The Vivaldi Pasta Concerto Finale

We celebrated the arrival of the Winter Solstice with the last recipe from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Pastas: L’Inverno from The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook. Folks, this one is worth making! The cheese makes a very creamy and delicious sauce. Add a tossed salad and a glass of Cabernet and you will be in heaven!

Here's L'Inverno!

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1½ cups large walnut pieces

1 pound St. André cheese, rind removed, cheese cut into irregular pieces

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley

8 ounces thinly sliced Parma ham, shredded

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon best-quality olive oil (next time I'll use only ¾ cup)

4 quarts water

1 pound dried linguine (I used spaghetti)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Combine the garlic, walnuts, St. André, parsley, ham, ½ teaspoon of the salt, pepper, and oil in a large serving bowl. Let stand at room temperature at least 4 hours.

2. Just before serving, heat the water to boiling in a large pan. Add 1 tablespoon oil and the remaining 1½ teaspoons salt. Add the pasta and boil until tender but still firm, 8-10 minutes.

3. Drain the pasta and immediately toss with the walnut sauce. Serve immediately. Pass the peppermill and Parmesan cheese.

4 portions

Autumn Pasta Concerto

In my opinion, besides fresh apples, there's no better reason to welcome fall than to enjoy this pasta dish, part of Vivaldi's Four Seasons pasta dishes, from the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook.

Here's L’Autunno:

¾ cup best-quality olive oil
15 cloves garlic, 6 minced and 9 cut into thin slivers
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, or 1½ teaspoons dried
¾ cup dried apricots, cut into slivers
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 pound linguine (I used spaghetti)
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
1-2 tablespoons grated Parmesan (my own addition)

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced and slivered garlic and sauté until just browned.
2. Stir in the white wine. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the rosemary and apricots. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes longer.
3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until tender but still firm; drain.
4. Place the pasta, sauce and parsley in a serving bowl and toss to coat. Sprinkle cheese. Serve immediately.
4 to 6 portions 

Simple and Fresh, As Summer Ought to Be

This is the second pasta dish of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, from the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook.  It is easy and light, encouraging us to pluck the cherry tomatoes off the bush in the backyard, and use up some of the basil growing wantonly next to it.

Ladies and Gentlemen, L'Estate:

2 cups fresh basil leaves
5 ounces Parmesan cheese (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)
¾ cup pine nuts (pignoli), lightly toasted
6 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
2½ cups extra virgin olive oil (I only used ½ cup)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound linguine (I used spaghetti)
Cherry tomato halves, or tomato wedges

1. Combine the basil, Parmesan, pine nuts and garlic in a medium-size bowl. Pour the olive oil over it all. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature for three hours.
2. Cook the linguine (or spaghetti) in boiling salted water until tender but still firm. Drain and toss immediately with the sauce. Place in a large serving platter and arrange the tomatoes around the edge.
4 portions

Cooking Inspired by Vivaldi

For the Instrumental Solo Festival during my high school years, I chose to play the 1st Movement of Vivaldi's Concerto in A Minor, where, much to my astonishment, I received a “Superior” rating.  Since then, Vivaldi has held a special place in my heart.  So, when I saw the Four Seasons Pasta recipes in the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook, a book that was published in the 80s, I knew that, sooner or later, I'd have to try making them all.  But, as so frequently happens, life gets in the way, and I never got around to it.  Until now.  This is it.  This is the year!

Here's La Primavera . . .

Here's the recipe:

2 quarts water

1 lemon, cut in half

1 lb. medium-size shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 pound bay scallops (I used sea scallops)

8 oz. Nova Scotia smoked salmon, thinly sliced and shredded into 2-inch pieces

2 cups mild olive oil

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup diced ripe tomatoes

½ cup chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Salt, to taste

1 pound linguine

1.  Heat the water and lemon halves in a large saucepan over medium heat to boiling.  Reduce the heat and add the shrimp.  Simmer for 1 minute.  Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon and cool under running water.  Pat dry and place in a large bowl.

2.  Cook the scallops in the simmering water for 1 minute.  Drain and cool under cold running water.  Pat dry and add to the shrimp.

3.  Combine the oil, lemon juice, tomatoes, dill, shallots, and pepper in a separate bowl.  Pour over the seafood and toss gently to combine.  Let stand covered at room temperature for 1 hour, or in the refrigerator up to 12 hours (warm to room temperature before serving).

4.  Cook the linguine in boiling salted water until tender but still firm.  Drain and toss immediately with the seafood sauce,

6 portions

The salmon, lemon and dill made for a not-so-Italian flavor profile, but it was delicious just the same.  I wish I had taken the time to find the bay scallops, they would've provided a more delicate, seasonal touch.  Then again, would Vivaldi have been able to find those tiny scallops while working in Venice?  I've also discovered that my husband doesn't care for linguine, he prefers a thinner pasta, so the next three recipes will be prepared using good ol' spaghetti instead.

Concert at Cantigny Park

We visited Cantigny Park on their French Connection weekend, and were treated to a lovely concert of music with a French flair, including greats like Edith Piaf "La vie en rose" and "Non, je ne regrette rien."  There was some Charles Aznavour songs, too, another favorite of mine.  Perfect music to enjoy with friends on a pique-nique under the stars.

And here we are.  We, too, non regrettons rien.

A Picnic at Ravinia

Highland Park, a northeast suburb of Chicago, hosts the Ravinia Music Festival every summer. The program has something for everyone, including Jazz, Blues, Classical, Bluegrass, Latin . . . You name it, and there will be at least one outdoor performance every summer. They have a pavilion where you can get close to the performance, but most people opt to picnic on its vast lawns and enjoy the music being broadcast over strategically placed speakers. We usually enjoy two or three performances every summer.

We have been picnicking for a while now, and have slowly acquired the equipment to make it fun and easy. Like this table, which can be collapsed and carried over the shoulder, or our super comfy, heavy-duty camping chairs. We minimize paper and plastic whenever possible, to reduce the burden to the park, by bringing real tableware. We always try to leave our area as clean as we found it, or even a little more so, in gratitude to all the park has given us.

We like laying a tarp under the tables and chairs to avoid wet grass, and the accompanying mosquitoes, and our handy Ravinia wagon helps us pull all our packages easily.

I’ve made this salad so many times (by popular demand), that we’ve officially named it Ravinia Salad. It consists of orzo pasta, with chicken, carrots, roasted red peppers and capers, tossed with a white balsamic vinaigrette. It’s so good!

Then, for dessert, Natilla — homemade Vanilla Pudding, packed in small canning jars, which transport very easily, with chocolate Pirouettes.

We usually go with one or two other couples, and try to get there early to stake out "our spot," not too far from the restrooms, the trash cans, the back entrance, and still within a close distance to the stage.  

Then we eat, and by the time the music starts, we are wrapping up dessert and savoring a cup of coffee, or lingering over a glass of wine.  

Then, the lights dim, the park gets quiet, and we can enjoy the glorious music.  This is indeed, one of the highlights of our summer.