Ethan Stowell's New Italian Kitchen: Bold Cooking from Seattle's Anchovies & Olives, How to Cook A Wolf, Staple & Fancy Mercantile, and Tavolàta [Hardcover]

Ethan Stowell (Author), Leslie Miller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 21, 2010

Welcome to Ethan Stowell’s New Italian Kitchen--not so much a place as a philosophy. Here food isn’t formal or fussy, just focused, with recipes that honor Italian tradition while celebrating the best ingredients the Pacific Northwest has to offer. We’re talking about a generous bowl of steaming handmade pasta--served with two forks for you and a friend. Or perhaps an impeccably fresh crudo, crunchy cucumber and tangy radish accenting impossibly sweet spot prawns. Next up are the jewel tones of a beet salad with lush, homemade ricotta, or maybe a tangle of white beans and clams spiked with Goat Horn pepper--finished off with a whole roasted fish that begs to be sucked off the bones. Oh, some cheese, a gooseberry compote complementing your Robiola, or the bittersweet surprise of Campari sorbet. 
 
This layered approach is a hallmark of Ethan’s restaurants, and in his New Italian Kitchen, he offers home cooks a tantalizing roadmap for re-creating this style of eating. Prepare a feast simply by combining the lighter dishes found in “Nibbles and Bits”—from Sardine Crudo with Celery Hearts, Pine Nuts, and Lemon to Crispy Young Favas with Green Garlic Mayonnaise—or adding recipes with complex flavors for a more sophisticated meal. Try the luscious Corn and Chanterelle Soup from “The Measure of a Cook;” or the Cavatelli with Cuttlefish, Spring Onion, and Lemon from “Wheat’s Highest Calling.” Up the ante with a stunning Duck Leg Farrotto with Pearl Onions and Bloomsdale Spinach from “Starches to Grow On,” or choose one of the “Beasties of the Land,” like Skillet-Roasted Rabbit with Pancetta-Basted Fingerlings. Each combination will nudge you and your guests in new, unexpected, and unforgettable directions.
 
Every page of Ethan Stowell’s New Italian Kitchen captures the enthusiasm, humor, and imagination that make cooking one of life’s best and most satisfying adventures. It’s got to be good--but it’s also got to be fun.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Fall into Cooking Featured Recipe from Ethan Stowell's New Italian Kitchen: Mob-Hit Squid

Mob-Hit Squid is one of my favorite recipes in the book, clean fresh flavors, not too challenging to prepare and easy to serve at a party. It’s not so much "new" Italian as it is classic Italian with a playful name to make sure you know that cooking is meant to be fun for all. --Ethan Stowell

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup Controne Beans (recipe following)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
8 large squid, cleaned
1/2 pound Home-Cured Bacon (recipe following), diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the grill on high.

Pulse the beans in a food processor into a rough purée, then place in a bowl with the parsley and the olive oil.

Cut the tentacles off the squid bodies in one piece, keeping the legs intact and creating a large opening at the bottom of each squid body. Grill, turning once, until the tentacles are just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and give the tentacles a rough chop. Add the grilled tentacles to the bowl with the bean purée.

Place the bacon in a sauté pan over medium to medium-low heat and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the bacon slightly crisps and renders some of its fat. Drain the bacon and add to the rest of the ingredients. Mix gently but thoroughly with a rubber spatula. Season with salt and pepper.

To stuff the squid, you can use a pastry bag fitted with a large tip, a resealable bag with a corner cut off, or a small spoon. Fill the bodies loosely because the stuffing will expand during cooking. After filling, close the top of each squid by threading a toothpick through twice.

Rub each body with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the squid until the bodies are opaque and the filling is heated through, 6 to 8 minutes.

Controne Beans

1 cup controne beans
1 head garlic, halved horizontally
1 large carrot, peeled and halved
2 stalks celery
1 thick slice lemon
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt

Put the beans, garlic head, carrot, and celery in a large pot over high heat and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until tender. Remove the vegetables and strain the beans, then put into a serving bowl. While the beans are still warm, add the lemon slice, garlic clove, olive oil, and salt to taste. The beans will absorb the flavors and seasoning as they cool; they will be ready to serve after 10 minutes, but are equally good served at room temperature.

Note: To prepare the beans ahead of time, cook until tender, then cool in their cooking liquid in the refrigerator. Reheat in the liquid, then strain and proceed with the recipe.

