. Even tuna fish has an Italian counterpart, such as imported Mediterranean tuna fillets in olive oil.

Olive oil is the backbone of Italian cuisine. Ancient Romans drank it before a banquet to ward off hangovers. Romans today are more positive in their approach. An Italian bagna cauda is simply a fondue pot or chafing dish containing olive oil or olive oil and melted butter, flavored with anchovies and garlic, then used for appetizers that can be dipped. Take any cold food--a spear of cooked asparagus, a piece of fennel or a tiny artichoke heart--dip it for a moment (continued on page 130)Light Italian Hand(continued from page 74) in the bagna cauda and it will sing with a sunny Italian accent. To sauté a sliced onion or a piece of veal, use olive oil or half olive oil and half butter. Before broiling a steak, brush it with olive oil for a succulent brown crust. Most of the vast variety of Italian antipasti in jars --the tiny stuffed eggplants, artichoke hearts and assorted pepper salads--are in a base of olive oil and spices.

Of course, summer-styled gourmets can dine very handsomely on antipasto alone. But we don't go along with the argument that antipasto (meaning before the meal) should never be followed by pasta. They're in fact a luscious duet, just as long as the pasta servings aren't too large or too heavy. It's only when both antipasto and pasta are offered up as a double prolog to a meal of soup, meat, vegetables, salad, dessert and beverage that Italian cooking overextends itself. Incidentally, this kind of marathon eating, promoted by Italian restaurants in the States, is seldom found in Italy itself. As a main course with or without pasta, antipasto makes a marvelous meal at noon or midnight. Instead of combination antipasto in flat jars, which is usually something of a disappointment, try making up your own platters from the wealth of fish delicacies, vegetables, sliced meats and other viands all ready for portage. We have two particular light antipasto and pasta favorites that will get you in and out of the kitchen with a minimum of effort. One includes prosciutto wrapped around bread sticks, Genoa salami, artichoke hearts in oil, tiny stuffed eggplants, Boston lettuce, imported tuna fillets and noodles with pepper salad in oil. For an alternative, try sliced mortadella, pepperoni that's been sliced wafer thin, pickled mushrooms, sardines, celery hearts, black olives, wedges of hard egg and tomato, and ditalini with peas.

Long before World War Two, Italian immigrants found that one of the fastest ways to be welcomed into a new neighborhood was to offer a long, crisp bun that had been split and filled with Italian salami, slices of sharp cheese and onion, a generous dousing of olive oil and a sprinkling of hot dried red peppers. During the War, GIs in Italy usually spent their rest periods running from pizzeria to post. The pizza and the hero sandwich are now as American as Philadelphia scrapple, and in time they could become just as stodgy. Use your imagination when concocting new hero combinations. Six- to eight-inch slices of bread that have been stuffed with mussels in anchovy-flavored mayonnaise, hard-cooked egg and tomato, or mushrooms, Parma ham wrapped around fresh vegetables and thin slices of provolone cheese make a mouth-watering repast.

For many an Italian, the great moment of the meal comes at its end, even when only a basket of fruit or a cheese tray is served. If an Italian must choose between eating heartily and talking, he won't hesitate to stifle the most brilliant conversationalist. But the arrival of the cheese and the fruit, to be followed in time by the espresso and the liqueur, is the signal that he can now eat and converse as long and as leisurely as he pleases. No American cheese comes close to rivaling the imported parmesan freshly cut off the wheel (not the prepackaged variety). Although the Reggiano parmesan is normally used as a grating cheese in the States, it's also magnificent for munching straight. Though semi-hard, it's quite chewable and has a mellow nutty flavor that goes beautifully with fresh fruits and Italian wines. Italian blue cheese is called gorgonzola. Its pinnacle is the version that has the unromantic name Superzola or Gorgonzola Crema. It's a blueblood found only in the finest cheese specialty shops. For authentic flavor, all cheeses must be eaten at room temperature. Although Italy is the land of the grape, the olive and the fig, its other fruits usually don't reach the deep cordial flavor of fresh American Elberta peaches, thick Crenshaw melons or firm Bartlett pears just turning ripe. For those with a sweeter tooth, there are imported Italian fruits in brandy or liqueurs. We've a special Viva! for black cherries in brandy designed for spooning over ice cream. At the table we like the idea of placing in a large cut-glass dish twice as many scoops of ice cream as there are guests, then topping off the colorful mound with fruits bottled in liqueurs. It makes a festive dessert, indeed.

Serve up the following lightweight offerings for easeful eating Italian style and the temperature be hanged. Each recipe serves four.

