Osso Bucco Italian Recipe

Entrée Italian Osso Bucco-Recipe
By Shauna Hanus

Osso Bucco

3 ½ to 4 lbs veal shanks ( I serve one shank per person. If the cost is high you can cook down the meat and separate it from the bone.)

¼ Cup all-purpose flour

2 Tbs olive oil

2 oz diced salt pork

¼ Cup butter, melted

½ lb diced and peeled onions

1 large clove garlic, mashed

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

2 bay leaves, remove before serving

¾ Cup dry white wine

2 Tbs finely chopped carrot

½ stalk celery minced

8 to 10 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped fine

1 Cup canned chopped tomatoes (I have used fresh tomatoes, but I find that the canned are constantly good in taste and the liquid is always welcomed in the sauce)

1 Tbs tomato paste

½ Cup warm water

Dredge the veal in flour and shake off any excess. Heat olive oil, salt pork and butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Add the onion and brown. When the onions are browned add the veal and garlic. Brown on all sides for about 8 to 10 minutes. Add, rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir and brown for about for about 10 minutes longer. Add bay leaves, wine, carrot, celery, parsley, and tomatoes. Stir tomato paste with the warm water until well blended and then add that to the mixture. Stir and simmer covered for about 40 minutes. ( I tend to let this simmer longer on my stove. This serves two purposes, one makes the meat extremely tender and two fills the house with wonderful aromas.)

Serve over Ravioli ( I use fresh over sized store bought ravioli. I have made my own, but I find that the store bought is good quality and much simpler. If you would like a recipe for homemade ravioli please send a request to recipes@gourmayeats.com)

Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet recipes. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. http://www.gourmayeats.com

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Italy

Italy
By Susanne Pacher

Italy is an extremely diverse country and one of my favourites. It has a fascinating history, going back to the ancient Romans and beyond and was a cultural powerhouse during the Renaissance period. It is truly one of the cradles of Western civilization.

Rome is the "Eternal City": Today a hustling and bustling overcrowded metropolis, it was the hub of Ancient Rome, the capital of an enormous and powerful empire. Today one can admire many relicts from Roman times: the Roman Forum (Foro Romano), the Colosseum and the Pantheon, among many others, are witnesses to a highly refined culture that existed more than 2000 years ago. A visit to the Vatican also underscores the uniqueness of this city. Outside of Rome there is just so much to discover.

Florence comes to mind immediately, one of the primary tourist destinations. Florence is the capital of Tuscany and known for its many sights: the Duomo (the Cathedral of Santa Maria de Fiore), the Uffizi, the Ponte Vecchio, Michelangelo's David, and many more. You can also enjoy the quieter villages and serene landscapes in the interior of Italy, with Tuscany as one of the preferred destinations for interior travel. A favourite Tuscan location is San Gimignano, fabled for its many historic towers.

The word Venice immediately evokes romantic notions of canals, the Piazza San Marco and the Doge's Palace, the Rialto Bridge, and of course the gondolieri. There are many other cities and towns to explore. Milan, for instance, is Italy’s fashion capital and has stunning architecture to admire. The old city of Verona is the setting for Romeo and Juliet. Genova is an important harbour city on the Ligurian coast. The glamorous coast along the Italian Riviera around San Remo and Imperia has attracted many Hollywood celebrities. Many other famous historic towns are located in the north: Bologna, Siena, Padova, Vicenza, Trieste.

In the south there are cities such as Naples, Cosenza, Salerno, Sorrento and many more that let you explore Southern Italian hospitality. The eastern side of the boot-shaped Italian peninsula is generally quieter than the western side and cities such as Ancona, Pescara, Bari and Brindisi and their surrounding areas have their own charm. Historic sites in the south include the ancient cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii that were destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 79 A.D. Needless to say, geologists are going to be interested in seeing the still active volcanoes Etna and Vesuvius. Italy’s landscape is truly stunning.

The Italian Alps with the limestone spires of the Dolomites are simply majestic, and the famous lakes such as Lago Maggiore, Lago di Como, Lago di Garda, Lago di Iseo are blue jewels embedded in green mountains and hills. Hiking, mountain biking, skiing and windsurfing are favourite acitivites in the north of Italy.

