She said, "Call it Carnitas."

It could be our proximity to Mexico, or maybe it's just because this dish tastes so well. Maybe it's both. Does it matter when you know how to cook something so delicious and fun to eat? Touche. What follows is my attempt to recreate a Mexican tradition - braised and shredded pork served as tacos.

3 lbs pork shoulder, cut into large chunks*
1/4 cup chile powder*
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp allspice*
2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp freshly cracked pepper
2 bay leaves
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1-2 cups chicken stock
1 large onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
5 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 cup olive oil
20-30 tortillas*
Large head of cabbage, shredded
4 avocados, cut into slices*
1 lb cojita cheese
6 limes, cut into 8 pieces each


Put the pork, half the seasoning mixture, and chicken stock in a large dutch oven*. Add water to cover the meat. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 3 hours. Turn off the heat and let rest for an hour or so, until the pork and liquid are cool. Remove the pork to a bowl and shred, removing and bones and large pieces of fat. If you'd like, you can bring the cooking liquid to a boil and reduce until it measures about two cups. Remove the bay leaves and pour into a glass vessel. Allow the liquid to cool, then place in the refrigerator overnight. The fat will come to the top, allowing you to skim it off. This sauce can be used on the tacos, a sort of homemade hot sauce. Doctor it up if you'd like - add tomatoes and puree, maybe some more cayenne pepper. You'll figure it out after a couple of tries.

The shredded pork is now about half done - it can be refregerated overnight and used the next day, or continue with the recipe and use it the same day. This process takes time, so I usually start it on a Friday and finish the pork on Saturday for an afternoon party.

In a large pan (I use the same Le Creuset dutch oven that I started with) heat the oil over medium high flame until almost smoking, add the onions and celery. Cook the onions and celery with 1 tbsp kosher salt until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the rest of the spice mix, then the shredded pork*. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the pork is heated through. If it looks too dry, add 1/2 cup water or reserved cooking liquid (now taco sauce). Once the pork is hot, reduce the heat to low and cover. The pork can now sit on the stove until ready to eat.

To make tacos, heat an ungreased skillet over medium high flame. Warm the tortillas for 15-20 seconds per side. Arrange three tortillas on a plate, and top each with about two tbsp of pork, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, a slice of avocado, and shredded cabbage. That's it - don't go crazy. People will usually eat at least three of these, so don't overfill them. If desired, you can add a few crumbles of cotija cheese*. Place a piece of lime or two on the plate - the flavor of freshly squeezed lime over pork is intoxicating, and people may like to kick theirs up a little.

If you are having a party, make up a self-serve taco station with shredded cabbage, sliced avocado, limes cut into 8 pieces and crumbled cheese. Heat the tacos to order and dole out the pork. Let your guests help themselves to toppings.


* Pork shoulder comes in many forms, and they are all fine for this recipe. I usually try to get a large piece of pork shoulder, or Boston butt, with some bone. Bones and fat = flavor. What is chile powder, really? I don't know any Mexican cooks that use American chile powder, but for our purposes it will work. If you want to be really authentic, try making your own chile powder - mix ancho chile powder with other dried and ground chiles such as arbol (very hot!), ancho, pasilla, gaujillo, chipotle. I'll make my own chile powder one day and post the recipe. Keep looking for it. We could argue the authenticity of adding allspice to Mexican food, but just believe me when I say that it enhances the flavor of this dish, and the savvy culinary minds at your party might just identify it. For tacos I use the smaller corn tortillas, not those huge flour burrito shells. There are both white and yellow corn - try a mix of both to please your guests. Tacos are small, so you don't need to use a tortilla bigger than 3 inches in diameter. Intimidated by avocados? Don't be. Here's how you do it - cut the avocado in half lengthwise, around the pit. When you seperate it, the pit will be in one of the halves. With your knife, gently whack the blade into the pit and twist. This will remove the pit. Remove the meat from the skin with a spoon, place convexly on a plate (pit side down). Now you can make long slices. Easy peazy. We've talked before about Le Creuset dutch ovens. If you don't have one, you must buy one. Your mother probably used one her entire life - shouldn't that tell you something? Get one. In fact, get a few different sizes. This is the most versatile pot in my collection. Food warmed in a Le Creuset dutch oven will stay at temperature on the table for at least an hour if covered. Can't say that about your Revereware, now can you. When heating the shredded pork with onions, garlic, and celery, you may want to add a diced jalepeno or serrano chile. Some people have said that this dish is not hot enough. I make this for a party, and believe me when I say you can always add heat but you can't remove it. Make it your way and tell the Scoville lovers to add their own hot sauce. Or don't. Just be careful with the heat. It is undisputed that Parmigiano Regianno is the king of cheeses. Have you tried cotija cheese? This is almost a Mexican variation of the famed Parmigiano. For true Mexican flavor, get some cojita and play with it. Wonderful stuff!

