I am so very excited this week to feature a chef who has ties to Maysville and Augusta. A few weeks ago, Elizabeth Sapp, of Maysville, brought me a delightful cookbook from her grandson, Nate Appleman. Nate, is the son of Connie Sapp Callahan, formerly of Maysville, who resides in Texas and Dr. James Appleman of Greenville, Ohio. He is also the grandson of the late James Sapp and the late, Mr. and Mrs. James Appleman.
Connie, his mom, and I have quickly become e-mail friends and I now have my own, cherished copy of this outstanding cookbook. Nate and his partner, Shelley Lindgren have published a cookbook entitled A16 Food + Wine. In the cookbook there is a great deal of information about Italy, Italian recipes, ingredients, wines, cheeses, wonderful photos and the best of recipes.
Nate is the co-owner and executive chef of two of San Francisco’s most acclaimed restaurants and in the process of opening another restaurant in the Dogpatch area of the city. The names will fool you a bit, but there is a background on how the restaurants were named. A16 Restaurant was named for a highway in Italy and I will keep you guessing about the other ones for now. I understand there is quite a waiting list to dine in A16, maybe a month or more, but no reservations are taken at SPQR which is located in Pacific Heights. A16 is located on Chestnut Street in San Francisco where Nate is known for his house-cured salami, Naples style pizzas, slow cooked meat dishes, chile spiked seafood stews, delicate antipasti and hearty roasted vegetables. The co-owner of his restaurant is Shelley Lindgren whos speciality is wine. She is renowned in the business for her commitment to handcrafted southern Italian wines. So they go hand in hand when preparing the menus for each restaurant. She co-authored the new recipe book A16 Food + Wine.
Nate trained and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and did his internship at The Maisonette and worked at The Palace Restaurant, both in Cincinnati. He also traveled for six months in Italy and that was the best of the best experiences for him to learn about their foods and wines. He was able to expand his knowledge of Italian cooking, homemade sausages, cheese and Italian wines and developed a love for their culture and cuisine.
He loves the art of butchery and anything to do with preparing meat for a recipe. He is also known in the restaurants as one of the country’s few certified pizzaiolos, or as we would say, a pizza chef. Nate still imports some of his ingredients from farmers in Italy and often returns there to visit with the people in their communities and to learn more about their foods.
Nate’s mom furnished me with a photo of him and it is similar to one in the cookbook. I obtained permission from the publishing company to reproduce four of his recipes and I will label them for you. The last recipe today, which is mine, is similar to foods found in Italy and easy to prepare. I prepared three of the recipes and they were simply delicious and my cousin, Willa Porter in Flemingsburg made the homemade noodles. All of the recipes were delicious and easy to prepare. The first four recipes are from his new cookbook and they have been reprinted with permission from A16: Food + Wine by Nate Appleman and Shelley Lindgren, copyright 2008. Published by Ten Speed Press.
Roasted Potatoes and Cauliflower with Red Onion, Capers and Chiles
by Nate Appleman
1 lb. of Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in 1 inch pieces ( or 1 1/2 inch pieces)
Kosher salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 head of cauliflower, about two pounds, (cut above the size of the potatoes)
1/3 cup salt-packed capers (soaked in cold water for 30 minutes and then drained)
1/2 teaspoon dried chile flakes ( or less)
1 red onion, sliced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes with about 1 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss to coat the potatoes evenly. Transfer the potatoes to a rimmed baking sheet, spreading them in an even layer. Reserve the bowl for seasoning the cauliflower. Roast the potatoes, rotating the pan front to back about halfway through cooking, for about 40 minutes or until cooked through and golden.
Core the cauliflower and separate the head into florets. Cut the largest florets in half, so that all of the florets are uniform in size. Transfer to the same bowl used to season the potatoes, add about 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 cup of olive oil, and toss to coat the florets. The florets must be generously coated with olive oil to brown evenly.
Heat a large ovenproof saute pan over high heat. Give the cauliflower a final toss in the bowl and then transfer to the saute pan. Using a rubber spatula, scrape any oil remaining in the bowl into the pan. Cook the florets, stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes, or until they begin to turn golden brown on the outside but remain firm on the inside. Transfer the saute pan to the oven and roast the florets, stirring them a few times to ensure even cooking for about 20 minutes or browned but not completely soft. ( I placed the cauliflower on the same tray with the roasting potatoes).
While the potatoes and cauliflower roast, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small pot over medium heat. Pat the capers dry with a paper towel and carefully add then to the oil (they may splatter). Fry the capers for about 2 minutes, or until they bloom and become crispy. Stir in the chile flakes and onion and cook for 3 minutes longer, or until the onion softens. Stir in the vinegar and remove from heat.
When the potatoes and cauliflower are ready, remove from the oven and let cool slightly before combining. Then combine them in a large bowl, add the onion mixture, and toss gently until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and vinegar if needed to balance the flavors. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Braised Green Beans with Pork and Tomato Soffritto
by Nate Appleman
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced, about 1 cup
1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1/4 cup of tomato paste
8 oz. of boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes and ground in a meat grinder
or finely chopped in a food processor
1 cup of water
Kosher salt
2 pounds of green beans, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
To make the soffritto, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, season with the salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes longer, or until the tomato paste changes from bright red to brick red.