Naturally, Italian cuisine and wine are appreciated the world over and a trip to Italy can become a venerable feast for the senses. Some of the most visually stunning scenery can be found just south of the Bay of Naples, along the Amalfi coast and the island of Capri. The islands of Sardinia and Sicily, reputedly the birthplace of the Mafia, glisten like gems in the Mediterranean.

There are just too many places to mention, Italy is simply a fabulous place to visit. Check out some of the links below and dream about all these beautiful far-away places.

Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions(http://www.travelandtransitions.com). Travel and Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers and travel experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and many other features. You will also find stories about life and the transitions that we face as we go through our own personal life-long journeys.

Submit your own travel stories in our first travel story contest(http://www.travelandtransitions.com/contests.htm) and have a chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the Amazon River.

"Life is a Journey ­ Explore New Horizons".

The interview with photos is published at Travel and Transitions - Interviews

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map of sicily

Luxury Cruises On The Mediterranean Including Sicily

A classic Mediterranean cruise visits major port cities located on the northern shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the countries of Spain, France, Italy, Monaco, Greece and Turkey and the islands of Malta, Crete and Sicily. Some cruises also include stops in Egypt. The Mediterranean cruise season is April to November when the weather is generally sunny and mild. Many cruise lines sail the Mediterranean and while there is most likely a cruise that appeals to any style and budget, we’ll focus on luxury cruises here.
Radisson Seven Seas is a luxury carrier in the small cruise line category. As such, a small number of passengers (only 198 to 700 based on individual ship capacity) are treated to personal service by a cruise line that has been selected by Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure to be the “World’s Best Small Cruise Line”. Radisson Seven Seas appeals to the sophisticated traveler. Based upon service, quality dining, upscale accommodations, and service, Radisson Seven Seas has earned a six-star rating. The cruise line’s special accommodations include two 700 passenger all-balcony suites ships, Seven Seas Voyager and Seven Seas Mariner, and one 490 passenger all-suites ship, Seven Seas Navigator. The Radisson Diamond is another unique ship due to its twin hull design. The Radisson Diamond carries 350 guests in luxury.
The Seven Seas Voyager and the Radisson Diamond routinely cruise the Mediterranean Sea, departing from or terminating at ports such as Rome, Venice, Athens, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and Istanbul normally for a 7-night cruise. These cruises stop at some of the most famous European cities that occur between the start and end points such as Florence, Italy; Marseilles, France; St. Tropez, France; Dubrovnik, Croatia; the island of Sicily; and others.
Crystal Cruises is another award-winning six-star cruise line. A reader’s poll by Travel + Leisure magazine named Crystal “World’s Best” in cruise line service. Conde Nast Traveler magazine has awarded Crystal “Best Large-Ship Cruise Line” while Travel + Leisure called Crystal the “World’s Best Large - Ship Cruise Line”, both titles being given for the past nine years. Crystal Cruises boasts “extraordinary cuisine” coupled with impeccable service.
Crystal offers a large number of 7- to 12-night Mediterranean cruises, many with romantic overtones. For example, the Renaissance Reflection cruise originates in Lisbon and stops in Barcelona, Cannes and Monte Carlo. The Italian Treasures cruise spends seven nights on the west coast of Italy. The Path of the Phoenicians is a twelve-night odyssey from Athens to Istanbul followed by stops at the historically famous Greek islands of Kusadasi, Rhodes, and Santorini before terminating at Venice.
The Yachts of Seabourn cruise line advertises that they provide “Ultra Luxury” by “delivering the highest levels of personalized service to an exclusive group of guests aboard intimate, elegant ships that could visit the most enticing destinations worldwide.” Seabourn sails three identical all-suite ships that cater to only 208 passengers each. Of course, dining and service is world-class.
Seabourn offers longer, leisurely cruises that can explore a small or unique area in-depth. For example, the 17-day Spring Time in Spain cruise originates in Lisbon, Portugal, stops at six Spanish ports plus ports in Monaco, France and the Balearic Islands. Many of the stops were selected due to the availability of golf courses. The 16-day Mediterranean Odyssey II begins at Istanbul; spends six days at Greek ports, four days at Italian ports along with several days at sea before terminating at Lisbon. The 7-day Capitals of Antiquity cruise begins at Cairo, Egypt; tours the historic Greek islands of Rhodes, Mykonos, and Kusadasi before terminating at Istanbul.
If luxury is your objective, there are a large number of out of the ordinary Mediterranean cruises to choose from beyond those discussed here.

