Risotto Yellow Bell Peppers and Gorgonzola

In the lands of Risotto just about anything can turn into a delightful, creamy dish. I have not found recipes for Risotto with Yellow Bell Peppers and Gorgonzola. It was something I put together since a creamy Gorgonzola was in the fridge and Yellow and Red Bell Peppers were on sale. This is not to say that there are not recipes available, simply that I have never seen one. Much of our cooking happens like this. Traditional methods or recipes fall prey to “what do we have in the fridge” or “think about these flavors together.” I must confess that Stuffed Peppers is also on the brain and while most recipes will call for boiled rice instead of risotto I prefer to make a risotto with the ingredients and eliminate the egg holding the filling together.

Ingredients for 4 people

400 g (just under 1 lb) Arborio Rice
1 small Onion diced
½ stick (50 g) Butter
¼ lb (100 g) Gorgonzola
2 tbsp (50 g) Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 glass white wine
¼ Yellow Bell Pepper thinly sliced
1 qt. (1 liter) Beef Broth

Preparation

Melt 3 tbsp butter in a heavy pot over medium high heat. Add the diced onion to the pot and sweat the onions until transparent.

Add the rice. Stir the rice into the butter and onions coating the rice for about 1 minute. Pour the wine into the rice and stir quickly for 1 minute. Add 1 ladle of broth. When the broth begins to boil check the timer. It will now take 22 minutes to cook the rice. As the broth evaporates add another ladle of broth. Stir constantly the rice. Continue until the 10 minutes has passed.

Add the thinly sliced peppers and cook everything for an additional 10 minutes.

Add the Gorgonzola and cook for another 2 minutes stirring constantly. Turn off the heat. Stir in the remaining 1 tbsp of butter and the Parmesan cheese. Let rice sit for 1 minute (mantecare). Serve hot in individual plates.

Tags: Italian Recipes Gorgonzola Risotto Entrees Gourmet Foods Travel Italy



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Filetto al Gorgonzola – Filet with Gorgonzola

Simplicity and great, fresh ingredients are the elements to some of the best recipes. A beef or veal filet, seared on both sides in dark butter and a sauce made with Gorgonzola, chopped walnuts and gin. The sauce reduced just to the right consistency velvety smooth, rich in flavor and a perfect balance with the succulent filet. Food is an important part of our life. We discuss new recipes and old favorites after dinner. Comments about the wine, can it be consumed alone or does it need food. Was this wine perfect with the meal or would something else be more appropriate? The dinner table adorned with a meal of balanced flavors and wines that accentuate the tastes facilitates great conversation.

The Filet with Gorgonzola is a dish that has developed in recent years in the areas around Milan where both the Filet and Gorgonzola are local favorites. It is a simple but exclusive recipe because the Filet must be top shelf and cooked to perfection. It is the perfect dish for special occasions when you want to make your partner feel like they are the most important person in the world. This is the perfect for Valentine’s day, anniversaries or just to say, “you are the greatest!”

Great wines with Filet with Gorgonzola: Amarone, Barbaresco, Barolo or Nebbiolo based Piemonte wines. John the Baptist of Italian wines suggests La Scolca Pinot Noir from Lombardia.

Ingredients:

4 ¼ lbs Beef or Veal Filets
½ stick (50 g) unsalted Butter
3 tbsp Gin
½ cup (50 g) chopped Walnuts
1 cup (100 dl) Heavy Cream
¼ lbs (100 g) Gorgonzola (crumbled)
4 tbsp Port
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.

Use a large frying pan or skillet. It is imperative that the meat sit evenly on the surface. Add the butter and a few turns of fresh cracked pepper. If your grinder can change the grind use a slightly larger grind. Over Medium low heat sauté the butter until it turns nut brown.

Turn the heat to medium high. Place the filets in the skillet and sear on each side for 2 minutes (this will be rare), about 3 ½ minutes for Medium-rare.

Move the filets to a baking pan. Sprinkle the filets with gin, salt and pepper and flame. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the warm oven.

Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium low. Add the chopped Walnuts, the Heavy Cream and the crumbled Gorgonzola to the skillet. Stir together well.

While stirring add the port. Continue stirring until the sauce is reduced.

To serve, place the Filet directly on the plate. Dribble a bit of sauce on the meat and place a dollop of sauce on the side of plate.


Tags: Gourmet Foods Veal Beef Entree Gorgonzola Lombardia Milan Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Ravioli with Gorgonzola Mascarpone and Walnuts

Delicate, yet savory, structured yet light, Ravioli with a Gorgonzola, Mascarpone and Walnut sauce is simple dish that will impress your most demanding guest. This dish has its origins in the 1300s and is still served today in the annual festivities of Narni. Narni is located close to Rome and because of its strategic position it was conquered several times over the centuries as the various invaders laid siege to Rome.