Home-Cured Bacon
Makes a heck of a lot of great bacon

1 fresh pork belly, skin removed, 7 to 9 pounds
2 to 3 tablespoons ground Aleppo pepper, to taste
3 pounds kosher salt
1 teaspoon curing salt
1 pound granulated sugar
1 pound brown sugar

Rub the pork belly top and bottom with the Aleppo pepper. Combine the kosher salt, curing salt, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large, nonreactive container and bury the belly completely in the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 2 days.

Remove the belly from the refrigerator and discard the cure. Rinse the remaining cure off the meat and pat it dry. Set the belly on a baking sheet and loosely cover. Allow to sit in the refrigerator another 2 days.

Using a conventional smoker, smoke the belly until the internal temperature reaches 145°F. Once the belly is smoked and cooled, cut into 4 sections. Wrap the sections well in plastic wrap and foil and store in the freezer until needed, up to 3 months.

---

From Publishers Weekly

The title's "new" claim is apt; this is no red-sauce cookbook. The proprietor of three popular, ingredient-driven, Italian-inspired Seattle restaurants presents a collection of recipes rich with flavor and often featuring intriguing taste combinations. Cavatelli with cuttlefish, spring onion, and lemon has a hit of spice from chili flakes, and a roast quail is stuffed with pancetta, lacinato kale, and sage. As with any good chef-written book, readers will find gems of kitchen wisdom--like which parts of watercress to use in a salad and how to prepare beef to make carne cruda with the perfect texture--casually sprinkled throughout. A humorous chapter on cheese and desserts includes such intriguing presentations as La Tur with oven-roasted tomato; lemon verbena panna cotta with poached peaches; and roasted figs with chocolate-espresso ganache. Like the other recipes in the book, these showcase fresh ingredients and have a decidedly modern feel. (Oct.) (c)
Copyright © PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press (September 21, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158008818X
• ISBN-13: 978-1580088183
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 0.9 x 10.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #485,140 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The adventure begins..., September 23, 2010

By 

Andrew Ellington (I'm kind of everywhere) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Ethan Stowell's New Italian Kitchen: Bold Cooking from Seattle's Anchovies & Olives, How to Cook A Wolf, Staple & Fancy Mercantile, and Tavolàta (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Yes, I love to cook. I love to try new things and experiment with ingredients I've never used before. I like to `wow' myself and others with food. Oh, and I love Italian food, which is the primary reason why I snatched this up. Upon opening this book though, I realized that this was far more than I anticipated. This isn't your mom and dads Italian food. This is experimental, interesting and unique takes on Italian cuisine.

My heart skipped a beat.

Now, unlike others, I am not one who is going to knock this down a peg because the ingredients used are not familiar to all grocery stores. This is not for the `I just need something quick and easy to feed my family' type chef, so if that is what you are looking for...walk away. This cookbook is for the chef who wants to be something more than he (or she) already is. This is for the person who wants to try new things and learn how to expand their culinary skills.

It's funny because my mother and I were just talking about getting together and making fresh pasta, and then I get this book complete with recipes on FRESH PASTA! I couldn't believe it. That right there is further proof that this is not your average cookbook.

The recipes, despite containing complicated ingredients and despite relying on a certain level of skill to execute (you won't be able to handle all of these recipes the first day in), they are easy to follow and contain nice illustrations that showcase the richness of the food.

In the end, I'm all head over heals in love with this book. Be forewarned, this book contains recipes that use Ox Tail and Urchin Roe, but if want to tap into your culinary wild side, this book is the perfect complement to your impending journey!

Bon appetit.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best Suited to Adventurous Carnivores, September 14, 2010

By 

S. D. Fischer (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Ethan Stowell's New Italian Kitchen: Bold Cooking from Seattle's Anchovies & Olives, How to Cook A Wolf, Staple & Fancy Mercantile, and Tavolàta (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

As noted in other reviews, many of the recipes in Ethan Stowell's New Italian Kitchen: Bold Cooking from Seattle's Anchovies & Olives, How to Cook A Wolf, Staple & Fancy Mercantile, and Tavolàta call for exotic ingredients and unusual meats not likely to be found in the average supermarket. Quite a few dishes feature seafood which could be a draw or a drawback, depending on your palate and budget.

There is a brief introduction to each recipe with preparation tips and serving suggestions. The author sometimes suggests substitutions (such as other types of oysters which could work for the Baked Stellar Oysters).

