Question about Italian food.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

People here think Italian food is nuthin but spaghetti and meatballs or pizza.
I know that Italy has many different states and cuisines.

My problem: I am allergic to tomatoes, bell peppers, red peppers, yellow peppers, and spicy stuff.

I'm fine with white sauce. So tell me about other stuff than Tomatoes of Death.

I eat plain old american food, preferably bland. I add a wisp of pepper and sea salt. I love garlic and sauteed onions. Can't eat raw onions.

On edit: also allergic to shellfish such as shrimp and lobster. Regular bony fish I like (not catfish, telapia and other bottom feeders).

[Brickbat]

1. Nothing better than some pasta, a little olive oil, and sauteed garlic. Cheese at will.

[Hotler]

8. uummmmmmmm! n/t

[GoCubsGo]

11. Except pasta with pesto sauce.

Pesto is one of mankind's greatest inventions.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

20. Often considered a "midnight snack" in Italy. One of my favorite comfort foods, and CHEAP.

It's also important to use a GOOD Parmesan cheese, not the green box stuff. A small wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano keeps well in an air-tight container in the fridge...just pull out the cheese grater and grate as much as you need. You will REALLY taste a MAJOR difference. And because it is more flavorful / pungent, you won't need to use as much.

Most REAL Italians will NOT remove the garlic after the oil is infused, as this recipe instructs. There is a local restaurant in Mountain View that serves this and it is LOADED with garlic.

Spaghetti all’aglio e olio: Spaghetti with garlic and oil



Spaghetti all’ aglio e olio (e peperoncino)
Ingredients:

Coarse-grain salt
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 tsp. chopped dried hot peppers or red pepper flakes
1/4 c. olive oil
1 pound spaghetti
freshly grated pecorino romano or parmigiano-reggiano

Directions:

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil, adding a small handful of coarse-grain salt just before it boils.
Heat the olive oil in a wok or large skillet. Add the garlic and hot pepper. Saute on low-medium heat for 3-5 minutes, removing from heat if the garlic begins to brown. What you want is for the garlic flavor to infuse the oil so the longer it stays in the oil the better. At the end of cooking remove pan from heat and discard garlic (you can also discard the hot peppers if you want only a slight hint of heat).
Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water for 1 minute less than the package recommends. One minute before the spaghetti is completed (2 minutes before the package recommends), return the pan with oil to the stove over medium heat.
Drain the spaghetti and add it to the oil. Toss thoroughly over heat just long enough to coat all of the noodles, then turn off heat. If more oil is needed, add it. You want every noodle to be slickly coated with oil, but not swimming in it.
Serve immediately with lots of freshly grated cheese.

http://www.romeloft.com/food/aglioeolio/

[Brickbat]

21. Why on earth would one remove the garlic? I can't even imagine.

I always grate my own parm. I cheap out on some things, but not cheese.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

22. Here's the review for that Mountain View restaurant I mentioned...

...the two main reviewers are Google employees and when they hit their 1000th review (the Google Cafeteria), they kind of dropped off the face of the Earth.

The name of the Website is "JatBar" (Jason and Terry's Bay Area Review).

What you find out, after reading some of the reviews, is that these guys are really into Mexican food, Indian as well, but when it comes to Italian, they can't get past straight spaghetti and meatballs.

I can't post the photos here because they request that people not do that (steals their bandwidth), but if you go to the link, you can see plenty of them...including the garlic they LEFT ON THEIR PLATE!

The restaurant is Mario's...family owned, a REAL Italian restaurant owned and operated by REAL Italians. It's on a tiny little side street. Once you're inside, it looks more like a converted house than a restaurant (probably is):

http://www.jatbar.com/reviews/Mountain_View/Marios_Pizza_and_Italian.asp

So here's the good part:

chicken marsala - could have been the best Ive had but the dish was overwhelmed with garlic (picture #7 you can see all the leftover garlic). Huge chicken breast was tender and topped with mushrooms, olive oil, garlic, and other wonderful herbs. The menu said it was a sweet wine but couldnt detect it with all the garlic. The pasta was cooked just right with good texture and bite to it. Would I order it again? Heck yeah, as long as the hold off on the 10 cloves of the stinking rose.

They even mention that they went to the Mexican market across the street BEFORE having their meal, stocking up on "good pork tamales, lard, pinto beans, valencia hot sauce, and carne asade seasoning."

