Preparing Genovese-style Italian food

Chef Paolo Laboa and Ivano Centemeri

Once again I had the opportunity to attend a cooking demonstration at Arte Italia. Returning chef Paolo Laboa, ably aided by Reno's Ivano Centemeri, cooked and served four fabulous courses and this week I’ll share the Antipasti and Primo Piatto courses.

The mission of Arte Italia is to bring Italian art, food and culture to Reno and I feel they are succeeding. I also love the fact that all the proceeds from the classes are donated to St. Vincent’s right here in Reno.

My mother and sister attended the class with me and we enjoyed a fun night out. Chef Laboa has a restaurant in San Francisco called Farina that we hope to visit soon. If it is half as good as the dishes he prepared for us, we can’t go wrong.

Antipasti

Brandata di baccala con panissa alla savonese

Dry cod served in Savonese style fried chick pea polenta

300gr/10.5oz dry salt Cod

50gr/1.75oz white onion

1 Tbls Pinenuts

1 potato

1 bay leaf

approx. 1 C white wine

olive oil

Put a pot on the stove with water and bring to a simmer.

Rinse the salt cod in water.

Add the rinsed cod to the simmering water till softened.

In sauté pan on med high heat drizzle olive oil, add pine nuts, bay leaves, thinly sliced potato, white onion.

Once hot, deglaze with white wine, add the salt cod to the sauce pan cook low and slow 20 to 25 minutes (potato cooked till almost melted) covered.

Remove bay leaf, mix all in Quisinart until consistency of mashed potatoes, may need to add water if to dry to puree.

250gr/8.75oz chickpea flour

1 ltr water

pinch of salt

oil for frying

Bring water and salt to a boil, whisk in chickpea flour, cook 20/25 minutes medium high heat cooked to a consistency of polenta.

Swirl a little water around a bowl add cooked chickpea mixture, cover with plastic wrap place in refrigerator to cool.

Once cool, cut into “steakcut size French fries” approx. 2 ½” long ¼” thick.

Deep fry in oil, till crisp on outside and still soft inside.

Salt

To plate:

Form the Cod mixture into quenelles (football shaped) using two spoons.

Put 2 to 3 chickpea fries on a plate, place quenelle on top drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with fresh ground pepper garnish with a parsley leaf.

Primo Piatto

Testaroli della lunigina con fungi porcini

Genovese style crepe served with sautéed porcini mushrooms

Semolina flour 35%

OO flour 65%

Water (enough to make a crepe batter/thin pancake batter)

2 Tbls extra virgin olive oil

mix thoroughly in blender

Use 8” to 10” non-stick, oven safe pan.

Heat pan on stove top till very hot.

Pour batter into middle of pan, swirl around to create a thin crepe. It will be holey.

Once it begins to brown, finish in oven.

Crepes may be made in advance, just cover and refrigerate. To reheat, cut crepes into rustic shapes, 6 to 8 pieces per crepe, warm again by dipping in boiling salted water for a few seconds, do not try to re-warm with a dry heat.

fresh porcinis (if not available chantrelles work well also) thinly sliced approx. 4C

porcini powder 1 to 2 Tbls

whole garlic cloves 2 to 3

salt pinch

extra virgin olive oil

white wine approx.1 C

pepper

parsley  approx. 4 Tbls 

butter

parmesan cheese

In a sauté pan warm olive oil and garlic cloves.

Add mushrooms.

After mushrooms cook about halfway, add white wine, finely chopped parsley and porcini powder.

Remove garlic.

Warm sauté pan with olive oil and a bit of butter.

Drop rustic cut crepes to warm, sprinkle with parmesan cheese

To plate:

Place a couple pieces of crepe in bowl, add mushroom mixture on top.

Next week: Secondo Piatto and Dessert