The author encourages readers to feature many small plates to give their guests exposure to a wide variety of dishes, and to aim to have those guests sated rather than stuffed at the end of the meal.

As a vegetarian, I didn't see many recipes I could eat (even the risotto calls for chicken stock). And when I ate meat, I didn't eat the "delicacies" featured in this book - from lamb tongue and oxtail to rabbit paws and sea urchin roe to veal cheeks and tripe (which I had to look up - it is the stomach tissue of a ruminant such as oxen, sheep and goats). You may notice that the only chicken recipe in the book is for chicken livers. The author correctly points out that there are thousands of chicken recipes in other cookbooks so he focused on duck and smaller birds such as duck and quail.

I've listed the recipes below so you can judge for yourself whether they appeal to you. After all, taste varies by person and by culture. Vegetarian recipes are noted by an asterisk (*).

The first chapter, "Nibbles and Bits," includes recipes for:

* Baked Stellar Bay Kusshi Oysters with Garlic Breadcrumbs and Oregano

* Bruschetta with Smashed Chickpeas and Grilled Lamb's Tongue

* Crispy Young Favas with Green Garlic Mayonnaise*

* Beef Carpaccio with Preserved Pecorino Sardo and Arugula

* Carne Cruda with Anchovy and Garlic

* Fried Artichokes Pangratatto*

* Fried Ipswich Clams with Sorrel Aioli

* Geoduck Crudo with Fennel and Radish

* Geoduck Scramble with Crème Fraiche

* Manila Clams on the Half Shell with Fennel, Lemon and Chiles

* Sardine Crudo with Celery Hearts, Pine Nuts and Lemon

* Marinated Octopus

* Pickled Vegetables*

* Sea Bass Crudo with Vanilla Oil, English Peas and Mint

* Soft-Shell Crab Bruschetta with Spring Garlic Aioli

* Spot Prawn Crudo with Chile and Mint

* Frittata with Morels and Savory*

* Bruschetta with Fresh Ricotta and Pine Nut Salsa Verde*

* Soft-Boiled Eggs with Anchovy Mayonnaise

* Shigoku Oysters on the Half Shell with Accompaniments

* Uni Spoons (uni is sea urchin roe)

The next chapter is "The Measure of a Cook: Soups" and includes recipes for:

* Essence of Artichoke*

* Farro and Artichoke Soup*

* Mediterranean Mussel and Chickpea Soup with Fennel and Lemon

* Clam Brodetto

* Parmesan Brodo*

* Oxtail Soup with Farro and Root Vegetables

* Farmers' Market Soup*

* English Pea Soup with Poached Duck Egg*

* Kabocha and Porcini Soup*

* Corn and Chanterelle Soup*

* Heirloom Tomato Soup with Garlic Croutons*

* Sorrel and Yogurt Soup*

The third chapter is entitled, "Starches to Grow On: Gnocchi, Polenta, Risotto, and Farrotto" and includes recipes for:

* Basic Potato Gnocchi*

* Gnocchi with Morels and Fried Duck Egg*

* Ricotta Gnocchi with Beef Short Rib Ragu

* Soft Polenta*

* Firm Polenta (for grilling or sautéing)*

* Sauteed Chicken Livers with Mushrooms and Onions on Soft Polenta

* Grilled Polenta with Heirloom Tomatoes and Pounded Anchovy Sauce

* Sauteed Polenta with Hedgehog Mushrooms and Aged Provolone*

* Spring Garlic Risotto

* Ramp Risotto with Shaved Porcini

* Artichoke Risotto

* Clam Risotto with Lemon

* Butternut Squash Risotto with Hazelnut Oil

* Farrotto with English Peas and Morels

* Dug Leg Farrotto with Pearl Onions and Bloomsdale Spinach

The next chapter, "Wheat's Highest Calling: Pasta," includes the following recipes:

* Egg Pasta*

* Semolina Pasta*

* Braised Rabbit Paws with Radiatore

* Linguine with Shrimp

* Cavatelli with Cuttlefish, Spring Onion, and Lemon

* Fava Bean Agnolotti with Snails and Herbed Butter

* Gnocchetti with Pancetta, Chanterelles, and Mint

* Tagliarini with Totten Viginica Oysters, Prosecco, Chives and Cream

* Maloreddus with Squid, Tomato Sauce and Lemon

* Spaghetti with Garlic, Chile, and Sea Urchin

* Trofie with Nettle Pesto*

* Pappardelle with Tomato Sauce and Marinated Pecorino Sardo*

* Bigoli with Grilled Sardines and Fennel

* Duck Egg Ravoli with Ricotta and Swiss Chard*

* Switch-Hitting Clams with Ramps

* Cannelloni with Braised Pork Cheeks and Sweet Cicely

The fifth chapter is entitled, "Something Foraged, Something Green: Salads, Vegetables, and Sides" and features recipes for:

