Octopus in Umido

Serves 4

2 lbs. octopus
2/3 lb. mature tomatoes
1 garlic clove
parsley
chili pepper
1/2 cup white wine
olive oil
salt
pepper

Preparation:

1. Clean the octopus, removing the intestines, eyes, and beak.
2. Wash, dry, and chop into 1 1/2 inch pieces.
3. In a pan, saute the garlic, pepper and parsley in 8 tbs. of olive oil.
4. While the garlic browns, add the octopus and after a few minutes add the wine.
5. When it evaporates, add the tomatoes (after they have been peeled and chopped), salt, and pepper and cook on low heat for about one hour.

Serve warm.

Octopus in Galera

Serves 4

2 lbs. octopus
2 garlic cloves
parsley
olive oil
salt
pepper

Preparation:

1. Clean the octopus and remove the intestines, eyes, and beak.
2. Wash, dry and chop the octopus into bite-sized pieces
3. In a pot, saute 12 tbs. of oil with chopped garlic and parsley.
4. Before the garlic browns, add the octopus, salt, and pepper.
5. Cover with a lid and cook slowly, for about 30 minutes, stirring often.

Serve hot, lukewarm, or cold.

Octopus alla Luciana

Serves 4
 
4 octopus (about 1/2 pound)
2 garlic cloves
parsley
olive oil
salt
pepper

Preparation:

1. Clean the octopus and remove the intestines, eyes, and beak (leave the skin and tentacles intact).
2. Wash, dry and put the octopus in a crock.
4. Sprinkle with 12 tbs of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and add the garlic and a sprig of parsley.
5. Cover with a lid and, using a very low heat let it simmer for about one hour.

It can be served hot, lukewarm, or cold. It works well as an appetizer.

This recipe appears to have come from the famous neighborhood of Santa Lucia in Naples, which would explain the origin of the name.

You can also cook it with tomatoes and/or spinach.

Tomatoes Stuffed with Bulgur Wheat

1/2 pound bulgur wheat
8 round, stiff tomatoes 
3/4 cup fontina cheese
1/2 cup softened butter
4 sprigs parsley 
salt, pepper

Preparation:

1. Cook the bulgur wheat for 4 minutes in boiling water jumps in the amount corresponding to twice its volume. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the bulgur is dry.
2. Wash the tomatoes, dry, remove the top and empty them with the help of a teaspoon. Let them steam for 3-5 minutes: must be firm.
3. Grate the cheese and gradually join it to the cooked bulgur. Stir until mixture is smooth. Add salt and pepper and add the butter to the mix. 
4. Add salt and pepper to taste tomatoes and fill them with bulgur and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Two Cheese Souffle

3 tbs. butter
2 tbs. flour
1 cup milk
4 eggs
1/4 cup aged parmesan
1/4 cup aged swiss
salt
pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Over the stove, heat up the butter, slowly add the flower and mix. Add the milk and whisk until boiling.
2. Separate the whites and the yolks of the eggs. Break the yolks and whisk them into the mix on the stove top. Add the cheese a little at a time, whisking the mix the entire time. Add salt and pepper.
3. In a bowl mix the egg whites until soft peaks form, and add a pinch of salt. Slowly fold the stove top mix into the egg whites until the mix is smooth.
4. Butter a mold for souffle. Pour the mix into the mold and run a knife along the edge to encourage separation when it is done. Cook for about 30 minutes and serve quickly.

Avocado Mousse with Smoked Salmon

2 large avocados
1/2 lemon
4 slices smoked salmon
3 tbs. cream
2 sprigs of dill
1 small heart of romaine
4 cherry tomatoes
salt, pepper

Sour Cream

1 tsp. cream
1 dash lemon juice
salt
pepper

Preparation

1. Cut the avocados in half and remove the seeds. Scoop out the pulp and keep the shells off to the side for now.
2. Put the avocado pulp in a food processor. Combine with the juice of the lemon. Add 2 slices of the salmon. Mix in the food processor until well blended.
3. Combine the avocado mix with the cream, salt, pepper and dill in the four "avocado shells." Put in the fridge for 15 minutes.
4. Mix the ingredients for the sour cream in a bowl. Set aside.
5. Slice the salmon and hearts of romaine into long, thin slices. Take your avocado bowls out of the fridge and garnish with the salmon, romaine, and cherry tomatoes.