This influenced the traditional plates of the area particularly introducing Gorgonzola, a cheese with origins in Milan, into the sauce. There is a version that uses the Ravioli di Magro or filled with ricotta and spinach but there is also a version that adds ground walnut into the filling.

The true diva of this recipe is the sauce. Instead of ravioli, try tortellini, pennette, bowtie, or penne pasta.

Ingredients for 4 people:

Pasta
400 g. Ravioli, tortellini, pennette, penne, bowties, or other short pasta.

Sauce
5 ¼ oz (150 g.) Gorgonzola
3 ¼ oz (90 g.) Mascarpone
3 ¼ oz (90 g.) Parmesan Cheese grated
5 ¼ oz (150 g.) - by weight not by volume - shelled walnuts

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 3 tablespoons of medium sized salt. If using dried pasta such as penne then begin cooking the penne in abundant salted boiling water. It will take somewhere between 7-11 minutes (check the box). If using fresh pasta such as ravioli or tortellini place the pasta in the water once you have chopped the Walnuts as they will take about 3-4 minutes.

Finely chop the walnuts. In a mixing bowl, stir together the Gorgonzola, Mascarpone and Parmesan cheese. Once melted add 6 tablespoons of the hot pasta water and stir in the walnuts. The hot water will bring everything together. If the Gorgonzola does not meld with the other cheeses add one tablespoon of hot water at a time. Be sure not to dilute the cheese sauce too much.

Strain the pasta, pour the pasta into the sauce and stir delicately then place directly into the dinner plates and serve immediately.

Tags: Food and Wine Recipes Travel Ravioli Italy

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Gorgonzola – Sweet or Spicy, always a lady

The perfume permeates the air and conjures memories of that soft, voluptuous texture. A warm, persistent and satisfying embrace, velvety smooth and a distinct personality that accentuates instead of dominating. With age, the creamy white color becomes slightly darker, the supple texture transforms ever so slightly, perhaps dryer but sensual just the same, a more distinct personality arises still complimentary but less yielding. This could be the description of a beautiful woman but I am talking about Gorgonzola cheese.

I lived in Milan when I first arrived in Italy. I had seen fog before, in the early morning hovering just over the water but not expanding past the banks, on the Chattahoochee river during our 5 day tubing trips in the summer. Fog is prevalent in the early winter in Lombardia and I was fascinated. I would take the metro out to a little town called Gorgonzola outside the city at about 8:00 in the evening. The fog was so dense you could not see your outstretched hand. I felt like I was wrapped in an immense blanket.

Little did I know that I was in the reputed birthplace of a marvelous cheese. This is an antique cheese. The most reliable story indicates that it was first produced in 879 AD in the small town of Gorgonzola. Then it was called “Stracchino di Gorgonzola”. Over the years it became a synonym for Stracchino Verde, green aged cheese. It is thought that the method of production was brought back from the pre-Alps area when the herds returned to the flatlands after a summer in the cooler mountain regions.

Gorgonzola is produced widely in Lombardia and Piemonte but the largest quantities are produced in the town of Gorgonzola. Law dictates both the method and geography of production guaranteeing a certain uniformity of quality and taste. Gorgonzola is a favorite in England, Germany and France. The English prefer the sweet Gorgonzola while the French and Germans prefer the spicy Gorgonzola. The sweet Gorgonzola is young, soft, creamy and the green mold is less developed while the spicy Gorgonzola is aged, compact, with a distinct spicy flavor from the more developed green mold.

The US is quickly becoming one of the major markets for Gorgonzola with 350 tons sold in 2003. Unfortunately only the best stores have both the sweet and spicy versions. Most stores will have the spicy Gorgonzola because it has a longer shelf life. I prefer the sweet version of Gorgonzola, both as a standalone dish and for sauces and risotto. I would only use the spicy for salads.

As a standalone try the sweet Gorgonzola on a plate with a bit of honey on the side and fresh bread and a medium structured wine such as a Chianti or Rosso di Montalcino. The spicy Gorgonzola requires a more structured wine. In this case, Barbaresco, Barolo, or Brunello di Montalcino are appropriate.

Raffaella does many dishes with Gorgonzola; one of my favorites is Ravioli a Gorgonzola e Noci, or Ravioli with Gorgonzola and Walnuts.

The Consortium of Gorgonzola Producers will be present at the Fancy Food Tradeshow in New York from the 9th to the 11th of July, 2006.

Tags: Cheese Milan Gorganzola Food and Wine Lombardia Italy

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