We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
It's complicated. "Scampi" means a large prawn-thing in Italian, so the American menu item "Shrimp Scampi" sort of means "Shrimp Shrimp."
I've had scampi in Italy. They are not really a large shrimp, but more like a crayfish. They will put one on top of a seafood risotto as a garnish. You only eat the little tail but it is almost impossible to get it out so I tend to give up on that.
Shrimp Scampi is an American menu item, not Italian. It means Shrimp cooked the way Italians cook their crayfish-things - butter, oil, garlic, alone on a plate with parsley on top. In the US, it's typically served made with American shrimp on a pile of pasta as a main course. I know that I am annoying about these things, but that ain't Italian. Not too bad though. Italians do not make pasta as a main course. Italians tend to be skinny.
Yeah, their lunch is our dinner. Their evening meal is spartan, like some soup. True, they often nap after their midday meal and close up shop for a couple of hours.
The best real Italian meals I've had were in Volterra. We have not been to Bologna yet, though. The big tourist places tend to make stuff that Americans and Asians think is Italian - like red sauce. Wrong.
And, because of my mood today, I'll be more annoying: Pizza in Italy is awful. For good pizza, go to NYC or New Haven. Yeah, it's junk food but fun with beer. I have a favorite pizza + beer joint in NYC, near the High Line in Chelsea. It's called Artichoke.
Readers know that I love stinky cheese. Sure, blue cheeses can be stinky but I'm talking about non-blues. For example, Stilton is delicious especially with some Port, but not stinky in my view.
The stinkiest cheese I've ever had was in southern France 18 months ago. At the end of a remarkable meal the Cheese Master came by with his cheese cart. Mrs. BD pointed out to him that I like stinky. He gave me a few small chunks of this and that, then a gooey spoonful of one. He gave me a look like "I dare you."
It smelled like a mix of aged road kill and aged wet dirty socks, a real adventure for the palate. It might have been Epoisses (Napoleon was a huge fan of Epoisses, which was once considered "The King of Cheeses") but I'm not sure. Seemed like that cheese guy was impressed with me because I got a kick out of it.
Boiled meat with onions is of course an ancient food. Now we know how to make it better, especially by adding more interesting flavorings along with the onions. Another thing we know about cooking tough meat (chuck, round, brisket) is that a low simmer is better than boiling.
I like to cook it in our slow-cooker, on low. Yes, it takes hours total but you get plenty of intermission time to get other things done.
My French chef friend learned how to make it in Paris. Yeah. Not all French food is complicated.
Meat loaf and mashed taters, and maybe some steamed summer squash on the side. Meat loaf needs gravy or its juices, on top.
At the Maggie's HQ, we make meat loaf the Italian way:Italian Meat Loaf Recipe. Italian-style meat loaf usually has a dash of nutmeg and/or allspice in the recipe, but that particular one does not. I do not think they make this in Italy. Maybe it's a modified meat-ball recipe, but they don't eat meatballs in Italy either. (Nor do Swedes cook Swedish Meatballs.)
Best thing about meat loaf? Meat loaf sandwiches the next day or two. White bread only, plenty of mayo.
Mrs. BD has been whipping up an onion Focaccia to go with Sunday Chili. Some other things too, including a mortadella canape thing that Marcella liked, with cornichons.
Yes, I prefer cornbread with barbecue, but focaccia is good with Texas Chile. My main job was to slice onions very thin on the mandolin which is the only instrument I can play.
Like all breads, focaccia takes a while. If you do the bake part on a stone thing, you get the good burnt bottom. Best with lots of kosher salt on top.
It seems like it was the origin of pizza. Romans, Greeks, etc made this simple bread and put various toppings on it with olive oil - rosemary, garlic, onions, cheese, mushrooms - whatever. Of course, they had no tomatoes but when they got them in the 1600s they loved them, in my view, too much.
No matter where you live in the US, Chili is a basic warming winter supper. Always good for lunch too on a ski slope with a cold beer or two.
Chili is like barbecue: every region and every locale has developed its own favorite version. Up here in Yankeeland, it's usually made with ground beef and lots of beans. It's OK, not great. Something like this recipe. That's what moms and dads here make.