* Baby Beet Salad with Fresh Ricotta*

* Endive Salad with Creamy Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette*

* Seared Rabbit Loin with Frisee and Pancetta

* Lentils with Pancetta

* Fried Cauliflower with Ham Hock

* Lobster Mushrooms with Preserved Garlic, Parsley, and Oregano

* Shaved Artichoke and Wild Watercress Salad*

* Blood Orange Salad with Shallot and Taggiasca Olives*

* Rapini with Garlic, Chile, and Lemon*

* Delicata Squash with Chestnut Honey*

* Puntarelle with Anchovy, Garlic, and Parsley Dressing

* Pickled Mackerel Salad with Watercress, Radish, and Pistachio

* Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Artichokes with Garlic and Thyme*

* Company Alligator Pear*

* Miner's Lettuce, Fava Beans, English Peas, and Spring Garlic with White Balsamic Vinaigrette*

* Panzanella with Crispy Pig's Ear

* Potato and Asparagus Salad with Home-Cured Bacon and Egg

* Thumbelina Carrots with Orange and Mint*

* Pheromone Salad (Shaved Porcini Salad)*

* Swiss Chard with Pine Nuts and Golden Raisins*

The next chapter, entitled "Beasties of the Land...," focuses on meat and includes the following recipes:

* Braised Pork Jowls with the Maligned Melange

* Home-Cured Bacon

* Lamb Chops with Finger Favas

* Venison Loin with Cipollini Agrodolce

* Veal Sweetbreads with Parsley, Capers, and Lemon

* Seared Duck Breast with Sugared Figs and Arugula

* Braised Veal Cheeks with Grilled Ramps and Porcini

* Skillet-Roasted Rabbit with Pancetta-Basted Fingerlings

* Roast Quail Stuffed with Pancetta, Lacinato Kale, and Sage

* Pan-Roasted Squab with Spring Garlic Compote

* Party Tripe on Soft Polents

* Zatar-Rubbed Leg of Goat with Fresh Chickpeas, Spring Onion, and Sorrel

* Grilled T-Bone with Garlic, Lemon, and Controne Beans

* Italian "Tacos" (using lamb shoulder)

The seventh chapter is entitled, "...and Sea" and includes recipes for:

* Grilled Sardines with Baby Fennel, Capers, and Taggiasca Olives

* Mob-Hit Squid

* Fluke with Radish and Citrus Relish

* Ode to the Northwest (with a Nod to Cincinnati) (using halibut)

* Roasted Skate Wing with Brown Butter and Potatoes

* Black Bass with Thyme, Lemon, and Garlic

* Poached Black Bass with Spring Garlic and Mint

* Seared Scallops with Chanterelles and Parsnip and Pear Puree

* Steamed Clams with Guanciale and Sorrel

* Prosciutto-Wrapped Soft-Shell Crab Cigars with Shaved Radish and Arugula Salad

* Grilled Mackerel with Crispy Potatoes and Caper and Preserved Lemon Sauce

The next chapter is entitled, "Cheese for the Civilized and Desserts for the Rest of You" and features recipes for:

* Goat Cheese with Chestnut Honey & Hazelnut Dust*

* Ginepro with Gin-Soaked Pear*

* La Tur with Oven-Roasted Tomato Petals*

* Lemon Verbena Panna Cotta with Poached Peaches*

* Robiola with Gooseberry Compote*

* Cacio Faenum with Baked Apricot and Almond Puree*

* Rhubarb Soup with Prosecco*

* Roasted Figs with Chocolate-Espresso Ganache*

* Chocolate Ice Cream*

* Toasted Walnut Ice Cream*

* Pear-Star Anise Ice Cream*

* Melon Sorbet*

* Campari-Blood Orange Sorbet*

* Blueberry-Basil Sorbet*

* Zabaglione with Mixed Berries*

* Espresso Granita with Grappa Cream*

* Pie Cookies*

* Cardamom Sables*

* Almond Cake with Bay-Poached Queen Anne Cherries*

* Pine Nut Crumbles*

* Chocolate Pumpkin Tart*

The final chapter contains recipes for "Building Blocks: Condiments, Sauces, and Staples" such as:

