By Pasquale "Pat" Bruno
Photo by Josh Keown

Familiarity breeds intent, and those of us in the food business are quite familiar with that duet of herbs: basil and oregano. Generally, our intent is to use them in every way possible –– sometimes, whether we need to or not. For example, a pizza restaurant that shall go unnamed once used oregano to the point of absurdity. Finally, I called the owner (anonymously) and told him that if he kept laying down a napalm of oregano on my pizza that I was going elsewhere. I love oregano –– when it is used in moderation and in proper balance to the rest of the ingredients.

First, let me address the issue of dried herbs versus fresh herbs. Given the availability, price factor and overall usage, I would opt for fresh over dried every time, and who among us is not guilty of keeping dried herbs around too long? Dried herbs are not like a fine red wine — they do not get better with age. In fact, they lose potency by the week.

When using fresh herbs in, say, a pasta sauce, add them near the end of the cooking time. Putting them in early will alter the taste, since fresh herbs do not hold up as well in heat as dried herbs.

Conversely, if you are using dried herbs in a sauce, put them in at the very beginning. Dried herbs need time (and heat) to rehydrate and round out their flavor. Generally you will need to add three times as much fresh herbs as dried herb in a recipe –– for example, three tablespoons of fresh basil, or one tablespoon of dried basil. You wouldn’t scatter whole peppercorns on a salad. Passing the peppercorns through a mill —grinding — over the salad releases the flavor, making it pronounced and viable. The same is true for dried herbs you put into a pasta sauce (and on pizza when possible), rub the herb between your thumb and forefinger as you add them. This releases the inner flavor of the herb.

So what herbs and spices should you put into use in your restaurant? Consider these:

Rosemary is a very pungent herb and should be used sparingly. I favor its use mostly in soups and with chicken and lamb dishes. Add some rosemary to a dough you would be using to make focaccia (rosemary and onion focaccia is a winner) or to flavor up chicken strips.

Marjoram is a sweet-scented herb that is important in Mediterranean cooking. Sweet marjoram has a decidedly delicate flavor. Oregano is a member of the marjoram family that is more pungent than sweet marjoram, but some cooks like to use marjoram and oregano interchangeably.

Sage is an herb that is not commonly used with pizza (it has a very intense flavor). But, using sage with a butter sauce and ravioli or other pasta sauce can be quite tasty. Use sage in combination with Italian sausage and peppers.

Fennel (dried, not fresh, also known as anise) is an important part of my pantry. I use whole fennel seeds and I have a spice grinder dedicated solely for grinding fennel seeds.

Parsley is definitely an unsung herb, but if you are going to use in cooking (as opposed to using it as a garnish) it should be flat-leaf Italian-style parsley.

Nutmeg is indispensable in cream-based sauces such as Alfredo. It’s best to avoid ground nutmeg. Grate whole nutmeg fresh as needed. Use it sparingly; a little of its intense flavor goes a long way.

Capers, packed in brine, are the best kind to use, but rinse them under cold water before using them in a sauce. Capers are an excellent flavor addition to a spicy red sauce (for pizza or pasta).

Thyme is another undersung herb. I would never be without thyme (I mostly use dried thyme). Thyme would be my first herb choice when using any type of seafood (on a clam pizza, for example, or to flavor the clam broth for linguine with clam sauce).

Cilantro plays an important role when making any type of Mexican dish, including Mexican pizza toppings, salsa and tacos.

Chives work great when added to, say, mashed potatoes. Also chives work great with any type of eggplant dish (caponata, for example).

Tarragon has a hint of licorice flavor. I use it for chicken tarragon, also for tarragon mayonnaise (great with a chicken sandwich).


Penne with Bolognese

Yield: four servings as a pasta course

(scale up in direct proportion)

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chopped yellow onion
1 pound ground beef
2 teaspoons fennel seed and
1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
¼ cup milk
4 cups canned plum tomatoes, crushed with juices
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled, or ¼ cup fresh finely chopped
½ cup chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
¾ pound penne, rotini or other short pasta

In a heavy pot, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add
the onion. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the meat. Cook and stir for another 4 minutes or until the meat is cooked through. Add the fennel seed and milk and cook for 3 minutes.

Add tomatoes, parsley, oregano and chicken broth. Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 35 to 40 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (The sauce can be prepped ahead to this point and held).

Cook the pasta until it is al dente. Drain well. Divide the pasta among four heated pasta bowls. Spoon on the sauce. Served with grated Parmesan on the side.

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

By Pasquale "Pat" Bruno

Ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise are the holy trinity of condiments. In fact, they are so widely used we often take them for granted. Squirt some mustard on a hot dog, slather ketchup or mayonnaise on a burger and the job is done. But how about giving that burger or sandwich an extra kick? And then there is that whole arena of spreads and dips. Add some zip to your dips or some sizzle to your spreads and you’ve opened a Pandora’s box of interesting dimensions in flavor.

How simple is this –– add a drop or three of hot sauce to ketchup to fire up some interest in a burger. One of the trendiest condiments right now is sriracha, a hot chili sauce conveniently sold in a bottle. One easy way to ramp up chicken wings to another level of interest is to add a squirt (to taste) of sriracha to your wing sauce and watch what happens.

Mayonnaise is one of those condiments that offers a spectrum of flavor possibilities. For example, many basic recipes for an aioli suggest making your own mayonnaise. Forget it. Mayonnaise straight out of the jar is all you need to get a delicious aioli up and running. Simply add a drop or two of fresh lemon juice and some crushed garlic to mayonnaise and you have a terrific tasting aioli that can be used on a chicken sandwich or spread over a piece of fish.

Here is a very tasty dipping sauce for French fries:

1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons mayonnaise

In a small mixing bowl, combine the ingredients and mix well. Chill covered.

And here is a very special dipping sauce to use with cooked or raw vegetables, fried zucchini sticks, fried calamari or cooked shrimp. In other words a versatile sauce that knows no bounds:

2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoons Dijon or honey mustard
Hot sauce or sriracha, to taste

In a mixing bowl, combine and whisk together all of the ingredients. Cover and chill.

Add a dash or two of prepared horseradish to ketchup straight out of the jar and you have a fine-tasting cocktail sauce to serve with shrimp or fried calamari.


Cajun dipping sauce
for fried onion rings or French fries

½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon ketchup u

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

By Melanie Wolkoff Wachsman
Photos by Rick Daugherty

As Americans continue fighting the battle of the bulge they often look for healthier menu items that still satiate the appetite. Enter insalata pizzas, which turns ordinary pizzas into a more healthful bite by adding salad elements –– without skimping on taste. Insalata pizzas also add visual appeal to menus and on marketing materials. Onesto Pizza & Trattoria in St. Louis, Missouri, began selling insalata pizza specials in the summer 2008. “We wanted something unique and different like no one else was offering in St. Louis,” says Michele C. Racanelli, director of media and community relations at Onesto Pizza & Trattoria. “At first the customers were a little confused. The majority had never heard of it. At least half of the people tried it though, and they were hooked.”