That's OK after a morning of skiing, but that is a pic of a real Texas Chili: no beans and no ground beef. 3/4 of a cup of hot chili powder?!? Well, I did that. Unless your Mom was a Texan or a Mezzican-American, you probably never had it like that. Stewed meat in tomato, garlic and hot pepper sauce, hot and spicy as hell - or as spicy as you decide to make it.
Got a deer on hand? Venison is as good, or better, than beef. Use your least-desirable cuts because it tenderizes during 7 hrs. in the crock pot. Best to kill the deer first too, if you know how to do it. Bow, spear, or AR-15. Who cares?
You can put the pure-meat version on rice if you need to. Never on brown rice. My rule of thumb: Nothing on brown rice. It took the Asians thousands of years to make rice white, so why go backwards? At Maggie's HQ we use Costco's tasty Basmati but there is nothing wrong with Uncle Ben's.
People make a meal of it, with salad, but it's also a darn good side with roast beef.
A little truffle oil makes for an upscale Mac and Cheese. I had that once in a very fancy restaurant, baked in individual pottery ramekin/mugs with shaved truffle on top. Quite effete and entirely edible.
An Italian peasant dish, fully functional for any small game the hunter - the cacciatore - brings home in his bag - fowl, rabbit, squirrel. I made it with pheasant a few nights ago and the family loved it.
My Mom never heard of it, but I had a friend whose Mom cooked it. Adventurous for a New England Yankee Mom.
We serve it on rice, egg noodles, or pappardelle.
Like all such things, it's better the second day.
Regarding this pretty-good recipe - Chicken Cacciatore - I can report that it is darn good with the capers. An alternative to the capers would be wild mushrooms, but not both. Definitely add some hot pepper flakes. Don't simmer for 1/2 hr - simmer for 60 minutes to fully mix the flavors while you give the baby a bath.
I sometimes cheat by sauteeing the chopped vegatables, then adding them to marinara sauce from the supermarket. It works darn well with the rest of the ingedients.
The USA has countless burger joints, not including the big chains. God knows how many burgers I have had.
Louis' Lunch in New Haven claims to be the first burger joint - the hamburger sandwich, still on white toast because it started before burger buns in 1895.
Mrs. BD did a raod trip with her pal a year or two ago, and both swear that the best burger they have had in life were at Ed's in Hattiesburg. They swear it's worth a trip.
I like thinner burgers that you can fit in your mouth. Smashed and crispy. That means it's hard to cook them med. rare, but whatever. Gotta be a skillet, not a barbie.
Fun to make if you have the time. I need it for a big beef (boeuf?) Bourguignon tonite. Mrs. BD does not approve of watery supermarket beef broth.
I start with a bunch of bones (oxtail and whatever else cheap they have with bones in, esp bones with marrow, and a little meat on them too) from the supermarket, and roast them until pleasantly browned. Venison fine too if you have the bones. Roasted bones are what make a good broth but they have to be cut or cracked.
Throw them into a big pot with about a bucket of water, a quartered unpeeled onion, a quartered unpeeled carrot, a couple of garlic cloves, some parsley and thyme, maybe one stick of celery, a bunch of pepper and salt, and simmer on low around 4 or more hours. A French chef friend recommends 8 hrs but come on.
Strain it out, and there you go. When it's cooled, it is gelatinous. Even a dumb guy can do it. Sure, you can freeze any extra. It is a base for all sorts of good things.
My Mom used to make this when we were young. She'd never had any real Italian food in her life at that point except spaghetti and meatballs (not Italian either); she thought Tetrazzine was an Italian dish.
A pal of mine cooks a big dinner of venison Stroganoff for friends each late winter because it is such a good use of his venison scraps, shoulder, etc. He probably makes a gallon of it, then served on pappardelle. The thin strips are tender.
Moms show their love for their families by cooking, especially those gooey, bland, rib-sticking comfort foods in the winter. They make everybody feel loved, and they're all in Fanny Farmer's cookbook if you have one around.