:-)

[KamaAina]

2. Pasta alfredo or better still, carbonara.

Risotto would also work, without seafood, of course.

[A HERETIC I AM]

5. Love Carbonara and it's versatile as hell.

I make what I call Carbonara as follows;

Start your pasta.

A few slices of bacon, chopped up and tossed into a large, hot saute pan. Use Pancetta if you like, but it is a bit pricey.

8 to 10 (or more) cloves of garlic sliced thin.
A chiffonade of fresh basil, Pepper and salt, but be careful on the salt depending on the saltiness of the bacon.

When the bacon has rendered out, pour off all but about a tablespoon or so of the fat.

Add whatever veggies you want at this point. Chopped onions, Green pepper (not for the OP!), julienned carrots, cubes of eggplant....whatever.

Saute for a quick few and then add heavy cream. Depending on how many you're feeding, either a half or a whole pint.

Simmer to reduce. When it starts to get thick, add the pasta. If you have timed this right, your pasta will be just a bit before "Al Dente" so it sucks up much of the remaining water in the cream. Add shredded Parm or Romano, just remember, Romano will make a sticky mess to clean up, but DAMN is it good, especially if you buy the block and grate it yourself.

At the last few moments is when the real variety can come in.

Add peeled and de-veined shrimp or scallops (or both! My fave) or langostine or lobster or sausage or whatever.

Serve with more grated cheese.

I realize a proper, true Carbonara has eggs in it and not cream, but that takes proper technique in order to keep it from becoming scrambled. I have the technique, but sans egg plus cream is still tasty as hell.

[muffin1]

19. Oh, my!

That sounds delicious!

[Auggie]

3. Pesto

[Manifestor_of_Light]

6. Please explain.

I eat plain american food and bland tex mex if I can find it.

[Auggie]

7. Pesto is a sauce...

originating in Genoa in the Liguria region of northern Italy (pesto alla genovese), and traditionally consists of crushed garlic, basil and nuts blended with olive oil and cheese.

The name is the contracted past participle of the Genoese word pestâ (Italian: pestare), which means to pound, to crush, in reference to the original method of preparation, with marble mortar and wooden pestle. Nowadays, however, the ingredients in pesto are not "pounded" but "ground" with a circular motion of the pestle in the mortar.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesto

But Pesto need not be limited to just garlic, basil, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. Mrs. Auggie has made pesto from Rosemary and Oregano -- as well as various versions of basil (lemon basil, sweet basil, Genovese basil, etc) and different cheese (Asiago and Goat, for example) and different nuts. She'll make a big batch and freeze it in ice cube trays, then store the frozen cubes in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. Whenever we want to "jazz-up" pasta or chicken or seafood we just defrost a cube or two and spread it on top (It'll keep in the freezer for months). You can also substitute it for tomato sauce on pizza. It's easiest to make in a food processor but the blender works too. You'll find a lot of recipes on-line.

Oh, I forgot the most important part -- it's delightfully delicious.

[elleng]

4. Have fun!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_cuisine#Lombardy

[bif]

9. I've got a Northern Italian cookbook that's incredible

Almost none of the dishes call for tomatoes. Very imaginative recipes. I don't recall the name of it, but there are about 30 recipes that are on my "to try" list.

[hifiguy]

10. Try Fettuccine alla Romana

Basically Fettucine Alfredo, but with peas and shredded prosciutto added and topped with a big handful of shredded Romano and a healthy grind of fresh black pepper. I found the recipe in one of the old NYT cookbooks by Craig Claiborne. Yum.

[Gormy Cuss]

12. Some more classics that meet your dietary specifications

first another classic simple pasta, dish, Paglia e Fieno (Straw and Hay)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/wolfgang-puck/straw-and-hay-pasta-recipe/index.html

Some brodetto (stewed fish) recipes are made without tomatoes, like this one:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/salmon-in-lemon-brodetto-with-pea-puree-recipe/index.html

Lidia Bastianich did a show with a basic brodetto for a variety of fish ("Lidia's Family Table", on PBS thatwas similar to Giada, but with basil instead of mint and did not have a pea puree as a base, pluse she used monkfish. I think that any firm fleshed fish would do.