Wine Tasting at The Kitchen

Tucked away in Gainey Village is The Kitchen, a wine bar cum restaurant with a serve yourself prepared foods area. The previous tenants tried something similar, but weren't able to make a go of it. Too bad, as this concept is really taking off in Scottsdale now. Free wine tastings are held on Wednesday nights, followed by live music from Mark DeCozio. Mark is an excellent piano player and crooner, covering all the standards from the golden era.

Having attended a previous wine tasting, we were excited to see what Chris, the sommelier, had procured for our sampling pleasure. He did not disappoint. This week's theme was International Value Wines with a bubbly, a white and two reds. We started with a Cremant de Loire from Baumard, a refreshing sparkler with heavy pear and apple notes. At $17.00, this wine is an excellent alternative to underwhelming Cavas or Proseccos when trying to avoid the higher priced Champagnes. The second tipple was an Albarino from Paco Y Lola, and again we were delighted with not only its value ($18.00) but the incredible fruitiness of the wine. Now tired of Sauvignon Blancs from the bottom of the globe, this one, full of nectarines, is a great poolside refresher.

Chris offered us the first red, a Merlot/Syrah blend from Provence by Domaine de la Janasse. Tasty, very tasty. Under 17 bucks? Chris explained that some of the larger houses in France are discoving that they can buy vineyards in the south of France and escape the heavy restrictions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, et al. This freedom allows them to experiment a little, and they are producing some amazing wines at a fraction of the cost up north. Finally, we came to the most exciting wine, a Carmenere from Argentina by Viniterra. I've never had Carmenere, and I fell in love with the first sip. It tasted like the inside of a wine barrel. So dry, and with such a huge flavor. Thankfully this was not another Malbec from Mendoza, but rather a unique and rare lost varietal that we snatched up at under $15.00.

The Kitchen is making a name for itself as a wine destination in Scottsdale. Chris' approach to retail sums up what we love about this place - while other retailers are refusing new stock until they move what they have at current prices, The Kitchen continues to take delivery while slashing prices to move wine. You can find some amazing values here as well as some wines you never thought existed - a vineyard in southern Arizona? Sounds almost as crazy as wine on Long Island, but we all know how that turned out...

Simple Eats - Salmon en Papillote

At the request of a friend with minimal culinary ability, today's post is about how to cook a delicious piece of fish without much effort or cleanup. Cooking in a paper pouch, or en papillote, is a great way to seal in flavor and keep the mess down. Simply throw out the paper when done! We eat this dish once a week, as our local grocer has excellent wild caught salmon pre-portioned and frozen. Of course you can use fresh salmon, or any other fish, but this works so well I had to write about it. The salmon is incredibly moist and flavorful, very easy to make, and the cleanup is akin to busing your own tray at a hamburger joint. Trust me when I tell you, you will make this more than once. Oh, and tin foil is fine in place of parchment paper, but I prefer parchment.

1 piece of salmon, with or without skin (about 1 lb)
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 oz fresh dill*
sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, ends removed and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 sheet of parchment paper, at least twice as big as the fish
1 sheet pan


Place the parchment paper on the sheet pan. Place the fish in the middle of the paper. Coat the fish with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover the top of the fish with the garlic and dill, then place the lemon rounds over the dill.

To close the package, bring the two long sides of the paper together above the fish, and fold over several times sealing as you go. You are trying to make a tight seal in the paper, so several folds work well. Fold the paper down close to the fish. The ends will be open still. Twist each end closed and tuck under the package. Place the sheet pan with the fish in a 375 degree preheated oven for about 15 minutes.

Remove the fish from the oven and carefully open the package. Be careful of the escaping hot steam. You can scrape the lemon and dill off before serving if you like, or leave it for garnish. I like to serve this with brown rice and glazed asparagus (butter and garlic).


* Fresh dill is an excellent bedfellow for salmon, and be sure to use plenty. The flavor is tremendous, and redolent of the best gravlox. If you can't get fresh dill, dried is fine. Use about 1 or 2 tablespoons of dried, being sure to cover the salmon. Experiment with other herbs as well - tarragon is great, especially if you use butter instead of olive oil.

Yes, it's true.