* Basic Tomato Sauce*

* Mayonnaise*

* Preserved Garlic*

* Preserved Lemons*

* Preserved Pecorino Sardo*

* Salsa Verde

* Garlic Breadcrumbs*

* Basic Chickpeas*

The book also includes a comprehensive index... Read more ›

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book may not be for everyone, but I LOVED it!, October 8, 2010

By 

Timothy B. Riley (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ethan Stowell's New Italian Kitchen: Bold Cooking from Seattle's Anchovies & Olives, How to Cook A Wolf, Staple & Fancy Mercantile, and Tavolàta (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I have been a serious amateur cook for a couple of decades now and I have made friends with others that share my passion. When I entertain my foodie friends they are always polite and complimentary, but I can tell when my dish has fallen short of their expectations (especially when some of them are professional chefs). More than anything, what we are looking for is unique flavor combinations, dishes that make you say, "Wow, I had no idea that those ingredients could work together like that!" However, coming up with truly new and innovative recipes is not always easy. This book has given me the confidence that I will aways be able to blow my guests away with exciting culinary creations.

Although the recipes in Ethan Stowell's New Italian Kitchen are not what anyone would call traditional Italian cuisine, many of the main ingredients show a definite European influence. The use of rabbit, lamb, duck and goat is common in much of the world and is a welcomed change from the overused chicken, beef and pork that we find in many US cookbooks. The seafood shows an urban-coastal prospective with the use of various clams, geoduck, octopus, Shigoku Oysters and Uni. Finally, the wonderful trend towards shopping for exciting and unusual vegetables and greens at local Farmer's Markets is represented here in all of it's diversity and glory.

It usually takes me a while to review a cookbook like this because I insist on preparing as many of the dishes as possible. Here are the dishes that I've made so far and my thoughts about them:

* Soft-Boiled Eggs with Anchovy Mayonnaise - This was one of the easiest recipes in the book so I tackled it first. I loved soft-boiled eggs and often make my own mayonnaise so this dish appealed to me right off the bat. I had never thought of serving soft-boiled eggs in a deviled-egg style and it was a big hit. It took a little effort to keep the yolk from running out as I cut the egg, but I got it done with minimal effort. Combining anchovies with fresh mayonnaise is not in itself unique, but topping the fresh, runny eggs with it was brilliant.

* Bruschetta with Smashed Chickpeas and Grilled Lamb's Tongue - Many medium to large cities have Middle Eastern butcher shops operating in their boundaries. Lamb is common in these shops and are often butchered right there in the Halal tradition. I live in South-Central Texas and made a quick call to a local Halal store that is known for their fresh lambs. Although they don't usually consume the tongue, he had no problem in saving a few for me. The bruschetta was very well received and I was asked for the recipe by several of my chef friends.

* Corn and Chanterelle Soup - I tried several of the soup recipes and this was my favorite. As mentioned in the book, this dish is all about seasonality. Late August is a perfect month for fresh corn, Walla Walla Onions and fresh Chanterlle Mushrooms. I couldn't help but add some fine Sherry to the simmering soup. Incredible!

* Butternut Squash Risotto with Hazelnut Oil - An inspired recipe but at a price, this dish cost me more to make than some of the main courses. I can't think of a better fall dish; the sweetness of squash, the starchiness of the creamy risotto rice and the richness, savoriness of the hazelnut oil makes for a memorable evening.

* Beasties of the Land... - So many of these dishes called out to my carnivorous nature. So far I have tried the Lamb Chops with Fava and the Seared Duck Breast with Sugared Figs and Arugula. One of my closest friends said that if I served these dishes at a restaurant, she would live there. Although I have served duck with figs before, both dishes were inspired and I plan on making many more of the recipes in this book. By the way, the much mentioned recipe for "Braised Rabbit Paws with Radiatore" actually calls for four rabbit legs (which are fairly easy to find in most gourmet grocery stores), the author was just being playful with the recipe's name.

Ethan Stowell knocked it out of the park with this, his first book. I like his sense of humor, his style and his brassy creativity. I received an advanced, black and white copy of the book and plan on buying the finished edition. I look forward to more from this young chef.