The salad pizzas became a staple spring/summer special. Popular choices include the Queen Margherita, which tops a cheese pizza with organic mixed greens, basil and housemade roasted garlic and basil dressing. “It is awesome,” says Racanelli. “The Queen Margherita is our most rustic, simple pizza. We paired it with our most popular house salad. The farm fresh mixed greens and roasted garlic basil dressing compliment each other. Fresh basil enhances and mixes well with the greens.”

Another popular pie, the picnic pizza, starts with a base of housemade barbecue sauce that is topped with house-smoked chicken, fresh jalapeño, caramelized onions, housemade bacon, mozzarella and cheddar cheese. After the pizza is baked and sliced it is topped with a mixed greens and roasted corn salad that’s tossed in housemade ranch.
The beauty of an insalata pizza, says Racanelli, is placing the salad on the pizza right when it’s out of the oven so the salad stays fresh and cold while the pizza remains crisp and piping hot. Tossing the salad with dressing prior to placing it on the pie also prevents the crust from becoming soggy.

The B.L.T. pizza has been a staple menu item at Georgio’s Pizza in Pensacola, Florida, for several years. To prepare, pizza dough is topped with Canadian bacon and American bacon crumbles. After that bakes, it is covered in mayonnaise mixed with shredded lettuce. Chopped tomatoes signify the final touch.
“It is amazing how much the pizza tastes like a B.L.T. sandwich,” says owner Carl Hixon, who estimates that his total food cost for a medium B.L.T. pizza is $4.40, and it sells for $15.99. “We put our ingredients on the heavy side, but we charge more for the pizza,” Hixon adds.

Operators can get creative with how they market insalata pizzas. For example, at Azzurro Pizzeria & Enoteca in Napa, California, the popular Manciata is a “handful” of just-
baked pizza dough with a salad on top. (Manciata means “handful” in Italian.) Manciata varieties include the Italian (romaine, salami, provolone and pepperoncini with oregano vinaigrette), Caesar (romaine, Caesar dressing), spinach (roasted peppers, mozzarella and citrus dressing), and arugula (red onion, bleu cheese cheese and red wine vinaigrette).

Michael Gyetvan, chef/owner of Azzurro Pizzeria & Enoteca sources fresh, seasonal ingredients — local whenever possible. “In the summer we feature our B.L.T. Manciata, with locally grown heirloom tomatoes, blue cheese dressing and artisan bacon. Our meatball Manciata special is very popular with families with kids,” he says. “It’s fun to come up with great new toppings, depending on what’s available to us at any given time.” To prepare a manciata, Gyetvan bakes the dough to the consistency just under that of a pizza. “The crust holds up great under the toppings, but is still soft enough to fold,” he says. Diners are encouraged to fold and eat manciatas like a sandwich.

Manciatas represent about 25 percent of sales as compared to traditional pizzas; however, Gyetvan says that number is slightly skewed during lunch, when a Manciata and an ice tea is a very popular order. No doubt, insalata pizzas are a great menu addition during patio season. Racanelli encourages operators to add them to their menus. “It’s worth the risk,” she says. “You can charge a little more and for those guests who might not normally order the salad and the pizza — you are giving them the best of both. They are now trying two menu items rather than one. I found some of those customers come back and try a full salad with a pasta or other special.”

Melanie Wolkoff Wachsman is a freelance writer in Louisville, Kentucky. She covers food, business and lifestyle trends.

By Jeff Freehof Photo by Josh Keown

Have you ever thought there was something nutty going on in your pizzeria? It’s definitely some­thing to consider when it comes to incorporating nuts into your menu. There are so many varieties of nuts that can be used in various ways and in so many dishes.

Now of course, nuts come in a variety of sizes, textures and flavors. The nuts you use anywhere on your menu should be cooked and not raw. When you toast nuts ––whatever type it is –– the flavor profile becomes more enhanced with a much more desirable flavor, and, yes, it even changes the texture slightly.

Before I go any further with some creative suggestions, I want you to understand how serious nut allergies can be. In 1995, a wrongful death suit was filed against a popular pizza chain after a New Hampshire woman died following consumption of a chicken pesto sandwich. The woman had reportedly asked the server if the sauce contained nuts, and the server failed to mention that it did. Following consumption, the woman fell into anaphylactic shock and died a week later, prompting a $10.4 mil­lion lawsuit filed by her family.

If you’re going to use nuts in your recipe in any capacity, however slight, you need to clearly state your use of nuts on your menu. Further care can be taken through proper labeling, staff training and repeated warnings. Take precautionary mea­sures so that cross contamination is not taking place within your own restaurant. The safety of our staff and customers must be our priority.

Cautions completed, let’s take a look at a variety of nuts and how they may be incorporated into your menu. Keep in mind that different nuts have different price points, so make sure you pay close attention to what kind of nuts you’re bringing in and how they’ll affect your food costs. For example if you want to kick up your Hawaiian Pizza by adding some macadamia nuts, it’s important to know that you’ve picked an appropriate nut for that pizza but you’ve also picked a expensive nut as well. Don’t let that stop you from using macadamia nuts just because they’re expensive. Either change your price point to accommodate the costly macadamias or think about coarsely chopping or crushing the nuts and give the pizza a light dusting instead of scattering whole macadamias over the pizza.

You also want to keep in mind, that it may be better to sprinkle any nuts on your pizza after it comes out of the oven. Otherwise, they may burn especially if they are on top of the pizza as it bakes.

I’ve used pine nuts not only in my pesto but also on a pizza called “the Amazing Bangkok.” It was quite an intriguing pizza with a coconut and curry base for the sauce with roasted chicken and red and green peppers, garlic, scallions, Mandarin oranges and pine nuts with a teriyaki drizzle over the pizza just before it got served.

You can get as creative as you want with different kinds of nuts on your pizza. If you decide that you want to add almonds, you now need to de­cide between whole, crushed, sliced or slivered. Each option fits various menu applications.

Obviously nuts are great on sal­ad. In a salad demo that I did both at Pizza Expo and on the Pizza Expo and on the Pizza Today Web sites a few years ago, I showed you how to take a simple and freshly made garden salad and quickly transform into an upscale salad that can literally be made in seconds and they are both made with nuts. The first is a lemon pecan chicken salad. Simply add to your freshly made garden salad a crumbled hard-boiled egg, a scoop of homemade chicken salad, two ounces of toasted chopped pecans and a honey lemon dressing or a dressing of their choice.

The second salad I recommend is a Honey Ginger Almond Chicken Salad. Start with a freshly made garden salad, add a crumbled egg, some grilled chicken breast and two ounces of toasted almond slices with a nice honey ginger dressing. Walnuts and candied walnuts have become a popular salad topping and are something to consider.