The best pizzeria in America? How could that possibly be true? It must be political if everyone from the Travel Channel to Bon Appetit agree on the kingly status of this tiny pizza joint in Phoenix. Not New York. Phoenix. The place garnering so much attention from the media that it has a three hour wait for a menu that includes pizza and a few appetizers is called Pizzeria Bianco. And yes, it's true. It is the best pizza that I've has outside Italy. Is it better than the best New York style pizza? Probably not, but then can you really compare an Asian pear to a perfect granny smith apple? Exactly. So, while it is impossible to call this place the home of truly the best pizza in America, we can call it the home of the best Neapolitan pizza in America.

There truly is a three hour wait to get into Pizzeria Bianco, if you don't have a reservation, so we were excited to be included in a group of 10 last night. We arrived about an hour before the reservation to have a few drinks at the wine bar next door (there is such a crowd waiting for pizzas that Bar Bianco is also packed). Pizzeria Bianco is located on historic Heritage Square in Downtown Phoenix. Lucky enough to have a parking lot right in front, the pizza and bar businesses reside in two historic houses that lend the perfect atmosphere for this kind of experience.

There were excellent wine and beer offerings at Bar Bianco, as well as a few quality nibbles. Get a cheese plate and some of the Spanish olives - you won't regret it. This is one of those wine bars you dream of - creaky floors, an extremely simple bar with its modest offerings and slightly snobby service.

With 15 people waiting outside in the heat and another 20 or so waiting in the bar next door, I glanced in the huge wood fired oven and noticed only one pizza in its massive yaw. I chuckled to myself as I thought, "this is my kind of chef." I imagined him saying, "I know you're hungry, but you'll only get perfection out of me. Be patient." It reminded me of the late Methode Bistro with its slogan "Good food takes time."

About an hour and a half later, we were summoned to our table by a hostess that was in danger of blowing away if the summer wind storms kicked up. We had the only large table in the place, near the back. Wine was ordered and several appetizers - antipasto plates, caprese salads and bread and oil. I was thinking before we got there that this place must import all of its ingredients from Italy to receive such raves. I was wrong. Chris Bianco went one better - he makes his own sausage and mozzarella. The caprese was excellent, and the cheese is nothing less than spectacular.

We ordered all of the pizzas with the intention of passing plates. When they finally came, a silence fell upon the table. One would think we were in prayer, but no, it was just that culinary silence that is only broken as one stops chewing and swallowing long enough to ask for more wine. This food was amazing. The crust was so perfectly burnt and thin, the toppings adding the perfect balance to the sauce and cheeses. With whimsical names such as "Wiseguy" and "Sonny boy," these were truly pies that did not disappoint. Mine was the "Biancoverde," a pie with mozzarella, ricotta and Parmesan topped with fresh arugula. The peppery tang of the cool arugula against the salty, creamy cheeses was heaven. The fresh sausage on a neighbor's pizza was captivating with a strong caraway seed flavor.

There is more that can be said, but I will practice some restraint and just tell you that it is worth the trip. Make a reservation for at least 8 if you can (if you can't, introduce yourself to somebody and get a group). Show up early and drink in the wine bar. This is really an experience to savor. Will I be back? Absolutely, unless I become so inspired by Pizzeria Bianco that I move to Naples and live on this kind of pizza at its source.

Amazing Cinnamon Chicken

In rummaging through the freezer looking for a protein for last night's dinner, I pulled out a bag of what looked like bone-in chicken thighs. From now on I am going to label my freezer bags! The bag turned out to be what I expected, luckily. I was going to have to thaw the thighs and then I figured a wet stovetop braise would be the best cooking method. Maybe I should go with a Mexican flavor, and put the chicken and sauce over rice. Perfect. As I perused the spice cabinet, my fingers fell upon cinnamon. Hmm, I haven't made anything savory with cinnamon for a while, let's see what happens! Cinnamon is a very strong flavor when used for savory dishes, so you need to be careful about how much you use. It goes very well with cumin, and is often used in Mexican dishes. Again, another amazing dinner was turned out in our minimalist kitchen with a few modest ingredients. The new motto of Cucina di Campo: Use good quality ingredients and know how to cook. This chicken recipe is extremely flavorful and quite rich; I am especially proud of not having to use flour or butter to enrich the sauce. Once the chicken is ready, remove it and then put the sauce and veggies in a blender. This will make a very thick sauce without adding any fat or starch...


4 bone-in chicken thighs
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 medium white onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups hot chicken stock
heavy bottomed pan with tight fitting lid*
splatter guard*
blender*

Wash and dry the chicken thighs. Heat olive oil in pan over medium high flame until almost smoking. Add chicken to hot oil and season top with salt and pepper. Cover with splatter guard and cook 5 minutes or until the underside of the chicken is browned. Turn chicken over, season with salt, pepper, cinnamon, cumin, oregano and paprika. Replace splatter guard and continue to brown chicken. Turn the chicken over again so that the spiced side is in the oil and cook another 5 minutes. The spices will cook into the chicken and infuse the oil. There should be plenty of oil in the pan - add more if it looks too dry.