Mommys of America winter foods are cheap and easy to make. Cheaper than McDonald's, but probably less "healthy" than McDonald's. Whatever "healthy" means.
Here's a classic Mommys of America dish, Creamed Chicken with Peas, best (I think) on top of white rice but it works on toast, mashed taters, and egg noodles. Lots of ground pepper on top.
For one extra Mom point, serve it on Basmati rice. For two extra points, on a brioche. For three extra Mom points, use the pheasant Dad shot instead of chicken because she deserves it for marrying a guy who goes out and shoots the family's food.
Got any favorite Mommys of America dishes? This is first of a sentimental, anti-gourmet, re-posted series.
Having been raised a New England Yankee, I was raised on lots of Clam Chowder. On Cape Cod, we kids would be sent out with a clam rake and a couple of buckets, and return covered with mud with buckets of big quahogs. I've had lots of good Clam Chowders, and a few which were inedible. The best Cod Chowder I've had was on Grand Manan Island. Forgot to get their recipe, but it was thick.
I suspect that CHAUDRON, CHAUDRÉE, CAULDRON, CHOWDER - and Chowda - are the same word. Technically, it seems to mean a seafood soup or stew which includes potatoes and some cream or milk.
Mrs. BD recently made a chowder with haddock - a Frenchy version - Seafood Chowder. She included chunks of lobster.
Yes, I love Black Bean Soup. I used to dump it on a pile of (white) rice, but now I like a glob of mashed taters in the middle of the bowl.
Everybody has their own recipe, but I just wing it. What's wrong with this recipe is that it's too low on the beans and garlic, and has no jalapenos. Furthermore, I prefer to just mash a bunch of the beans and leave some intact. I think of it as a meal more than a soup.
Oh, also, I can't eat cilantro. Most can, but not me.
I forgot to mention Caviar Pie in my authoritative American caviar post. This decadent concoction is perfect for a brunch, hors d'oevres, or munchies.
Some caterers make Caviar Pie which looks perfect, round, and daintily-finished, but the ones I've had at fancy New Year's Day cocktail brunches look a little raggedy, as in this photo. They don't have to look good because as soon as they are attacked by people armed with cheese knives or crackers it's messy anyway.
You scoop a piece out and put it on toasts, or bagel chips, or whatever. It goes fast.
As usual, one uses the most expensive caviar one can afford - or not afford.
Chopped red onion is key. Here's one recipe, but you can google for more. It's a real meal too if you want, with a glass of champagne. The height of decadence.
My annual Christmas present for my Dad used to be a tin from Petrossian. Worth every penny for the delight it provides.
Around the HQ, we stick with the un-Yankee, Southern Italian/Sicilian Christmas Eve fast, which means seafood. In past years, I have had the real 7 Fishes with fried baccala, steamed mussels, scungilli, etc etc. A wonderful fish feast which it would be a stretch to term "fasting." The Catholics are very clever with their concept of fasting.
The best-known Sicilian Primi is Pasta Con Sardi - pasta with anchovies (ie small sardines) - what I term Pasta With Minnows aka Pasta with Bait.
What is an "anchovy"? Never, ever use those tinned brown over-salted anchovies that they put on cheap pizzas. Disgusting stuff, cat food for a cat you hate. If you can't get fresh anchovies (they are white) at your local fish market, use the canned white anchovies in olive oil. Tasty. Good Italian markets have good fresh or oiled white anchovy filets.
Here's the recipe. Yes, to be authentic it needs the breadcrumbs. And here's another Vigilia favorite: Fried Baccala Balls. I've also had these with mashed potato in the cod mix to hold it all together. Nothing is more delicious.
Traditionally, you have to have Struffoli for dessert even though I find it inedible.
Truth is, in recent years we just make poached salmon with yogurt-dill sauce, to be ready to serve at room temp. after getting home from church.
Over the years Mrs. BD has found the recipe for the best-ever meatloaf. Sorry - I don't have the recipe right now, but I know it includes ground pork, lamb, and beef, plus of course mashed on the side. It's the lamb, I feel, that makes it so tasty and crunchy on the edges. Excellent for a sammich later, too.