Obviously, Pad Thai is an ethnic pasta dish made with rice noodles which is far from the spaghetti or fettuccini that we serve on a daily basis, but it is a nice alternative to our every day menu and a gluten free alternative as well. I mention Pad Thai because it has crushed peanuts with its other wonderful ingredients like cilantro, carrots, bean sprouts, scal­lions and chicken or other protein, and these flavors can be combined on pizzas and salads, and even sandwiches.

I think pistachios and cashews are great nuts to add to your meals as well. In a previous article, I shared that I like to finely chop pistachio nuts with sun-dried tomatoes and then roll some one-ounce goat cheese balls into the mixture. These pistachio and sundried tomato encrusted goat cheese balls are the perfect garnish to any salad or meat and cheese platter.

Now you can introduce nuts to your pizza, pasta and salad menu. There’s NUTTin’ to it!

Jeff Freehof owns The Garlic Clove in Evans, Georgia. He is a frequent contributor to Pizza Today and a speaker at the Pizza Expo family of trade shows.

WILLOW STREET'S
COCONUT PRAWN PIZZA

1 dough ball
3 ounces sweet chili sauce
1/3 cup mozzarella
1/4 cup smoked Gouda
15 prawns, sliced in half
2-1/2 ounces red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fresh shredded coconut
2 ounces rough chopped peanuts
1-1/2 ounces cilantro, picked leaves
1-1/2 ounces fresh mint, picked leaves
Roll out dough ball to 11 inches in diam­eter. Use fingers to create 1/4-inch crust. Spread sauce out from center of dough. Evenly cover with mozzarella and Gouda cheese. Lay red onions, prawns (ridged side up) and coconut evenly across pizza. Sprinkle with peanuts and bake in wood-fired oven until cheese begins to golden and edges crisp. Turn pizzas 2-3 times while cooking to ensure even browning. When finished, garnish with cilantro and fresh mint. Slice and serve.


CANDIED PECANS
1/4 cup pecans
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
Combine ingredients in a small sauce­pan. Bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer for 5-7 minutes until coated and golden. (If too runny,continue to simmer). Let pecans dry on parchment paper.

Pasquale "Pat" BRUNO JR.
Photo by Josh Keown

Balsamic vin­egar became the vinegar of choice for the gourmet cook in the United States in the early 1980s. Nevermind the fact that this marvelous vinegar has been around since 1046. According to Waverly Root (The Food of Italy), it was in 1046 that Bonifacio di Canossa presented a barrel of it to the Emperor Henry III as a coronation gift.

In Modena, Italy, aceto balsamico is as precious as liquid gold and has as many users that look to it as much for its medicinal properties as its use in the kitchen. In cellars all over Modena it is not unusual to find kegs of vinegar that have been aging for 60 or 70 years. Aceto balsamico was such a precious commodity it was given as special gifts and as part of a bride’s dowry.

Unfortunately, the unparalleled popularity of balsamic vinegar over the past 20 years has spawned imita­tions that are weak cousins to the original Aceto balsamico di Modena. The difference in flavor and taste between a top quality aged aceto balsamico and younger versions of “Modena-style vinegar” is like, say, comparing Beluga caviar from the sturgeon to whitefish caviar.

Quality of balsamic vinegar ranges from what is called tra­dizionale to riserva (must be at least 12 years old), and extra vecchia (must be at least 25 years old). Obvi­ously, the older vinegars are the best and truly represent the quality and unique flavor of what this vinegar is all about.

In pizzerias, balsamic vinegar has a variety of uses –– from drizzles on appetizers, to salad dressings and as finishes on pizza. The current trend toward artisan pizza lends itself well to balsamic vinegar –– we’ve seen it reduced alongside pear, prosciutto and gorgonzola and atop pizzas with chicken and garlic.

Give these recipes a try for artisan flair:

PANZANELLA CON CECI (BREAD AND CHICK-PEA SALAD)

PROSCIUTTO AND MOZZARELLA PIZZA WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS

In a heavy saucepan, sauté onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until softened. Add Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and garlic. Cook until liquid evaporates and onions are caramelized (can be made ahead and held).
Roll out dough ball. Brush shell with remaining olive oil. Top with mozza­rella cheese, shredded prosciutto, bell pepper and onions. Bake until cheese browns. Top with fresh thyme and serve immediately.

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

BY JEFF FREEHOF
PHOTO BY ART DEPT.

There are two times of the year that salad sales in restaurants spike. The first spike is a short-lived one, and that’s the first week in January when people are making their New Year’s resolutions. The second one is now and lasts all summer! With great salad options on your menu, salad sales can be very strong all year. If you’re smart, you’ll make your way to the drawing board or, in our case, the cutting board and create some amazing salads that your guests will fall in love with. Take a look at your existing inventory and see what you have that will be the perfect addition in creating some fresh and vibrant new salad options.

Making your own salad dressing might seem like too much work, but you’ll be amazed when you find out how incredibly fast, simple and cost effective it is. So many pizza operators use dressing packets or cups, and I’ll admit that they are very convenient. The reality, however, is that premade dressings will always cost more and will never be as good as what you can make yourself. Premade dressings are required to include in its long list of ingredients (that most people can’t even pronounce) some type of preservative, which is not generally delightful to the palate.

Once you get your salad menu down, we can get to the component that ties it all together and gives the salad life. I always thought it was lame that a restaurant will have only one house dressing. Impressive? Hardly. To me, it’s stating that we’re either too lazy to make the rest of them or we simply are not talented enough. Not only is it cheaper and tastier, it’s a no-brainer. To add to the awesomeness of house-made dressing, you now need to find some nice little pint-sized containers to fill and sell them! Make sure you put a sticker with your restaurant’s logo and phone number on it. Think of the advertising dollars you have spent over the years trying to get your name in front of your customers to remind them “We’re ready to serve you!” When your customers open their refrigerator at home and see your logo 6-10 times a day, that’s a really good thing. Let me give you some of my favorite dressing ideas that are simple and very popular with my customers.

Many of my dressings start with mayonnaise as the base and I build from there. Honey Lemon dressing is one that I use on a Honey Lemon Pecan Chicken Salad or simply as a choice of dressing on any salad.

For a small batch, mix: 2 cups of mayo 1/3 cup of honey ¼ cup lemon juice ¼ cup of water 2 tablespoons of fresh or freeze-dried chives That should take you about 60 seconds to make. Once you tweak the recipe, you’ll want to multiply the recipe to start with a gallon of mayo.

Here’s another great dressing called honey ginger dressing. Besides being a choice for all salads, I use this one on a honey-ginger almond chicken salad.

You can use the exact recipe for the honey lemon dressing, except you want to eliminate the chives. Once you have that base mixed up, add 2 teaspoons of ground ginger and ¼ cup of teriyaki sauce and it’s as simple as that.

