“A Man and His Meatballs” (Regan, $27.95)
If jeweler-turned-chef John LaFemina is as engaging as this cookbook suggests, it’s hard to imagine going wrong with his easy-to-follow recipes, 75 of which are set forth in his first book, “A Man and His Meatballs.”
Instead of immediately going to the recipes, though, take time to read the narrative that walks you through this self-taught chef’s journey to opening his New York restaurant, Apizz.
The description of LaFemina’s fight to remove an ugly telephone booth that popped up overnight, obscuring the view of his beloved mahogany door, is hilarious, as is his description of the motley crew hired to help him build his Lower East Side dream.
When you’re done reading, hit the kitchen to make your own cherry tomato, bacon and lemon salad and those wonderful meatballs.
P.S.: If you’ve always loved skate, but had no idea how to prepare it at home, you’re in luck. Page 187.|Ellen Sweets
From “A Man and his Meatballs” by John LaFemina
Cherry Tomato, Bacon and Lemon Salad
This salad, adapted from the original recipe, has a lot of flavor, color and texture. The lemon zest and juice add a bracing element, while the bacon’s saltiness and crunch gives it a beautiful finish. Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 large lemon
1 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
6 slices bacon, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
2 cups halved yellow and red cherry (or grape) tomatoes
1 tablespoon diced red onion
3 tablespoons torn fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Using a zester or cheese grater, finely grate all zest from the lemon. Try not to get any pith with the zest. Set aside. Cut the lemon in half, squeeze juice into a small bowl, and strain to remove all seeds. Add zest and sugar to juice and mix well. Allow the mixture to stand for 15 minutes so flavors can fully develop.
Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until it begins to shimmer, 2-3 minutes. Add bacon and cook until is begins to brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove bacon and drain on a paper towel.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, basil, parsley, salt, pepper, lemon juice, zest and the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Divide salad among 4 salad plates. Sprinkle bacon on top and serve.
Veal, Beef and Pork Meatballs with Ricotta Filling
The author writes: “Mmmmmm, meatballs. I love meatballs, but the truth is that I never set out to stake my reputation on them. When I was growing up, meatballs were the thing that excited me most about Sunday dinner. I would eat one or two as soon as they were out of the frying pan. I felt the pasta was more of a garnish than anything else. That’s why a wanted to make meal out of them at Apizz. – two meatballs the size of your head served in a dish with sauce. No pasta. Period.
“When I started playing around with my recipe, I experimented with several variations of the meat: pork and veal, pork and beef, and veal alone. But the best version contained all three. The flavors were richer and more complex. As for frying versus baking, my choice to bake had nothing to do with a health issue. It was all about my wood-burning oven; it happens to turn out excellent meatballs.”
These work in a conventional oven just fine. If you don’t want to use plain canned tomato sauce and you don’t have time to make your own, consider Barilla’s Roasted Garlic and Onion Campagnola sauce. Also, if you don’t have the time or inclination to make breadcrumbs, use your favorite commercial brand of seasoned crumbs. Serves 8-10.
Ingredients
3 cups cubed crustless filone or regular Italian bread (about 1/2 loaf)
1 pound ground veal
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 egg
1/2 onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Pinch of oregano
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 cups tomato sauce
For the stuffing:
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Black pepper to taste
To finish the meatballs:
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
To make the meatballs, run cubed breadcrumbs under water and gently squeeze out excess liquid. Put bread in a large mixing bowl. Add veal, beef, pork, egg, onion, parsley, basil, cheese oregano, salt and pepper. Mix well with hands. Divide mixture into 8 portions. Using hands, roll each portion into a large meatball about the size of an apple. Place meatballs in a medium to large baking dish.
In a separate bowl, combine tomato sauce and 2 cups water. Spoon tomato sauce and water mixture over the meatballs until liquid comes three-quarters of the way up. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake the meatballs for 1 hour, turning the dish after 30 minutes. Remove baking dish from oven, drain and discard liquid. Let meatballs cool to room temperature. At this point the meatballs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To make stuffing, combine ricotta with Parmigiano, salt and pepper. Using an apple corer or small knife, cut a hole to the bottom of the meatball that is about 1/2 inch in diameter. Fill the hole with cheese mixture (for best results, use a pastry bag).
To finish, spoon the tomato sauce evenly over the meatballs and heat for 10-15 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Place 1 tablespoon of ricotta on top of each meatball, sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano and heat for an additional 3 minutes.
Oven-Baked Skate with Roasted Rosemary Potatoes
This is one of the most intensely flavorful dishes on the menu at Apizz thanks to olives and capers, which sizzle over the fish. At Apizz the dish is served with crispy rosemary potatoes, but also goes well with a fresh green salad or wilted baby spinach.
Ingredients
2 baking potatoes sliced into 1/8-inch disks
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of black pepper
3 garlic cloves
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 six-ounce skate fillets
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons capers, drained
4 large green Spanish olives, pitted and sliced
4 teaspoons salt
4 pinches black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter plus extra for greasing the baking dish.
1/2 lemon, sliced
Directions
Preheat oven to 375.
Combine potatoes, salt, olive oil, black pepper, garlic and rosemary. Place on a baking sheet, including garlic and rosemary branches. Bake potatoes until golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven, cover with aluminum foil to retain heat and set aside.
Increase oven temperature to 400.
Grease the bottom of a medium to large ovenproof casserole dish with butter. Cover the bottom of the dish with the skate fillets without overlapping them. Cover fish with white wine and lemon juice. Scatter capers and olives over skate fillets and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the olive oil over the fish and scatter with breadcrumbs. Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of butter on each fillet and bake for 8-10 minutes more or until the fish is opaque and breadcrumbs are browned. Five minutes before skate is finished, return potatoes, uncovered, to the oven to reheat.
Divide skate among 4 dinner plates. Arrange potato slices along the edge of each fillet and serve.
