I have blogged a lot about Da Silvano in NYC and mentioned their crostini recently. They make the real Tuscan version here with livers…here’s my recipe that I learned how to make at Trattoria Sostanza in Florence.

Called Zuppa Valdoastana, or winter soup of the Italian Alps, this is a nice soup to serve on a cold winter day or night. I use the beef stock from my Killer Liquid recipe as the base.

This veal with tuna sauce is one of the best dishes in the world and may sound odd to some, but the sauce is AMAZING.

Recipes like this one are perfect bridge dishes, linking the seasons, from winter to spring. Try ragout as a side dish for a roasted chicken dinner or on its own as a simple supper. For me, a perfect Sunday is spent cooking a double batch of the ragout. Freeze some, and serve the rest over a bowl of the polenta—you’ll feel like you are in the north of Italy, just into the lodge after a day skiing the Tyrolean Alps. Or the Afton Alps.

This recipe is an ancient one that my dad got somewhere and passed on to me years ago. His version does not call for prosciutto. This classic Italian zuppa is the perfect wintertime rib-sticking meal in a bowl. Most people make it for vegetarians, but I say do it my way and use the prosciutto hock, which in most stores is thrown away and can usually be sweet-talked from the counter person for next to nothing. I buy my prosciutto at Italian markets like the ones in my neighborhood:  Broder’s, Buon Giorno, Cossetta’s, or at my neighborhood Byerly’s.

And feel free to sprinkle this soup with shaved parmesan at the table!

And keep in mind that the beans take overnight to soak!

Just the other day I was craving a dish that I only eat in the cool weather months, this hearty veal ragout, which I serve over pasta, polenta, or spooned over a simple mushroom risotto. If you like, you can even up the number of shanks and use this as an osso buco recipe (don’t strip the bones of the meat), and reserve all the extra sauce that you’ll have for another purpose.

SKILLS USED:
Sachet/Bouquet Garni

Everyone thinks ravioli is hard to make at home, but nothing is easier, or more fun to make with the kids than these simple little pasta pockets. Experiment with your own fillings and sauces—the technique is what counts here the most.

A great way to utilize an ingrediant most simply do not know how to work with (not to mention a great way to get vegetables into kids). Serve with the Squash and Veal Bolonaise Sauce or quick toss with some browned butter. Either way, its great.

SKILLS USED:

Roasted Garlic