I was reminded of Lamb Burgers by the menu of a popular midtown Manhattan Irish pub, Connolly's, on 47th St. Irish (not entirely) pub menu. Since our neighborhood Scots/Irish pub closed this year due to crazy rent, we need something like that once in a while. Yeah, a good Shepherd's Pie can be nice but I've had some disappointing ones. Mrs. makes an excellent one.
Everybody on this planet seems to like a burger, but a lamb burger is less routine and has more flavor: Lamb Burger. I like tomato slices and red onion slices on the side with any burger. Fries (aka chips) of course.
Off-topic, in Scotland they will serve mutton as "lamb". Trust me - it's mutton but you could call it "older lamb." There's an English insult, "Mutton dressed as lamb." Know what it means?
Thanks to Squanto, the Pilgrims had a decent harvest of corn and squash (pumpkins mostly, I think) in the autumn of 1621. Also, thanks to Squanto, the friendly neighboring Wampanoags visited bearing venision. Indians likely outnumbered the English at this feast day.
It seems Turkey, roasted pumpkin, mussels, eels, cod, roasted or stewed venison, corn meal mush, and maybe lobster were on the menu: First Thanksgiving Meal.
There seem not to have been a lot of oysters nearby (maybe the Indians ate them all), but plenty of Cod. Ever heard of Cape Cod Turkey?
They had to learn to fish and how to plant. They had no milk (no livestock on Mayflower unless you count the 2 dogs), and any sugar or flour on board had been exhausted during the voyage. The Mayflower crew (30 men) returned home on starvation rations in Spring, 1621. Mayflower was an 80-foot leaky old cargo vessel which was barely suited for anything.
I told you that in Sicily last Spring we had Parsley Pesto (with grilled swordfish) and Pistachio Pesto (with grilled pork), but we never saw a Basil Pesto. They do love their Pistachios in Sicily - they use them with everything. We brought a small, overpriced jar of pistachio pesto home, but it's fairly easy to make.
"Pesto" means something that is pestado - pounded or ground up, as in English "pestle and "paste" or French "pate". Walnut-Parsley is a popular combination. Also, fresh mint pesto. The Cuisinart is what made Pesto easy.
These treats used to be called Frankfurters. Sausages in Frankfurt, of course.
I've eaten plenty of sausages in Germany but there is nothing like an American baseball game hot dog. Or anywhere else during the summer. Not a dirty-water hot dog on an NYC street - a grilled one. As with any sausage, never think about the ingredients.
It's complicated. "Scampi" means a large prawn-thing in Italian, so the American menu item "Shrimp Scampi" sort of means "Shrimp Shrimp."
Boiled meat with onions is of course an ancient food. Now we know how to make it better, especially by adding more interesting flavorings along with the onions. Another thing we know about cooking tough meat (chuck, round, brisket) is that a low simmer is better than boiling.
Meat loaf and mashed taters, and maybe some steamed summer squash on the side. Meat loaf needs gravy or its juices, on top.
No matter where you live in the US, Chili is a basic warming winter supper. Always good for lunch too on a ski slope with a cold beer or two. 
It's basically an Americanized version of 
An Italian peasant dish, fully functional for any small game the hunter - the cacciatore - brings home in his bag - fowl, rabbit, squirrel. I made it with pheasant a few nights ago and the family loved it.
The USA has countless burger joints, not including the big chains. God knows how many burgers I have had.
Another American adaptation/bastardization of an Italian recipe. 
A pal of mine cooks a big dinner of venison Stroganoff for friends each late winter because it is such a good use of his venison scraps, shoulder, etc. He probably makes a gallon of it, then served on pappardelle. The thin strips are tender. 
Moms show their love for their families by cooking, especially those gooey, bland, rib-sticking comfort foods in the winter. They make everybody feel loved, and they're all in Fanny Farmer's cookbook if you have one around.
I forgot to mention Caviar Pie in my 
The best-known Sicilian Primi is Pasta Con Sardi - pasta with anchovies (ie small sardines) - what I term Pasta With Minnows aka Pasta with Bait.