We make our own creamy Caesar that our guests rave about and here’s how we do it.

Again with a small batch to get you started, mix: 2 cups of mayo 2 cups of zesty Italian dressing ½ cup grated Parmesan 1½ teaspoon granulated garlic ½ teaspoon ground pepper 3-4 shots of Worcestershire sauce Toss this dressing with your chopped romaine leaves and garnish with croutons and shredded or shaved Parmesan for an amazing Caesar Salad. Offer grilled steak, chicken, salmon or shrimp as an easy add-on.

Ranch is such a popular dressing, and once I realized how fast it is to make and that what I make is better than any ranch on the market (customers repeatedly let me know it’s the best ranch they’ve ever had), I just had to make it myself.

The funniest thing is that my buttermilk ranch doesn’t even have any buttermilk in it. The first time I decided to make it, I wanted to use buttermilk but didn’t have any. I realized that I can emulate buttermilk by using half & half with a little vinegar, so here’s my recipe. This time I’m giving you the large batch version:
1 gallon of mayo 1 quart half and half cream ½ cup white vinegar 1 cup water ½ cup granulated garlic 1 cup onion powder 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon pepper ½ cup finely chopped parsley or freeze dried It’s really that simple! You can use this ranch as a base for an Avocado ranch or a Chipotle ranch. Be creative.

Now get in the kitchen people and make your own dressing. Pour them into two-ounce soufflé cups with lids for side salads and four-ounce cups for large salads. You can use pint-sized containers for jumbo catering salads and for customers to take home your freshly made dressing to enjoy. Get your name and logo on it so you’ll get some extra advertising.

Jeff Freehof owns The Garlic Clove in Evans, Georgia. He is a frequent contributor to Pizza Today and a speaker at the Pizza Expo family of trade shows.

By Pasquale “Pat” Bruno, Jr

The way I see it, Asian food ranks in the top three most popular cuisines. My ranking order goes like this: Italian, Mexican, Asian (factoring in the popularity of sushi). I am sure there are those that would debate this with me. What about Indian, French, Greek, Spanish? Yes, those cuisines are popular; after all, diversity and choice is what makes the restaurant world go around. But I will stick by my guns (or would that be wire whisk?) concerning my popularity ranking.


To break all this down a bit further, I know full well that salads have become critically important to menu balance. I can point out any number of quick service restaurants that have made a lot of hay, so to speak, with salads. In fact, many restaurants have gone from just two basic salads to six or seven very creative and tasty salads. And customers have responded in kind. And we cannot ignore the perception of healthy eating vis a vis salads.


And that is my segue into how you can add a touch of Asian to your existing menu, a whole new “Wow” factor. And I am quite positive that your customers will like the idea. So don’t be surprised when your customers say, “You know, I think I want to try that Asian pasta salad today instead of the meatball sandwich.”


I will try to make this as easy as possible. Bear in mind that new ideas require a whole new outlook, but I am not asking you to buy a whole bunch of exotic ingredients. However, when I ask you to introduce new ingredients to your order list, I believe it only fair to give you a “Back Story.” That means I will offer you an additional option, a way to use those new ingredients, so they don’t end up sitting on the shelf (though I doubt they will). .


The proof is in the pudding. Check out the recipes that follow and you will see how easy this is to pull off.


Asian Pasta Salad
Makes 4 servings (scale up in direct proportion)

Dressing

½ cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar

Whisk together all the ingredients to blend. Should be made at least 2 hours ahead to allow the flavors to blend.

Salad

½ pound spaghetti
1/4 cup torn fresh basil
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
1 small red bell pepper, julienned
1 small green bell pepper, julienned
1 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup peanuts

Cook the pasta until it is al dente. Drain, then rinse under cold water. Set aside to cool.


In a large mixing bowl, combine the basil, scallions, bell peppers, carrots and peanuts. Add the dressing and toss to combine. Add the cooled spaghetti, toss again. Serve.

Added bonus: All of the ingredients for this salad, with the exception of the peanuts can be turned into a flavorful soup. The only thing you need to do is dice the bell peppers instead of a julienne, then add enough chicken stock or broth to turn the salad part into a soup. Throw in some sliced mushrooms if you care to.


Thai-Hi Pasta Salad
Here is another favorite pasta salad of mine, one that takes on some high-flying Thai flavors, as the light peanut sauce gently coats a thin pasta. This dish is unbelievably easy. The pasta is cooked ahead, and the peanut sauce can be made hours or a few days ahead. This salad works great as part of a lunch or dinner buffet. And it delivers well.



Serves 4 (scale up in direct proportion)

1 pound vermicelli, angel hair, or other long, thin, pasta
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup lite soy sauce
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
½ cup unsalted roasted peanuts

Cook the pasta until it is al dente. Drain. Put the pasta in a mixing bowl and toss with the peanut oil. Set aside.


To make the peanut sauce, put the chicken broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and red pepper flakes in a saucepan. Stir to combine. Over medium-high heat, bring the sauce to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer just until the sauce is blended and starts to thicken (about 3 minutes). Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl and cool for about 5 minutes (Sauce can be made hours ahead and held).


Add the cooked pasta to the peanut sauce. Add the scallions, cilantro, and peanuts. Toss gently to combine. Once all the ingredients have been combined, let the salad stand at room temperature for an hour or so to blend the flavors.

By Pasquale “Pat” Bruno Jr.

If we extend the logic that sausage is one of the most popular pizza toppings and that bacon is a pork product, then there’s no good reason why bacon shouldn’t be pursued with more vigor when an array of pizza toppings are menu listed. However, bacon can also play an important flavor role in pasta dishes, sprinkled on salads, and used effectively in sandwiches, so if you are don’t have bacon in your restaurant, it’s time you started bringing home the bacon.

Bacon, as we know it, the sliced strips that we love with eggs, has some very close relatives that need to be recognized. For example, Canadian bacon (it’s closer to ham than bacon –– lean and slightly sweet –– but it is a pork product) and pancetta. Pancetta (pahn CHEH-tah) is Italian bacon that is cured (but not smoked the way American bacon is) with salt, pepper and spices.

So when we consider the range of possibilities above, the options for expanding the flavor profile of pizza, pasta, salads and sandwiches are virtually endless.

Here are a couple of tasty tidbits relative to pancetta. If you have a BLT on your menu, why not try a PLT (pancetta, lettuce, tomato)? Simple sauté thin slices of pancetta (cut off the roll, since pancetta usually comes rolled), until just heated through and beginning to crisp up. And I will always use pancetta when making spaghetti carbonara because of its deeper flavor and it is less fatty than regular bacon.

While I am high on pancetta, there are tons of ways that regular bacon can be used and here are a few tips on how to get it right. Generally, the only time I sauté bacon is when I want some fat that I need to incorporate into a particular dish. Most other times, I use a microwave oven to prep bacon. To microwave, use a microwave safe plate and sandwich strips of bacon between layers of paper toweling. I can prep a whole lot of bacon in a very short time using a microwave oven, aAnd I can control the crispiness a lot easier using the microwave.

