Chef Chuck's Filascetta

Filascetta


A unique bread, filascetta, is a northern Italian specialty, made of bread dough, red onions and a soft cheese. Sugar is sprinkled on top before baking and gives the bread a sweet caramelized flavor. The shape of the dough is a ciambelle or donut shape. An antipasti that makes an impressive centerpiece on any dinner table.


Filascetta


1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup warm water, 110 degrees
2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of salt


Using a measuring cup add water, then yeast and sugar, let rest 7 minutes. Add olive oil and salt to yeast mixture. Mound the flour on a board make a well in center then pour liquid in the center of flour. Slowly combine and knead till you get a smooth dough. Place in a oiled bowl and let rise for 2 hours in a warm location.


Topping


2 red onions, sliced thin
4 tablespoon butter
pinch of salt
1 cup soft cheese, grated
taleggio or fontina
1 tablespoon sugar


Melt butter and saute onions with a pinch of salt for about 30 minutes.
When dough has risen roll out into a large round shape place cheese on top and then onions. Sprinkle sugar on top of onions, bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
Ricette by Chef Chuck's Cucina

Chef Chuck's Sausage Strata

A strata for breakfast is the perfect way to start your day, assemble the night before and then bake in the morning. I use my focaccia recipe for the bread cubes and hot Italian sausage. Soaking all evening in eggs, whole milk and parmigiana, guarantees a fluffy light breakfast.


Sausage Strata


8 organic eggs
2-3 hot Italian sausage links
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup parmigiana cheese, grated
2 cups whole milk
2-3 cups bread cubes
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

Open sausage links and break up, cook in olive oil till brown. Drain and set aside. In same pan saute onions, season with salt and pepper cook about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute another minute, return sausage to pan. Whisk eggs, cheese and milk together. Use a 9x12 baking dish, butter bottom and sides. Place bread cubes in pan then sausage and onions, and pour egg mixture over the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or over night. Bake uncovered 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Cut in square servings.

Chef Chuck's Mediterranean Stuffed Bread

Pane Farcito alla Mediterranea
A wonderful appetizer filled with cream cheese, olive oil, salami, fresh vegetables, capers and basil. Use your favorite crusty loaf then hollow out and stuff with all these garden colors.
Get creative and add what pleases your palate. This recipe travels well and will be the hit at your next party or picnic.


Mediterranean Stuffed Bread
1 long loaf of bread
2 packages cream cheese, 16 oz.
room temperature
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 pound hard salami, diced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 tomato, seeded and diced
3 scallions, chopped
2 teaspoons capers
1 tablespoon fresh basil
salt and pepper


Cut bread to measure about 12 inches, carefully hollow out inside using a knife and then a fork to pull out bread. Using a mixer blend the cream cheese, then by hand combine all other ingredients to the cream cheese and gently mix. Stuff the bread, keep pressing the mixture down till your bread is filled. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then slice and serve.

Chef Chuck's Sweet Pumpkin Bread

Pane di Zucca


An old recipe, this pumpkin bread is always good this time of year. All the scents of the season, this sweet bread makes a wonderful gift to share with your family or friends. This recipe makes three small loaves and freezes well.


Sweet Pumpkin Bread 
3 1/2 cups flour
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup olive oil
2/3 cup water
2 cups pumpkin
1 cup raisins
chopped walnuts, optional


In a mixer combine all dry ingredients, add eggs, olive oil, water, pumpkin, and raisins. Beat till combined. Prepare 3 loaf pans with spray or butter and lightly flour, fill 3/4 full, top with chopped nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Makes 3 loaves.

Chef Chuck's Zucchini Bread

Pane di Zucca

Fresh zucchini makes a wonderful bread, filled with nuts, raisins and cinnamon. The smells are so inviting, I think we will have some warm zucchini bread, tonight. This recipe makes two loafs one for our house and one to give away, see you tomorrow, Margarita and Nick.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs

1/3 cup olive oil

2 cups zucchini, shredded

1 3/4 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease 2 loaf pans. Beat eggs then add olive oil, zucchini, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, nuts, raisins and flour. Fill pans 3/4 full and place on a baking pan, bake for 45-50 minutes. Cool on a rack, this bread freezes well.

Chef Chuck's Baked Sausage and Bread

Salsicce con Pane al Forno


An Italian sausage and bread dish baked with soffritto, herbs, eggs and chicken broth. I made my own hot Italian sausage for this recipe, sweet sausage works well too. The bread seems to harbor all the flavors. A great meal for this cool evening!