Looking for information about cruises?
Go to: http://www.whatcruises.com
'What Cruises' is published by Colin Hartness -
An excellent resource for Cruises!
Check out more cruise articles at: http://www.whatcruises.com/archive

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Spaghetti with Lentils and Vegetables

4-5 Servings
Steps
1.First you get a pot
2. Next step is to add water, Lentils, beans,diced tomatoes, diced onions,
oil,salt and pepper.-All in at once.
3. Cook for about an hour. Until the lentils are cooked.
4. Then add Broccoli.
5. After the broccoli is cooked, add spaghetti.
6. After the spaghetti is cooked. Takes about 15 minutes.
The soup is ready to be served.

Measurements
Lentils- one cup
Beans- one cup
tomatoes- 2
onions-small amount
oil- 1 tbl spoon
salt- 2 tbl spoon
pepper-half a tea spoon
broccoli-1
spaghetti-half a pound.

Sicily's Great Eggplant - Tomato Stew

I ran into a friend yesterday, who tells me that he should be harvesting eggplants from his garden any day now. Of course, this got me thinking about Caponata, the famous Sicilian eggplant and tomato stew.
This is a terrific 'contorno', vegetable course, and also a great topping for 'bruschetta', Tuscany’s grilled bread. Of course it's one of the quintessential Italian antipasti too. And when you can walk into your own garden and harvest the vegetables to put it together, Caponata becomes all the more magical.
Italians have a particular fondness for 'le primizie', the smallest of the first crop of vegetables. So if you have access to a garden—either your own or a friend's—or if you can get to a farm stand, now is the time for you to be thinking about caponata too.
The recipe below is excerpted from my first cookbook, "La Cucina dei Poveri."
My Grandmother's Caponata
When the garden was in full swing during the summer, Noonie (my grandmother) would harvest—well, more accurately, she would direct Pop (my grandfather) to harvest some eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers for this delicious antipasto that she referred to as 'Caponatina. My recollections fail as to how she served it, but I’m betting that it was over a piece of Italian bread that Pop had fried in olive oil.
Nowadays, I serve it over bruschetta made from some good Tuscan bread which—I’m happy to report—seems to be turning up more and more frequently at supermarket bakeries.
Ingredients:

4 Tbs. Olive oil
2 Cloves garlic, peeled, and thinly sliced
1 Medium onion, peeled, and chopped
1 Medium eggplant (approximately 1 1/4 Lb.) cut into 1 inch cubes
2 Medium bell peppers
1/4 Lb. Green olives, pits removed
1 Tbs. Capers
1 Cup Italian plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/4 Cup sugar
1/4Cup red wine vinegar
1/2 Cup raisins
2 Tbs. Fresh mint, chopped
1/4 tsp. Red pepper flakes

Preparation:
Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat, then add the garlic. Sauté until the garlic just begins to give off its aroma—perhaps a minute or two. Add the onion and sauté for about five minutes, until it becomes translucent.
Add the eggplant and sauté for about five minutes or until it begins to soften, but still has plenty of texture. Add the peppers, olives, and capers and sauté until the peppers become tender. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking to incorporate the tomatoes with the other ingredients and to begin to form a sauce.
Add the sugar, spreading it evenly over the pan, then the vinegar, raisins, mint, and red pepper flakes. Stir well to blend all the ingredients, then remove from the heat.
Italians typically serve Caponata at room temperature.
Serves four to six.
About The Author
Skip Lombardi is the author of two cookbooks: "La Cucina dei Poveri: Recipes from my Sicilian Grandparents," and "Almost Italian: Recipes from America's Little Italys." He has been a Broadway musician, high-school math teacher, software engineer, and a fledgeling blogger. But he has never let any of those pursuits get in the way of his passion for cooking and eating. Visit his Web site to learn more about his cookbooks. http://www.skiplombardi.com or contact Mr. Lombardi at
info@skiplombardi.com
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Sicily Italy