Another tomato-free standard is a veal piccata. The first recipe doesn't have capers, but most do. The piccata recipe can be made with chicken breasts or turkey breast cutlets too.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Veal-Piccata-106060
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/veal-piccata-recipe/index.html

Another good Italian main dish within your diet restrictions is risotto. It must be made with Arborio or other similar rice to get the creamy finish that makes it special. I like either aspargus or mushroom risotto the best, but it can be made with a wide variety of flavoring ingredients.
http://italianfood.about.com/od/tipstricks1/a/aa091697.htm

[book lady]

13. Speidini

Use either eye of round or beef tenderloin. Pound into very thin pieces, about a two bite size.
In a bowl, mix breadcrumbs, garlic powder, parmesan cheese, parsley and salt and pepper
Take a piece of meat, place a small amount of butter or margarine on it, add a tablespoon of the breadcrumb mixture.
Roll up and secure with a toothpick
Broil about 7 minutes until cooked, or grill them
You could probably put them on a skewer and broil or grill them that way as well.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

15. Ooh that sounds yummy!!

Pardon my ignorance I am a boring white WASPy person who never ate chinese food until I was in college. Never had Japanese food until I went to a benihana when I was about thirty.

I really like Benihana and regular Cantonese food like Sweet n Sour Chicken.

[sinkingfeeling]

14. Take some minced garlic and add it to a couple of Tbsps of EVOO. Then add some

chopped onions, sliced olives, and fried Pancetta (Italian bacon). Pour over some angel hair pasta and top with Pecorino Romano.

[MissHoneychurch]

16. I just say Saltimbocca

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/saltimbocca-alla-romana-recipe/index.html

[Optimus_Prime]

17. I hear a place called the Olive Garden is really great

They specialize in "hospitaliano"!

[Redstone]

18. Look specifically at Northern Italian cuisine.

I'm allergic to shellfish, too, but the Italian food from the North of the country doesn't feature it heavily.

Redstone

[DainBramaged]

23. IN BEFORE THE BANISHMENT TO THE LOUNGE

:scared: :scared: :scared: :hi: (IBBL)

[TuxedoKat]

24. Fettucini Alfredo

I made this last year for the first time and everyone loved it. It is so easy too. If you don't have shallots, just use an onion or a leek. I've made it all three ways and don't notice that much difference.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/fettucine-alfredo-recipe2/index.html

I also make a walnut sauce, very easy to serve over tortellinis.

[Tx4obama]

25. Going to bed now, I'll be back tomorrow with a list for ya :) n/t

[WinkyDink]

26. "People here..."?!?! As a Sicilian-American who has been to Italy several times, I say, "What?!"

Are you asking a question? Because the OP isn't clear on that.
P.S. If you are allergic to tomatoes and peppers, you are allergic to New World foods. :-)
So eat pre-1492 Italian recipes!

Also, Northern Italy is more Germanic/Austrian cuisine than, say, Tuscany. No "red sauce" there.

[KurtNYC]

27. Prosciutto, arugala and fontina on ciabatta with a touch of olive oil

pasta with butter and sage
Wild mushroom risotto
and everything on this menu:

http://www.deifrescobaldi.it/en/restaurant-wine-bar-florence/menu.html

[Tx4obama]

28. Italian food

Lasagna made with Béchamel sauce (instead of red sauce)

Ravioli - can be served in chicken broth or with a white sauce.
When preparing in chicken broth I normally add a bunch of fresh spinach and a generous amount of Parmesan cheese.

Tortellini - can be served in chicken broth or with a white sauce.

Risotto - After preparing the risotto I frequently will add puréed butternut squash, it makes the risotto taste like cheesy rice.
Other ways to prepare is with mushrooms or asparagus, etc.

Arancini - (can be made several ways without red sauce)

Polenta

Melon wrapped in Prosciutto

Fried Eggplant

Broccoli rabe (rapini) - sauteed with garlic and dusted with Parmesan cheese http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Marias-Broccoli-Rabe/Detail.aspx

Rum Baba - http://www.mangiabenepasta.com/rum_baba.html

Pan Roasted Rabbit

Pan Roasted Chicken

Chinghale (wild boar) - my family an hour and a half east of Napoli hunts Chinghale :)

Also, seen frequently at the table: Fresh fruit, nuts, cheese.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head at the moment.

[libodem]

29. mushooms fried in butter and garlic

Can be thickened with a little corn starch and water. Makes a nice sauce. My friend does a clam sauce that is olive oil, garlic, fresh parsley, plus clams. You could skip the clams.

[Tx4obama]

30. Looks like this thread died ;( n/t

[lovemydog]

31. yeah, pesto rocks!

yumm!