Of course, you can lay strips of bacon on a sheet pan and cook it in the oven (conveyor or deck, it doesn’t matter). Watch it, though, because the fat it throws off can be quite a lot. I know some restaurants that deep-dry strips of bacon. This causes the bacon to curl and get very crispy, but this method works great for crumbles to use on a salad or even as a pizza topping.

I know this may sound elementary, but you simply cannot use raw bacon as a pizza topping (it won’t cook right, and it throws off too much fat). Can you use Canadian bacon as a topping without first cooking it? Yes, but I like to dice it or cut it into chips (more coverage, less curling) and broadcast it over the pizza.

Also on the subject of Canadian bacon, there is still a great market for a Hawaiian pizza, which uses chunks of pineapple and ham, but I like to replace the ham with Canadian bacon as a topping. Here’s are a couple of recipes that are as simple as it gets.
The beauty of this pizza is the sweet and sour flavor profile. Also, this pizza works with any number of cheeses. I use provolone to enhance the smokiness. However, a blend of mozzarella works just fine. As does Asiago or fontina cheeses.

Hawaiian Pizza
Yield: One 14-inch pizza

One 14-inch pizza shell
8 ounces ground tomatoes or pizza sauce
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 ounces shredded provolone
½ cup diced Canadian bacon
6 ounces pineapple tidbits or chunks

Spread the sauce over the pizza shell. Sprinkle on the red pepper flakes. Add the provolone, then the bacon, followed by the pineapple. Bake and serve.


Potato, Bacon & Provolone Pizza

One 14-inch pizza shell
Yield: One 14-inch pizza
3/4 pound red skin potatoes sliced almost paper thin (about 35 slices)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Rosemary
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
6 strips bacon, cooked crisp and coarsely chopped
5 ounces shredded provolone

In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil, garlic and rosemary
Arrange the slices of potatoes on the pizza crust in a circle, working toward the center, overlapping the slices.

Sprinkle the parmesan over the potatoes. Sprinkle on the bacon. Add the grated provolone evenly over the crust. Bake.


Spaghetti Carbonara
Yield: 4 servings (scale up in direct proportion)

1 pound spaghetti, cooked al dente, drained, kept warm
½ pound bacon, sauteed crisp, remove the bacon from the pan, drain off half the fat from the pan, coarsely chop the bacon. Reserve
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
8 ounces grated Parmesan
4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Over medium-high heat, add the cooked spaghetti to the saute pan that the bacon was cooked in. Toss the pasta to coat with the bacon fat. Add the crushed garlic and pepper. Stir well. Turn the heat to medium.

In a bowl, fold the Parmesan into the beaten eggs and stir just to combine. Fold the egg and cheese mixture into the pasta, stirring quickly, until the eggs just coat the pasta, but do not scramble. Serve at once in heated pasta bowls.
Note: pancetta can be substituted for the bacon.


Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing
Yield: About 4 servings (scale up in direct proportion)

12 ounces fresh spinach, stems removed, washed, patted dry, torn
2 hard boiled eggs, each sliced into 6 pieces and set aside
8 slices bacon
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dijon-style mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
5 large white mushrooms, scrubbed, sliced

Put the spinach into a large bowl. Sauté the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and transfer to paper towels to drain.

Transfer about 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat to a small saucepan. Add the vinegar, sugar and mustard to the bacon fat. Over low heat, whisk to combine. Add salt and Add the mushrooms to the spinach. Crumble the bacon over the spinach Add the bacon dressing and toss to coat the spinach leaves. Add the slices of hard-boiled eggs.

By Pasquale "Pat" Bruno Jr.

Have fun with this “five-course” summer special: appetizer, salad, pizza, pasta, and dessert. I have a lot of recipes to cover, so let’s get right to it. Each of these recipes can be scaled up in direct proportion.

APPETIZER

Mozzarella Cheese Puffs

These golden puffs are flavorful and fun. Kids, especially, love these. You just might have to move them from a special to the regular menu.

Makes 12 puffs

2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1 pound shredded mozzarella

Combine the flour and the salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter. Fold in the mozzarella cheese. Add the flour mixture and combine thoroughly. Shape the mixture into small balls (around the size of a golf ball) by rolling them in the palms of your hands and place on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F. Oven for 15-20 minutes or until the balls puff and are golden brown. Serve with a warm marinara dipping sauce.


SALAD

Bean and Tuna Salad with Radicchio

A cool, light and refreshing salad that works particularly well in the summer months. Put layers of thinly-sliced fresh tomatoes on the plate to form a flavorful and colorful base on top of which you can portion the salad.

Makes 4 servings

2 ½ cups canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups coarsely chopped radicchio
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup water-packed Albacore tuna, drained, flaked
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium-size bowl, combine the beans, radicchio, onion, parsley, and tuna. Toss gently to combine. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and vinegar until completely blended. Add salt and pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

PIZZA

Pizza alla Funghi (Mushroom Pizza)

Earthy, flavorful, delicious. Call it a “Mushroom Lover’s” Pizza if you care to.

Makes one 14-inch pizza

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ pound shiitake mushrooms
½ pound portobello mushrooms, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
½ pound cultivated (white domestic), sliced about 1/8-inch thick
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 14-inch pizza shell
8 Ounces shredded mozzarella or combination of mozzarella and Provolone

In a large saute pan set over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil for 1 minute. Add the garlic and the mushrooms and cook and stir until the mushrooms give off their liquid, about 4 minutes. Add the oregano and combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn the mushrooms out of the pan and reserve (can be made several hours ahead).

Spread the mushroom mixture evenly over the pizza curst. Sprinkle on the cheese. Bake.

PASTA

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Mac ‘n’ Cheese is one of the hottest dishes around. And this is my version of this classic dish. I use a combination of cheeses instead of the usual sharp cheddar. But the all-important flavor kicks — dry mustard and cayenne — are still included.

Serves 6-8

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 Pound cavatappi or similar corkscrew shaped pasta
1/4 pound shredded provolone cheese
1/4 pound shredded Asiago cheese
1/4 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon dried oregano, crumbled

In a heavy sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking, for 3 minutes. Add the milk in a steady stream, whisking steadily, and bring to a boil. Add the mustard, cayenne, and salt, and whisk to combine. Whisking the sauce, simmer until it thickens, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until it is almost al dente. Drain well.

While the pasta is cooking, preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a shallow 3- 4-quart baking dish.

In a large bowl, stir together the cooked pasta, white sauce, provolone, Asiago, mozzarella, and 1 cup of the Parmesan, then transfer the mixture to the buttered baking dish. Smooth off the top with a spatula.