Tapenade

1-1/2 cups olives
1/2 cups anchovies in olive oil
1/4 cup capers
1/3 cup olive oil
pepper

Preparation

1. Pit the olives and put them in a food processor. Blend until pureed.
2. Drain the anchovies and blend them with the olives.
3. Drain the capers and add them to the mix with the pepper.
4. Turn on the food processor and add the oil a bit at a time. When it reaches a desirable consistency, stop blending and serve with bread or crackers.

Potato Croquettes

2 lbs. potatoes
3 eggs
1/4 cup parmesan
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
salt
pepper
chopped parsley

Preparation

1. Boil the potatoes in salted water.
2. Peel and mash the potatoes in a food mixer until they are pureed.
3. Season with the cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, and 3 egg yolks.
4. Pour the egg whites into a bowl and put the breadcrumbs in another.
5. Knead the potato mix well and form them in the shape of little sticks.
6. Dip them in the egg whites, then the breadcrumbs using a fork.
7. Fry in hot oil

Eggplant Parmigiana

5  eggplants
2 lbs. tomatoes (in season fresh or canned)
2 medium onions
2/3 cup pecorino cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan
Basil
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Preparation (2 hours)

1. Peel the eggplant, cut into slices, and put into salt water for 30 minutes.
2. Drain, wash, pat dry and fry in hot oil.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the tomato sauce with lots of basil.
4. In a greased pan make a layer of eggplant, cover with sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese and some of the pecorino slices.
5. Repeat step 4 until you have used all of the ingredients.
6. The last layer should be made of eggplant and grated parmesan.
7. Finish it with a little bit of oil and put in a hot oven (circa 350 degrees F) for about 15 minutes.

P.S. You could also try breading the eggplant with breadcrumbs.

Baked Tomatoes

Serves 6

1 3/4 lbs. fresh, ripe tomatoes
3 oz. bread w/out crust
2 oz. black olives, pitted
1/2 oz. capers
4 tbs. grated parmesan
1 tbs. white wine vinegar
1 tbs. breadcrumbs
3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
salt and chili pepper to taste

Preparation

1. cut the tomatoes in half horizontally, scoop out the pulp, salt slightly and turn face down on a cutting board.
2. Crumble the bread into a small bowl, sprinkle with oil and vinegar and set aside.
3. mince the capers, olives, tomato pulp and combine in a bowl with parmesan and the crumbled bread. Mix thoroughly.
4. Fill the tomato halves with the mixture and put them into a greased baking dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake at 390 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Seafood Canapes

Serves 6

6 oz. squid
6 oz. shrimp
1 egg
1 garlic clove
1 tbs. chopped parsley
2 tbs. breadcrumbs
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
serve with bread

Preparation


1. clean and gut the squid, remove skin, eyes and beak. Peel the shrimp and remove the black thread (intestines) using a toothpick.
2. Chop the squid and shrimp well, mince the garlic and parsley then combine with the seafood.
3. Beat the egg in bowl, add the seafood mixture and then add the breadcrumbs, oil, salt and pepper.
4. Cut the bread into the finger-thick slices and spread with the well-blended seafood mixture.
5. Put the canapes on an oven sheet and bake at 390 degrees F until golden.
6. Serve hot on bread.

Mussels au Gratin

Serves 6

2.2 lbs. mussels
3 tbs. breadcrumbs
1 lemon
2 garlic cloves
1 tbs chopped parsley
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
salt and ground chili pepper, to taste


Preparation

1. Scrub the mussels with a stiff brush. Tear off the beards. Rinse thoroughly under running water and then put the mussels into a pan without water; cover and cook over a medium flame until they open.
2. For the stuffing, in a bowl combine the breadcrumbs, the juice and grated zest of the lemon, salt, chili pepper, the chopped parsley and the juice from the garlic.
3. Put the open mussels on a baking sheet, discard the empty half shells.
4. Spoon the stuffing onto each mussel, and put them under the broiler at 390 degrees F; they are ready when a nice golden crust has formed.