Diva Eats Italia

As I mentioned in prior post, this month I’m focusing on food inspired from the Amalfi Coast, which is in the Campania region of Italy. On the coast as you would imagine, fish is a dietary staple. A few years back when I visited, I ate some sort of seafood everyday; how could you not.
I had a dish that was similar to the one I made here; it was potato crusted cod fish. The dish was a cod fillet sandwiched between two layers of potatoes. While the cod baked, the potatoes formed a nice crust that added some texture to the fish.
In Diva’s version I spruced up the recipe a bit. I added chopped olives, capers, tomatoes, chili pepper & lemon zest as a condiment. I also marinaded the cod in lemon juice, which was later made into a sauce with added white wine. I’m really happy the way this turned out. It’s fresh & light; perfect for a summer meal.
Gustatela!
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Angela is a young woman, who goes to the same gym as me. When we first met, she told me that her family is from & still owns a home in Salerno Italy. So, when I decided to focus on the Campania region this month on Diva Eats Italia, I thought of her right away. She told me of a dish that is a specialty of Salerno & that her mother often prepares.
Angela was nice enough to tell me how her mother makes “Maccheroni con i pomodori ripieni.” What that means is, pasta with roasted stuffed tomatoes. The roasted tomatoes are placed on top of the pasta. When they are cut into, the juice of the tomatoes & the stuffing, becomes the sauce. This was new to me, so I was excited to try the recipe. It sounded like something I would love, so in the kitchen I went.
I hate to say this, but I changed a few things in the recipe..(don’t tell her) I added & changed a few ingredients to the stuffing & the pasta. The stuffing has homemade breadcrumbs (which I think produces the best results.) It also has capers, gaeta olives, pine nuts, parmesan & basil. The tomatoes are then stuffed & roasted. (Angela told me that, her mother has stuffed cherry tomatoes to make this dish. That’s a little too ambitious for me, so I opted for the larger variety)
I then heated some olive oil in a pan & browned garlic, anchovy fillets & red pepper flakes. When the pasta was cooked I mixed it with the flavored oil, as well as any juice that was in the pan from the roasted tomatoes. They’re then placed on top of the prepared pasta.
I’m so glad, Angela was nice enough to share this dish with me.
I love trying new recipes, especially when they come from family & friends. It makes them that more special & delicious.
Gusatela!
D I V A
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I can’t focus on the food from Campania, (which includes the island of Capri), without mentioning the Caprese Salad. Insalata Caprese, means salad in the style of Capri. I can only assume that this salad originated in Capri, but no one truly knows. Since mozzarella and tomatoes are considered the best in this region, there’s no wonder these two star ingredients are married in this simple, and delicious dish. Together they are pure bliss.
What makes these ingredients so special? The volcanic ash from Mt. Vesuvius, the volcano that’s in the Gulf of Naples, makes for a rich soil that tomatoes thrive in. As for the mozzarella, it is made with buffalo milk, instead of the cows milk that’s used mostly in the States. This makes for a creamier, softer, lighter but stronger tasting cheese. Buffalo mozzarella is considered to be of highest quality.
Making mozzarella in Italy is a serious matter. There are strict regulations that needs to be followed. You may have seen the letters “DOC” on wine or even olive oil bottles. This means that the product is controlled by “Denominazione di Origine Controllata.” They insure that the highest quality product is produced at all times. Each product needs to be made in a specific region with special methods. Now, that’s what I call serious!
A Caprese salad is usually served with sliced mozzarella & tomatoes, with basil leaves tucked in between. In Diva’s version, I used what is know as campania tomatoes, which are smaller than a regular tomato, but bigger than a cherry tomato. (I found them in whole foods) I’m not in Italy, so I had to use the tomatoes at hand. I roasting them to made them sweeter, and they also burst in your mouth when bitten into. I also drizzled extra virgin olive oil & lemon zest, over the salad. In Capri, lemons are every where, so I wanted to incorporate them in the recipe. The lemon zest gave the salad a brightness that I love; just like Capri.