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, oregano, and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and sprinkle it evenly over the pasta. (This recipe can be prepared several hours in advance, covered and put in the cooler. Bring to room temperature before baking.)

Bake the pasta in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden and the cheese is bubbling.

DESSERT

The standard trinity of Italian desserts consists mainly of tiramisu, cannoli, and gelato, so maybe it’s time to think outside the box. Here’s a quick and easy dessert that offers relief from that boring old box.

Ricotta all’Espresso

This is a dessert you can count on for whipping up (no pun intended) real fast. Creamy and rick-tasting with a mousselike consistency, it’s one that adults and children alike will enjoy. If you don’t have espresso in house, simply use strong black coffee (or even instant espresso coffee).

Serves 4

2 cups ricotta cheese (not low-fat)
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup espresso or strong black coffee, cooled
2 tablespoons sambuca (optional)
½ cup finely chopped pistachios

Put the ricotta, sugar, coffee and optional Sambuca in a food processor or blender and process until creamy and thick. Spoon the mixture into tall serving glasses and refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours, until thoroughly chilled.

Just before serving, sprinkle some of the chopped pistachios on top of each serving.

Another option to jazz up this dessert would be to fold mini-morsel chocolate chips into the cheese after it has been chilled.

By Jeremy White, Editor in Chief

Dining trends come and go. One day all the rage is about Thai influences, then our palates are on to hot sauces. But Mediterranean fare is never far from the spotlight thanks to its enviable combination of bold flavors and big health benefits. The good news is that it’s easier than ever to offer your customers a Greek salad or Greek pizza to satisfy their appetites for all things Mediterranean.

A good entry point to work Greek-inspired dishes onto your menu is your salad category. Greek salads are easy and inexpensive to prepare. They’re also loaded with flavors that work well together and with pizza, which makes a basic Greek salad (see accompanying recipe) a wonderful warm up act for your traditional or specialty pizzas.

As a bundling suggestion for a lunch special, considering offering a Greek salad, two pesto breadsticks and slice (or a hoagie or warm grinder) at one price. For a dinner special, a great entrée to use with the salad and breadsticks would be a tri-colored, cheese-filled tortellini with a pesto cream sauce.

In regards to the dressing, a Greek salad will work with many options, from a simple oil and vinegar combination to a Ranch. There likely are at least one or two good pairings to be found in the lineup of house made or bottled dressings you already offer. If not, consider adding an Italian Pesto through your distributor or even making a simple concoction in house.

While one Greek salad will fit nicely within the repertoire of most pizzerias, chances are there aren’t room for two on the menu. Don’t go stir crazy and push your luck by adding a second if the first moves well. Instead, consider adding a Greek pizza to round out your Mediterranean offerings. Putting one together is a snap. Go light on the tomato sauce and use fresh mozzarella and provolone as your cheeses, topped with a little feta. As for toppings, use olives, capers, eggplant, tomato, artichokes, spinach and onions. You can even add seafood, such as shrimp or clams, to round it out.

Greek Salad

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

1 red onion, cut into small rings

6 ounces Kalamata olives, pitted

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 cucumber, sliced

6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

6 pepperoncini, whole

1 teaspoon oregano, chopped

ground black pepper, to taste

In a large salad bowl, combine lettuce, onion, olives, red bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, cheese, pepperoncini and oregano. Top with ground black pepper, to taste. Set aside, covered, in cooler.

To serve, place salad in chilled bowl and top with requested dressing.

By Pasquale “Pat” Bruno, Jr

It’s that time of year when tomatoes actually taste like tomatoes. In Chicago, where I live, it’s not easy to get great-tasting fresh tomatoes year-round. In fact, the window around here for vine-ripened tomatoes is open for only about four months of the year. So when those dead-ripe red beauties show up in the Farmers’ Markets around Chicago, I make it a point to use them in as many ways as possible.

One of my favorite ways to use fresh tomatoes is in a Caprese salad, in which slices of beefsteak tomatoes get layered with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil. I could easily turn a Caprese salad into a Pasta Caprese salad by adding cooked pasta and a splash of extra-virgin olive oil to the mozzarella and tomatoes (chopped, not sliced, in this case).

Those ideas are simply a preface to this Mediterranean Pasta Salad. The “Mediterranean” part of this salad has to do with the fresh tomatoes. The tomatoes thrive in the company of cucumbers, fresh basil, capers and cheese. I like the briny-salty flavor of feta for this salad, but chunks of aged provolone work great, too.

One of the secrets to a pasta salad — any pasta salad — is that you should rinse the pasta after cooking (this is the only time you should rinse pasta). Rinsing the pasta in cold water removes the starch from the surface of the pasta, so the pasta has a cleaner taste and works better with an oil and vinegar dressing.

You can make big batches of this salad ahead, but I would not push the shelf life beyond two days.


Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Makes 4 servings (scale up in direct proportion)

8 ounces of farfalle, rigatoni or other short pasta
1 large cucumber, seeded, chopped
3/4 cup Nicoise or oil-cured olives, pitted and halved
1 cup torn fresh basil leaves
2 cups diced, seeded dead-ripe fresh tomatoes, Roma or plum preferred
3 tablespoons capers, drained, rinsed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled, or aged provolone, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cook the pasta is abundant salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, rinse in cold water. Set aside to dry for a few minutes. (Note: Pasta can be cooked a day or two ahead. Rinse the pasta and spread out on sheet pans. Refrigerate, covered.)

In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, olives, fresh basil, tomatoes, capers, vinegar and olive oil. Toss gently to combine. Add the cheese and toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste. Salad can be served at room temperature if need be, or it can be refrigerated for at least 1 hour before serving.

By Pasquale “Pat” Bruno, Jr

I suppose it would be ridiculous of me to say that the two most important ingredients in that delicious antipasti called prosciutto and melon are actually the prosciutto and melon!

It’s not that ridiculous, actually, because it really does matter as to the kind of prosciutto and the kind of melon you use. While there is a swing between honeydew melon (my first choice) and cantaloupe, there is no compromise on the prosciutto. The prosciutto has to be prosciutto di Parma: subtly sweet, silky texture, remarkably distinct flavor. There is nothing quite like prosciutto di Parma.

Two more considerations are needed to make this antipasto all it should be: The melon needs to be fresh and dead ripe, and the prosciutto must be sliced almost paper thin. After that it’s, so to speak, a piece of cake to serve this appetizer, one that has wide appeal.

What is the fascination with this delicious antipasto, one that Italian restaurants (lately, a number of contemporary American restaurants have jumped on the P&M bandwagon, too) have been serving for years? It’s a fact that one of the most popular pizza toppings in Latin countries — Spain and Mexico, in particular — is pineapple and ham (also known as Hawaiian pizza in some cases). Well, prosciutto is ham, and there is a sweetness to melon that is not too dissimilar to pineapple. Presto! A beautiful coupling of two distinct flavors. Another nice feature of this antipasto is that there’s no cooking involved.