Add the pork, adjust the heat to low and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the pork has rendered most of its fat and is cooked through. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Stir in the water and continue to simmer for about 5 minutes more, or until the mixture is nearly dry. You should have about 1 1/2 cups soffritto.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Snip off the ends of the green beans and rinse. Add the green beans and blanch for about 5 minutes or until nearly tender. Drain well and lay the beans out on a tow-lined baking sheet. Taste a bean. If it tastes underseasoned, season the beans with more salt. Tip: I had to add more salt to the recipe and a couple for shakes of pepper for our taste buds.
Give the pot you used for cooking the beans a quick rise and return it to the stove. Add the olive oil and warm over medium heat. Stir in the soffritto and cook for about 3 minutes, or until it is sizzling. Stir in the beans, add a splash of water, adjust the heat to medium-low, and simmer the beans for about 6 minutes or until they are soft and have absorbed the flavor from the soffritto. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. Transfer the beans to a warmed bowl and serve immediately. Tip: The leftovers warmed up great!
Roasted Butternut Squash with Pancetta and Chiles
by Nate Appleman
1 3 lb. butternut squash
kosher salt
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
4 oz. of pancetta, diced (about one cup)
2 Calabrian chiles, stemmed and chopped or 1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes (or less)
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Peel the squash halves and slice crosswise into 1/2 inch thick pieces. You should have about 8 cups. In a large bowl, toss the squash with a few generous pinches of salt and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Divide the squash between two rimmed baking sheets, spreading the pieces evenly over the pans. Roast the squash, rotating the pan front to back about halfway through the cooking, for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through and golden.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small pot over low heat. Stir in the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes, or until crispy. Stir in the chiles, remove from the heat and set aside.
When the squash is ready, remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, add the pancetta mixture, and toss to mix. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.
Homemade Pasta
by Nate Appleman
6 cups of all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
1 1/2 cups of water
1 egg, lightly beaten
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour and salt. On low speed, drizzle in the water and egg and mix just until combined. Knead on medium-low speed for 3 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough. It should feel slightly tacky but not sticky. If the dough sticks to your fingers, add 1/4 more flour. Continue to knead the dough for 10 minutes to build up its strength. At this point, the dough should feel warm and a little stiff, yet softer than a pasta dough made with semolina. If it is very soft and feels more like a pizza or bread dough, add more flour and continue to knead. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap, and let rest for about 30 minutes. The dough will soften as it rests.
Clear off a large area of the counter or kitchen table and prepare a well-floured work surface. If using a hand-cranked pasta machine, attach it to the counter or table next to the floured surface, and fit the machine wit the rollers on the widest setting (these are smooth rollers that will transform the dough into long, thin strips for cutting later). If using an attachment for a stand mixer, set the machine up to the side of the work surface and attach the rollers.
Unwrap a piece of the dough and transfer it to the work surface. With a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a rectangle 1/2 inch thick and no wider that will fit comfortably through the rollers (typically less than 6 inches wide). Guide the dough through the first setting of the pasta machine, then return it to the work surface and dust it lightly with flour. Fold the dough strip into thirds (like a business letter), Flatten with the rolling pin and send the piece through the machine again on the first setting. Repeat two more times, then switch to the next narrower setting. Guide the dough through the second setting twice, dusting with flour after each pass. If at any point it becomes too long to handle easily, cut it in half. Continue to pass the dough through the rollers, adjusting to narrower settings, until the dough is about 1/8 inch thick.
Cut the pasta sheet (s) into 10 inch long rectangles while retaining its width (about 5 inches). Sprinkle each piece generously with flour, and then stack the rectangles to clear space so you can work. Repeat wit the remaining dough pieces.
Select a baking sheet or pan that will fit in your freezer and line it with parchment paper or dust with flour. To cut the dough sheets into noodles, starting from a narrow end, roll up a rectangle into a cylinder. Then, using a very sharp knife, cut the cylinder crosswise into 1/8 inch wide strips to create noodles 10 inches long and 1/8 inch wide. Dredge the noodles through flour so they don’t stick together, divide into 4 ounce portions, and curl each portion around your fingers to form a nest. Place the noodle nests on the prepared pan and repeat with the remaining rectangles. At this point the noodles may be boiled or frozen.
Lamb Chops with Rosemary, Garlic and Balsamic Vinegar
3 teaspoons of smashed garlic, divided
1/2 teaspoon of salt, divided
2 tablespoons of fresh Rosemary
2 tablespoons of stone ground mustard
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar
8 lean lamb loin chops, trimmed
1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
Heat grill. Prepare one teaspoon of garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, rosemary, mustard, olive oil and two teaspoons of vinegar in a small bowl, stir will.
Place lamb chops in a shallow dish. Spread the rosemary mixture over the chops on both sides. Let stand for 10 minutes. Bring 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar and remaining 2 teaspoons of garlic to a boil in a small pan. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for five minutes or until reduced to 1/4 cup. Stir in remaining salt and pepper; set aside and keep warm. Place lamb chops on grill, cover and grill four minutes on each side. Place lamb chops on a meat platter and drizzle with balsamic mixture.
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