Gustatela!
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This is the first post I’m dedicating to the Campania region of Italy. It’s more about the Amalfi Coast than the entire region. Since the warm weather is upon us, I thought it would be nice to keep the food on the lighter side. Along the Amalfi Coast, there’s no shortage of seafood. It’s fried, sauteed, made into a salad, poured over pasta, in soups & steamed. One of the things that is especially enjoyed in this area are mussels. Every restaurant serves them in their own way. Since I’m focusing on the food of the Campania, I had to include a dish with mussels. Cozze al vino bianco, is a simple dish that’s great as an appetizer, main course or even over pasta. The hardest part of this recipe, is making sure the mussels are sand free! The most important thing to remember when serving this dish, is to have plenty of crusty italian bread handy to sop up all the fantastic broth. (The process of sopping up in Italian is called scarpetta)

Gustatela!
D I V A
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Positano during the day.

Campania is a region of Italy that’s located in the south. In terms of where it is on the boot; it’s the lower shin. It’s a region that has hills, mountains and a spectacular coastline, know as the Amalifi Coast. It has been said that, “The Amalfi Coast is the most beautiful place in the world.” I’m not sure if this statement is true, but it is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. Because of its beauty, it is a popular destination for vacationers.

Capri

Campania is most know for its city of Naples, the Amalfi Coast (which includes Capri) and Mt. Vesuvius, the volcano that sits in the middle of the Bay of Naples. The land in this area is rich in volcanic soil, due to Mt. Vesuvius. This soil turns out the most delicious and sweetest tomatoes, especially the famous, San Marzano. Some of the other foods that Campania is know for are; lemons, capers, buffalo mozzarella (which is made from buffalo milk) and along the coast, plenty of seafood.

The Amalfi Coast was one of the first places in Italy I traveled. I was so excited to go. This region is the birth place of my grandparents. This trip became an eye opening experience for me, knowing that my ancestors lived their lives here. First off, I couldn’t believe the sheer beauty of every town on the coast. We drove along the mountain, with the bluest water I’ve ever seen below us. We stayed in the little sea side village of Positano, in the
San Pietro Hotel. The hotel was fabulous, but all I could think about, was getting lost in the winding streets to explore the town. As I walked, I saw similarities in the people to my family; not only the way they looked, but their hand gestures, expressions, and mannerisms. I suddenly, began to understand things about my family and myself, that I never understood before.

The Blue Grotto on the Island of Capri. If you jump into the water you turn blue. It's very cool.

One night, we went to a restaurant called Restorante Donna Rosa. We hopped into a taxi, not knowing what we were in for. We began to drive up a VERY steep mountain. Mind you, our hotel was at the bottom of the mountain and the restaurant was just about at the top. There were no guard rails, no traffic lights, it was dark and oh, I forgot to mention, it was 2 way. I have never been so nervous in my life. I think I went up the mountain with my eyes closed.

When we finally arrived at the restaurant, (after I thanked God for getting us there safely), I stepped out onto the restaurant terrance, which looked down the mountain. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The full moon was reflecting off the glistening water. The mountains curved along the shore, like rippling waves, and there were tiny white and amber lights that were twinkling from the homes that were built into the rock. I was so totally and utterly in awe and completely overwhelmed, that I began to cry. I think it was a combination of the beauty, the family history and the beginning of understanding my heritage. I was never so proud to be part of this culture, as I was at that very moment.

D I V A

This is the view that made me cry!

This month I’m going to focus on the food of Campania. Each week I will post dishes from different courses of a meal. Antipasti, primi piatti, secondo piatti e dolce. (appetizers, first course, second course and dessert.) I put my own spin on some dishes that may be familiar to you; but I also hope to show you some dishes that are new. I will focus on what this region is best known for.

I hope you join me while I explore the food of Campania, Italy; the birth place of my family.

RECIPES INSPIRED BY THE REGION OF CAMPANIA:

*Cozze al Vino Bianco(Steamed mussels in white wine)
*Insalata Caprese (mozzarella & tomato salad)
*Il Pane di Pasqua (Easter Bread)
*Orecchiette con rapini e fagioli (pasta w/ broccoli rabe & cannellini beans
*Christmas Pasta (cappellini w/ anchovy, nuts & raisins)
*Spaghetti con Acciuga, Capperi e Pangrattato (spaghetti w/ anchovy, capers & breadcrumbs)
*Stuffed Vinegar Peppers
*Bistecca Puttanesca (steak w/ anchovy, gaeta olives, capers & tomatoes)