The usual method of serving P&M is to lay thin slices of prosciutto over wedges of melon. That works just fine, and I have seen it done in some ways that is downright fashionable. For example, cut the melon (seeded and peeled) into wedges that are about ¾- (three-fourths) inches at the base. Set the wedges on a chilled plate with a space of about ½-inch (one half) between each wedge. Now drape the thinly sliced prosciutto over the melon wedges, letting the prosicutto fold itself gently into the space between the melon wedges. Serve with wedges of fresh lime.

Another method is to cut the peeled and seeded melon into one-inch cubes. Cut the slices of prosciutto into strips. Wrap a strip of prosciutto around each cube and insert a toothpick into the melon. With this method I like to serve the P&M on a long and narrow plate with wedges of fresh lime.

Then there’s the idea of using P&M as part of a salad. In some restaurants I have seen some very interesting and flavorful combinations. For example, consider pairing thin shavings (use a potato peeler to shave the flesh of the melon) of honeydew or cantaloupe with baby arugula and a light balsamic vinegar dressing.


Prosciutto & Melon Salad
Makes one serving (scale up in direct proportion)


1 cup fresh arugula, patted dry
2 wedges of honeydew melon, seeded, peeled, cut into ½-inch cubes
2 thin slices of prosciutto di Parma, each slice cut into 2 strips, lengthwise
Extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh lemon juice

Arrange the arugula in the center of a chilled plate. Place the cubes of melon around the base of the arugula. Criss-cross the strips of prosciutto over the arugula. Drizzle the olive oil and the fresh lemon juice over the salad. Serve.

By Pasquale “Pat” Bruno Jr.

This month, The Cheese Whiz is addressing two important cheeses –– ricotta and ricotta salata. Though similar in name, these two cheeses are like night and day. Let me explain.

In this country, ricotta is made from whole or partially skimmed cow’s milk. Italian ricotta is made from sheep's-milk whey. Similarly, ricotta salata (ree-COH-tah sah-LAH-tah) is made from sheep’s milk whey (or in some cases, whey and whole milk).

Having said that, I quickly add that the two cheeses are vastly different in texture and taste. American ricotta may not have the same mild and nutty flavor as Italian ricotta, but in the way and style that we use ricotta in this country it is a better choice overall, because it is quite a bit moister and a bit sweeter than the Italian version and lends itself to those dishes that we know so well (lasagne, ravioli, manicotti, stuffed shells)

Now, the ricotta salata is a wonderful cheese, a cheese that you should seek out. It is firm and smooth in texture and nutty in flavor, with a slightly salty aftertaste. In fact, the texture (dense, yet slightly spongy) of this cheese allows for grating or cutting into chunks (similar to feta cheese). I use Ricotta salata in salads of all types, including a basic green salad. It complements spinach in many ways. Ricotta salata is delicious with oil-cured olives and crusty Italian bread. Once you try this wonderful cheese and put it into use you will know why I am so high on ricotta salata.

Rigatoni with Spinach and Ricotta Salata

The great part about this dish is that it can be served as a hot pasta dish or as a cold pasta salad. No salt is used because the ricotta salata has just enough saltiness to carry the dish. Add pepper to taste, though.

Yield: 4 servings

6 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 cup of chopped oil-cured black olives

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 pound rigatoni

10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves

1 cup (about 6 ounces) grated ricotta salata

Combine the olive oil, olives and garlic. Set aside. Cook the pasta until it is al dente. Drain well.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta with spinach leaves. Toss quickly to wilt the spinach just a bit. Now add the olive and olive oil mixture. Just before serving, sprinkle on the ricotta salata.

Ricotta Al Espresso

This is a fine dessert, one that you can make ahead and keep in individual, covered parfait glasses in the reach-in cooler. Creamy and rich-tasting with a mousse-like consistency, it can be garnished with fresh strawberries or, as I do here, with chopped pistachios. If you don't want to use the liqueurs, add 1 additional tablespoon of espresso. In place of the pistachios you can use mini chocolate chips.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

115-ounce carton ricotta cheese

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup freshly brewed espresso, cooled

2 tablespoons Sambuca or anisette

1/2 cup finely chopped pistachios

Put the ricotta cheese, sugar, coffee and Sambuca in a food processor and process until creamy and thick. Spoon the mixture into tall serving glasses. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Just before serving, sprinkle some of the chopped pistachios over the cheese.

By Pasquale “Pat” Bruno, Jr

Most of the time Carpaccio is associated with beef, as in thin slices of raw beef, veal or even tuna. The name comes from Vittore Carpaccio, the Venetian Rennaissance painter who, as history points out, favored the use of red and white in his paintings. Food lore suggests — quite accurately –– that Carpaccio was invented at Harry’s Bar in Venice, in 1950, the year of the great Carpaccio exhibition in that illustrious Italian city.

The fact is, though, that not everybody is comfortable with the idea of eating raw meats, so I figured it was time to explore the idea of vegetable Carpaccio, which is every bit as colorful (actually more so) and delicious as Carpaccio made with beef, and a lot more interesting than a Carpaccio made with veal or tuna.

The depth of flavor connected to Carpaccio has to do with the seasonings. A classic Carpaccio of beef, for example, goes like this: The raw beef (tenderloin) is sliced (and pounded) almost paper thin. Next the slices are overlapped on the plate (in most instances to cover the whole plate). Now the beef is dressed with extra-virgin olive oil (or a vinaigrette) or, in its classic guise, a Carpaccio sauce. Simple yet delicious.

Now let’s take that same idea, and in place of raw beef use raw (or gently cooked) vegetables. The first vegetable that comes to mind is the tomato, not only for color, but for overall appeal.

Zucchini is the next vegetable that comes to mind –– again, sliced paper thin, slices slightly overlapped. Fresh fennel (anise) and roasted red bell peppers are two more delicious possibilities. Beets are not one of my favorite vegetables, but they are ideal for a Carpaccio of vegetables.

My first choice for the ultimate vegetable carpaccio, though, would be tomatoes. In your mind’s eye, picture a plate of red adorned with drizzles of white (the same idea as used for a carpaccio of beef). In this simplicity lies beauty, not unlike that of the painter for which the dish is named. The important reality of this is that you can charge a good buck for this attractive and tasty dish, yet your food costs are next to nothing. Check the recipe to see how to do it.




Tomato Carpaccio
Yield: 1 serving; Scale up in direct proportion

4 (about 3/4 pound) fresh, almost dead ripe, Roma tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup Arugula or mesclun (baby greens)

Use a 9-inch diameter serving plate. Slice the tomatoes almost paper thin into rounds. Arrange the tomatoes around the outer edge of the plate, slightly overlapping the slices, working toward the center of the plate to cover the plate entirely (you will use about 30-35 slices). Drizzle the tomatoes with the olive oil. Sprinkle the cheese over the tomatoes. Fluff the arugula onto the very center of the plate.



