A few weeks ago I made THIS POST about your favourite Vancouver restaurants that have closed down, with the promise that we'll be unearthing and sharing more recipes from them like we did when The Cannery shut down in 2011 (HERE are all of their recipes).
We've got some recipes we're going to release over the coming months, but not before I share these ones below that our friends at CBC Vancouver dug up for us from recently-closed-but-reopening-soon Il Giardino! Producer Elaine Chau loved the idea of sharing recipes so much that she contacted Umberto Menghi and was invited into the kitchen of his house where he prepared a meal for her (!!!), then he gave up a few recipes for you to prepare at home.
Umberto Menghi holding the Spaghettini Carbonara he just cooked for Elaine Chau in his kitchen at home. Photo courtesy CBC
And of course Rick Cluff and his team at The Early Edition shared the experience on air. Have a listen to the segment below, click HERE to visit the recipe for the dish he prepares in it, then scroll down this page for even more recipes!
FLORENTINE BEEFSTEAK
INGREDIENTS
one 34 oz (1.1kg) porterhouse steak, cut 1 ½ - 2 inches (4-5 cm) thick
salt, freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbsp (60mL) olive oil
4 cloves garlic, halved
1 branch rosemary
1 lemon
chopped parsley for garnish
1 tsp (5mL) extra virgin olive oil for garnish
SERVES 4
PREPARATION
Trim the meat of all the fat around the outside. Season both sides of the steak with salt
and pepper, and coat both sides with some of the oil. Pour the remaining oil into a dish.
Add ½ the garlic and place the steak on top of it. Sprinkle the remaining garlic over the
steak and lay the rosemary branch on top. Cover the steak and refrigerate it for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, remove the meat from the fridge and let it stand for 1 more hour at room
temperature. (Don’t worry about the health inspector.)
Preheat the broiler or barbecue to very hot. Before you cook the steak, remove all of the
garlic and rosemary, otherwise they will burn and add bitterness to the dish. Leave the oil in the dish and keep the rosemary branch to use as a brush for the oil.
Grill or broil the first side about 10 minutes, until it is nice and crispy. Then turn the steak
over and grill for about 3 minutes, or until it is cooked to your preference. Using the
rosemary branch, brush the garlicky oil on the cooked side so it won’t dry out.
When the steak is done, remove it from the grill and put it back in the dish with the
remaining oil. Let it rest for 3 to 4 minutes, keeping it warm.
Just before serving, squeeze the juice of ½ lemon over the steak. Separate the meat from
the bones and cut it on the diagonal into ½ - ¾ in. (1-2 cm) slices.
To serve, stand the bone up in the middle of the serving platter and surround it with beef
slice. Squeeze on the juice of the other ½ lemon, sprinkle with parsley and drizzle the
extra virgin olive oil over top.
TUSCAN MINESTRONE
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups (375) mL) dried cannellini (white kidney) beans
4 cups (1L) cavolo nero or kale, sliced
¼ medium white cauliflower
2 medium zucchinis
2 medium leeks
1 medium onion
2 medium potatoes
2 medium carrots
2 stalks celery, with leaves
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp (30mL) tomato paste
1 tsp (5mL) Tuscan mixed spices or equal combination ground cloves, nutmeg, hot pepper flakes, coriander and curry
salt, freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese for garnish
extra virgin olive oil
SERVES 6
PREPARATION
Soak the beans for 12 hours. Drain and rinse under cold running water.
Place the beans in a large pot with 8 cups (2L) lightly salted water and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 2 hours, or until beans are tender.
Remover half the beans and bean water and set aside. Pass the remaining beans and
water through a food mill and return to large pot.
Cut the vegetables into equal-sized pieces. Add them with the garlic, tomato paste and
spices to the creamed beans. Cook at a low boil for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining beans and bean water and cook covered for a further 30 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the soup hot with some grated Parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, or
allow it to cool at room temperature before refrigerating, then serve it cold with the same
garnishes.
SAFFRON RISOTTO WITH PUMPKIN
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup (60mL) beef or veal marrow
3 Tbsp(50mL) olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
¾ lb (375 g) fresh pumpkin, peeled seeded and finely diced
½ lb (250 g) Arborio rice (1 ¼ cups (300 mL)
¼ cup (60mL) white wine
4 cups (1L) chicken stock, hot
25-30 saffron threads
2 Tbsp(25mL) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp (5mL) chopped parsley
1 Tbsp(15mL) butter
salt, white pepper
SERVES 4
PREPARATION
The night before you plan to make the risotto, put the marrow in a mixture of half
water, half ice cubes. Leave the marrow submerged in the ice water overnight in the
refrigerator; this will keep it firm and eliminate the taste of fat. When you are about
to cook the risotto, remove the marrow from the water, dry it and dice it.
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat and sauté the shallots until
they are transparent. Add the diced pumpkin and diced marrow and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the rice and stir frequently for 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the wine and stir until it has
evaporated. Add enough stock to cover the rice.
Put the saffron threads in the remaining stock. As the rice absorbs the liquid it is cooking
in, gradually add more stock. Stir frequently until the additional stock is absorbed, and repeat until all the stock is used and the rice is creamy and cooked al dente or to your taste.
Before serving, stir in the Parmesan cheese, parsley, butter and salt and pepper.
ORANGE AND FENNEL SALAD
INGREDIENTS
4 oranges, peeled and sliced crosswise
1 bulb fennel, finely shaved
2 pears, peeled, cored and cut in small wedges
1 head curly endive, torn into bite-sized pieces
salt
1 tsp (5mL) fennel seeds, toasted and crushed
POMEGRANATE MOLASSES DRESSING
2 Tbsp (25mL) pomegranate molasses or reduced balsamic vinegar
4 Tbsp (60mL) extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt
4 water crackers or toast points for garnish
SERVES 4
PREPARATION
Gently mix the orange slices, fennel, pears and endive in a bowl. Sprinkle
with a bit of salt and the toasted, crushed fennel seeds.
In another small bowl, whisk the pomegranate molasses or reduced balsamic
vinegar with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Pour the dressing over the salad
and gently toss everything together.
Mound the salad on 4 plates and garnish with crackers. The pomegranate molasses
and olive oil will separate slightly, creating a beautiful broken sauce of rich
mahogany and olive green.
ALMOND RICOTTA TART
INGREDIENTS
PASTRY
3 ½ cups (875 mL) flour
1 cup (250 mL) butter, cold (2 sticks)
1 ¼ cup (300 mL) sugar
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
1 vanilla bean, ground
OR ½ tsp (2mL) vanilla extract
pinch of salt
ALMOND RICOTTA FILLING
2 ¼ cups (550mL) ricotta (600 g)
½ cup (125 mL) crushed amaretti (Italian almond macaroons)
1/3 cup (75 mL) fresh espresso, cooled
¼ cup (50 mL) Amaretto liqueur
PREPARATION
Pour the flour onto a clean work surface and make a well in the middle. Fill the well
with butter, sugar, whole eggs and yolk, vanilla and salt. Gently work in the flour
with your hands until the dough comes together and forms a ball. You may not need
all of the flour. Cover it with a clean cloth and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325 F (160 C).
Roll out the dough to fit a 14 in. (35cm) tart pan, and press it up the sides so it is a bit
higher than the rim. Some dough will be left over.
Combine ricotta, cookie crumbs, espresso and liqueur in a bowl and fold the ingredients
together with a wooden spoon. Add the filling to the pastry shell. Make strips or shapes
with the leftover dough and decorate the top. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.