[recipe_title]Mozzarella and Anchovy Sandwiches[/recipe_title]

[recipe]2 eggs, well beaten[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup heavy cream[/recipe]

[recipe]1/8 teaspoon salt[/recipe]

[recipe]8 ozs. mozzarella cheese, sliced thin[/recipe]

[recipe]8 square slices white bread[/recipe]

[recipe]2-oz. can flat anchovy fillets, drained[/recipe]

[recipe]3-oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained Olive oil[/recipe]

Combine eggs, cream and salt, and beat well. Place cheese on 4 slices of bread. Place anchovies and mushrooms on cheese and top with remaining bread to make sandwiches. In large heavy frying pan heat oil, to a depth of 1/8 in. Holding sandwiches with both hands to keep intact, dip into egg mixture, as in making French toast. Fry sandwiches until golden brown on both sides and cut each one into halves or quarters before serving.

[recipe_title]Shrimp Pepperoni[/recipe_title]

[recipe]1 lb. cooked, peeled, deveined shrimps[/recipe]

[recipe]7 1/2-oz. jar roasted sweet peppers, or equivalent in pimientos, drained[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup dry white wine[/recipe]

[recipe]4 tablespoons butter[/recipe]

[recipe]2 8-oz. cans Italian tomatoes[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons bread crumbs[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, celery salt, pepper, monosodium glutamate[/recipe]

Buy shrimps freshly cooked at fish store. Cut peppers into 1/2-in. dice. Simmer wine in large saucepan until reduced to 1/3 cup. Add shrimps, peppers, butter, tomatoes with their juice and bread crumbs. Bring up to boiling point but do not boil. Simmer only until shrimps are heated through. Season to taste with salt, celery salt, pepper and monosodium glutamate.

[recipe_title]Rice and Spinach Minestrone[/recipe_title]

[recipe]10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup quick (precooked) long-grain rice[/recipe]

[recipe]2 12 1/2-oz. cans chicken broth[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup canned white kidney beans (cannellini) or garbanzos[/recipe]

[recipe]4 tablespoons butter[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons lemon juice[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper, monosodium glutamate[/recipe]

[recipe]Garlic powder[/recipe]

Cook spinach, following directions on package. Do not drain. Cook rice, following directions on package. Combine rice and spinach in soup pot. Put 1 can chicken broth and beans in blender; blend 30 seconds and add to soup pot. Add remaining can chicken broth. Bring to a boil; reduce flame and simmer 5 minutes. If soup is too thick, thin with additional chicken broth or with water and instant chicken bouillon. Add butter, cheese and lemon juice. Heat until butter melts. Season generously with salt, pepper and monosodium glutamate. Add a dash of garlic powder; add more lemon juice if desired. Pass additional parmesan cheese at table.

[recipe_title]Spaghettini, Genoese Pesto Sauce[/recipe_title]

[recipe]1 lb. spaghettini[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup olive oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon dried basil[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts[/recipe]

[recipe]2 large cloves garlic, minced[/recipe]

[recipe]Freshly grated parmesan cheese[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons grated romano cheese[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 teaspoon salt[/recipe]

[recipe]4 tablespoons butter[/recipe]

In a small saucepan, heat oil and basil over a very low flame about 5 minutes. The heat releases the flavor of the dried basil. Do not permit oil to smoke. (If fresh basil is available, use 3 tablespoons and do not heat with oil.) If pine nuts are not toasted, place them in a shallow pan in oven preheated at 375°. Heat about 10 minutes or until light brown. Avoid scorching. In well of electric blender put oil with basil, garlic, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, romano cheese, pine nuts and salt. Blend at high speed for 30 seconds. Cook spaghettini in boiling salted water just until tender. Drain well, tossing in colander or lifting with fork until dried. Pour sauce over spaghettini on large platter or individual plates. Add butter and toss thoroughly to blend sauce, butter and spaghettini. Pass additional parmesan cheese at table.

[recipe_title]Cold Pork Tonnato[/recipe_title]

[recipe]3/4 lb. roast pork loin or roast fresh ham, thinly sliced[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup dry white wine[/recipe]

[recipe]1 small onion, minced[/recipe]

[recipe]1 egg[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon lemon juice[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 teaspoon dry mustard[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 teaspoon anchovy paste[/recipe]

[recipe]3/4 cup olive oil[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons tuna fish, minced Small capers in vinegar, drained Salt, pepper[/recipe]

Buy the pork at a salumeria or any delicatessen featuring cooked prime meats. In small saucepan heat wine and onion until wine is reduced to 1/4 cup; avoid cooking until wine has completely evaporated. In well of electric blender put egg, lemon juice, mustard and anchovy paste. Blend at low speed 5 seconds. Very slowly, in smallest possible stream, add oil while blender continues to run at low speed. Stop blender and add wine with onions and tuna fish. Blend at low speed about 5 seconds more. Remove sauce from blender and stir in 2 tablespoons capers. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread sauce between slices of meat, and arrange them shingle style on a very shallow casserole or deep platter. Sprinkle 2 additional tablespoons capers on top. Cover casserole with lid or polyethylene paper. Chill in refrigerator 4 to 5 hours or overnight. Pork Tonnato may be served as antipasto or cold meat course.

The preceding comestibles--whether whipped up for foursome feasting or guests galore--are Roman recipes for getting one out of the summer dining doldrums with enjoyable ease. Ciao!