Chef’s Note: To create a tomato and zucchini carpaccio, alternate layers of thinly sliced tomatoes and zucchini. Serve with a cup of vinaigrette dipping sauce in the center of the plate in place of the arugula or mesclun.

By Jeremy White, Editor in Chief

It’s February, traditionally one of the coldest months of the year in much of the United States, and many of your customers are thinking about hot meals and soups. Your minestrone’s probably moving as well as ever.

Funny thing, though: your salads are still selling well, too, aren’t they? Without question, salad has moved from a summer dish to a year-round favorite. While you can’t expect your entrée salads to sell as well in February as in August, you certainly can expect to push your average guest-check by up selling salads as starters to the main course. Whether customers order pizza, pasta or osso buco, a fresh salad is an ideal appetizer.

Another great option is to follow The Olive Garden’s lead by bundling soup, salad and breadsticks at one low price as a means to drive the lunch daypart. The combination is particularly appealing to business workers who need a quick, filling lunch.

Give it a try. In the summer, six to eight different salads is a good number to offer on your menu if you’re full-service. In the winter, keep three to four available for ordering. In the case of delivery and carryout units, a minimum of two salads should make the menu at all times.

The beauty of putting together a good salad is that, like pizza, the ingredients you can use are virtually endless. The key is to use fresh, high quality produce (that you already have in house … no need to add additional inventory) and offer house-made or top quality bottled dressings. Your customers will take it from there.

Finally, you don’t need a recipe to make a good salad (get in the kitchen and experiment!), but we’re going to give you one anyway. Why? Because that’s what we do.


West Coast Chopped Salad

½ head iceberg lettuce, chopped into 1/8-inch wide strips

½ head romaine lettuce, chopped into 1/8-inch wide strips

10 basil leaves, chopped

12 ounces mozzarella, shredded

6 ounces sharp cheddar, cut into small cubes

2 pounds Roma tomatoes, diced

1 cup honey ham, diced

1 cup turkey breast, diced

¼ cup red onion, chopped

½ cup black olives, chopped

Toss all ingredients together in large bowl and keep covered in cooler. To serve, toss salad with requested dressing and serve on chilled salad plates.

Cook’s Note: You can replace the ham and turkey with grilled chicken or a combination of salami and pepperoni if you do not already keep ham and turkey on hand for subs.

By Pasquale “Pat” Bruno, Jr

No question that it’s pretty darn easy to just open a jug, jar or can to take care of your salad dressing needs. However, in this day and age of going artisanal, it’s time to take a look at putting together your own salad dressings. And this is the perfect time to get back to the basics. How cool would it be for your customers to see this blurb on your menu: “All of our salad dressings are made in house”. It signifies natural, fresh, no fillers and no ingredients with a number or a name that is hard to pronounce.

Case in point: My wife drags me off to a particular restaurant simply because of the homemade coleslaw it serves. This very casual restaurant could simply pop open a jar or pack of in-the-back-door coleslaw and call it a day, but it chooses to do something special — and it works.

Across the board, the six most popular salad dressings in many Italian restaurants are ranch, bleu cheese, Italian, Caesar, French, and honey dijon. OK, if you’re thinking that you don’t want to deal with the idea of making a half-dozen salad dressings from scratch, then how about meeting me a little more than half way?

Start off by making four of the more popular dressings: Ranch, bleu cheese, Italian and creamy Caesar. Once you see how easy it is to make these dressings in terms of time and effort, you will be asking me to put together the recipes for more dressings!

Here are some tips about dressing salads:

Don’t drown the greens in dressing. It’s not only costly, but it makes for a bad-tasting salad. More is never better when it comes to dressing a salad.

More people are asking for “dressing on the side,” so invest in some attractive serving dishes or cups (I use mini-souffle cups or ramekins). It’s OK for fast food restaurants to use plastic cups for dressings. But if you are running a nice restaurant, step up to the plate (so to speak).

If your salad dressing is properly made, the idea of adding crushed pepper tableside is not necessary. But a lot of customers seem to enjoy that extra touch, so have some good pepper mills on hand.





Ranch Dressing
Yield: 4 cups (scale up in direct proportion)

1 cup buttermilk
½ cup buttermilk powder
2 cups mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

In a large mixing bowl, whip and combine the buttermilk with the buttermilk powder. Fold in the mayonnaise to combine. Add salt and pepper. Add the parsley and combine. Store covered in a glass or plastic jug or a stainless steel container. Shelf life is about 4 to 5 days.

Bleu cheese dressing 
Yield: 3 cups (scale up in direct proportion)

2 cups plain sour cream
1 cup quality crumbled blue cheese
Fresh lemon juice to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine and whip the sour cream with the blue cheese. Add the lemon juice a teaspoon at a time until you get the perfect ranch dressing flavor. A hint of garlic can be added as an option. Store covered in a glass or plastic jug or a stainless steel container. Shelf life is 5 to 7 days.

Italian Dressing
Yield: ½ gallon

It is easier and more accurate when working with liquids (vinegar, olive oil) to weigh instead of measure. The secret to the flavor in this dressing is to get the essence of the garlic into the dressing by lightly crushing the garlic.

½ pound good quality balsamic vinegar
3 ½ pounds extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, bruised (peel and smash gently with a knife)
1/4 ounce freshly ground black pepper
3/4 ounce salt (more to taste if desired)
1 ounce Dijon mustard

In a large non-reactive (non-metal) container (jug or jar), combine the vinegar and the oil. Add the garlic. Let stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Strain out or remove the garlic cloves. Add the pepper, salt, and mustard. Beat to combine. Store in a cool place (do not refrigerate). Shelf life: one week.

Options to consider for this dressing: add dried oregano and dried basil to taste.

Quick and Easy Creamy Caesar Dressing
Yield: 3 cups (scale up in direct proportion)


3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and put through a garlic press
1/2 (scant) cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons anchovy paste
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 cups extra-virgin olive oil
croutons

In a food processor or in a large stainless steel bowl, whisk together garlic, lemon juice, mustard, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, anchovy paste and cheese until well blended. With motor of food processor running, or whisking constantly, add the oil in a thin stream until it is incorporated. The dressing should have a light, mayonnaise-like consistency. Refrigerate, covered. Shelf life is about 7 days. Remove from cooler about 1 hour before service.

To finish, use crisp, clean, romaine lettuce, lightly chopped. Toss the lettuce with the dressing (to taste) and the croutons. Serve each portion on a chilled salad plate. Garnish with additional Parmesan. Lay two anchovy filets crosswise over the greens. Presto! You’ve got a perfect Caesar salad.

CHEF’S NOTE: Make your own croutons by using day-old bread. Cut into cubes. Lay the croutons out in one layer on a sheet pan. Toast in the oven.