Add the onions, peppers and tomatoes. Add hot stock to cover. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook on low for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Place the lid slightly askew and allow the sauce to reduce for 15-20 minutes.

At this point, the longer you cook the chicken and sauce the better as the flavors continue to develop and get extremely rich. There is a point of diminishing returns however, as the chicken will begin to disintegrate after about two and a half hours. Just turn the pan to very low and wait until you are ready to eat.

Fifteen minutes before you are ready to eat start the Jasmine rice (1 cup dry rice added to 2.5 cups salted, boiling water. Simmer 15 minutes, let stand 5 minutes). Take the chicken out of the sauce, and cover on a plate. Carefully add the sauce to the blender and process until almost smooth (some small chunks are fine). Return the sauce to the pan. Add the chicken back to the pan with any juices on the plate. Cover and keep warm over medium low flame until rice is done.

Spoon chicken and sauce over Jasmine rice.



* I like to use a dutch oven from Le Creuset - the best. I also use a stainless steel sauce pan from AllClad. The point is to use a pan that will retain heat all the way up the sides - Le Creuset is wonderful because it is cast iron; AllClad has an aluminum core that goes all the way up the sides. A splatter guard is a must when browning or frying. Is there anything less fun than cleaning up your kitchen after splattering grease everywhere? Trust me, get a splatter guard. The blender works fine for finishing the sauce in this recipe, but you can also use an immersion blender (stick blender) if you have one. If you do, I probably didn't need to tell you...

Welcome to Cucina di Campo!

7/14/2009

For our inaugural blog, a story about Veggie Lasagna... I'll be blogging about the food I make at home in Scottsdale, Arizona. It's 114 degrees outside, so I might as well cook and write!


Some of the best lasagna I have ever eaten was made with grilled vegetables like eggplant and zucchini. A friend of ours, who happens to be a vegetarian, was in town. We decided to get a ton of veggies, and grill them for a lasagna. We had made fresh pasta the day before (fresh tagliatelle with scampi and another one with white clam sauce) and had about half a batch left. Now, this was hands down the best pasta dough I had ever made and it rolled out perfectly for lasagna noodles - more then I needed for the 8x12 pan I was using.



1 medium eggplant
2 zucchini
2 yellow summer squash
1 red onion
2-3 portabella mushrooms*
1 each green and red bell peppers
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1.5 lbs ricotta cheese
.5 cups Parmesan cheese
.5 cups Italian parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups tomato sauce
lasagna noodles*
.5-1 lbs mozzarella cheese, shredded
1-2 tbsp dried oregano
.25 cups olive oil
sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper
lasagna pan*


Remove top and bottom of eggplant, then make .25 inch slices, cutting lengthwise. You want to make long strips rather than rounds. Do the same with the zucchini, squash and onion. Cut the mushroom stems so they are even with the gills. Cut the peppers in half vertically and remove the stems, white ribs and seeds. Place all of the veggies in a single layer on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper and oregano. Toss the veggies so they are coated in the oil and spice mixture.

Grill all of the vegetables over a medium flame for 15-20 minutes, or until they are browned. The pepper skins will bubble up and get fairly crisp - this is fine. Make sure to turn the vegetables at times to ensure even cooking. Remove them when done and let cool.

Mix the eggs, ricotta, parsley, garlic, carrot and .25 cups of Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Coat the inside of your lasagna pan with olive oil, then spread .5 cups of tomato sauce on the bottom. Add a layer of pasta, then half of the egg and ricotta mixture. Layer half of the vegetables and top with a third of the mozzarella cheese. Top with .5 cups of tomato sauce, and repeat the remaining layers - pasta, ricotta, veggies, mozzarella, sauce. Place one more layer of pasta, then the remaining sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan.

Cook in a 375 degree oven 40-50 minutes. If the cheese starts to brown, cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting.



*What's the story with portabella mushrooms - was the name "mature cremini" so off putting that it had to be changed by a marketing team? I usually make fresh pasta, and lasagna noodles are the easiest pasta shape to make. The pasta recipe is another story... Feel free to use dried or even whatever pasta you have in the house - then it's just baked pasta, not lasagna. Prepare the noodles as directed on the package. If using fresh pasta, cook in heavily salted water rolling at a boil for two minutes. Cook it in batches without crowding the water. Drain the pasta and place in an ice water bath until needed. I used an 8x12 inches Pyrex dish - use whatever you have around. Those nice stoneware dishes are perfect. Just make sure to trim your prepared noodles to fit the pan - you don't want too much to hang over the sides.