Baked Sausage and Bread
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 1/4 pound hot Italian sausage
2 cups focaccia bread, cubed
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon sage, chopped
2 eggs, beat
1 cup organic chicken broth
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon butter


In a large frying pan brown the soffritto ( onion, celery and carrot), for about 5 minutes. Add sausage till golden then remove and slice into pieces. Put back in pan with bread cubes, parsley, sage, salt, pepper and butter. Add broth over the dish then beat eggs and pour over entire dish, cover with foil and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Chef Chuck' Sausage Potato Bread

Pane  con Salsiccia e patate


A savory and flavorful bread, perfect for Sunday dinner. I decided to try something new today, so I used hot Italian sausage, thin slices of sauteed potato and sweet red onion. Imagine dunking your bread into the leftover sauce on your plate, and there you have my creation.

Bread
1 cup warm water

1/2 tablespoon dry yeast
1/2 tablespoon sugar

2-2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon salt

Add 1/2 tablespoon of yeast to warm water and sugar, stir. Let sit for 7 minutes (until foamy). Pour into mixer bowl, set to a medium speed, add olive oil. Mix in one cup of flour at a time with salt until it forms into ball of dough. Dust a cutting board with flour and knead dough for 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl, lightly coat with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and layer small towel on top. Let rise in a warm area for 1 hour 30 minutes - 2 hours. When dough becomes 2-3 times it's original size, take out and spread onto flour dusted cutting board and form into about 10"x14".

Sausage filling:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 hot Italian sausage links
1 small potato, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
pecorino cheese, shaved

In a frying pan add olive oil and brown sausage, remove and set aside. Cook potatoes and onions for 3 minutes, add sausage. Spread mixture on half of dough then fold over and seal by pinching edges. Brush on egg whites and bake at 475 degrees on a stone or baking sheet for about 15 minutes. Dough may be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in refrigerator up to 2 days.

Chef Chuck's Stuffed Artichoke

Tasty Thistles!!

Artichokes are from the thistle plant originally from Sicily so they say.You can often find these jewels in the streets of Italy! There are vendors who are masters at carving the artichoke just right for cooking. I like to find artichokes in Rome, there they fry the artichoke, at that point it takes on a whole different meaning! All my life we made stuffed artichokes as an appetizer. Scraping each leaf, is so tasty and seems to get softer as I reach the heart. The heart has a concentrated flavor of all the leaves in one.
Enjoy!

Stuffed Artichokes 2 large artichokes
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup parmigiano cheese
2 or more garlic cloves minced
salt and pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil


Cut about 1/2 inch off tops of artichokes and then cut the stem so it will sit. With scissors cut each point off of each leave. Open leaves up and add bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Place artichokes in pot with 1 inch of water drizzle olive oil on top and place lid on and steam for 45 minutes up to 1 hour. Check on your water level, add some when needed. When leave pulls off easily, the artichoke is ready to enjoy.
Ricette by Chef Chuck's Cucina
How to eat an Artichoke

Pull off a leave and pull through teeth to remove stuffing and artichoke pulp then discard. Continue till all petals are removed. With a knife or spoon scrape out and discard fuzzy part, called the choke. The heart or flower remains, cut in pieces add salt and enjoy the best part.

Chef Chuck's "Tuscan Round Bread"

Old World Tuscan Bread!

Here I go again, I have a strong desire on the weekends to bake bread. There is no doubt I have a bread making addiction, this craze has been with me a long time. Come join me on this baking experience, I promise it will be tasty!

This bread is loaded with strong tastes and aromas. The garlic is home grown, I brought it back from Italy. This particular garlic is from the ancient Island of Sicily, in the town of Nubia, {Nubian red garlic}. I grew lots and lots so that I will make it through the winter. I once did a live segment making this bread and I left the studio with a strong smell behind! There is more inside this round glory of delight, pancetta, Italian bacon. We have two main ingredients that pack distinct flavor in this bread. So gather round the Tuscan Round!!

Our basic Italian Bread Recipe:

2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
4-5 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
Plus: 4 thick slices of pancetta 1/4" thick cut in small pieces
4-5 garlic cloves minced
cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Add 1 tablespoon of yeast to warm water and sugar, stir. Let sit for 7 minutes (until foamy). Pour into mixer bowl, set to a medium speed, add olive oil. Mix in one cup of flour at a time with salt until it forms into ball of dough. Dust a cutting board with flour and knead dough for 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl, lightly coat with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and place a small towel on top. Let rise in a warm area for 1 hour 30 minutes - 2 hours. In a small frying pan add olive oil and saute pancetta till lightly browned then add garlic for no more then 1 minute stir in black pepper, set aside. When dough becomes 2-3 times it's original size transfer to floured board. Using a rolling pin roll dough to about 12x18. Spread evenly your pancetta, garlic and olive oil mixture. Gently roll up and place in a deep oiled round pan pinch ends together. Bake at 475 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown to your liking.

Focaccia, A Sunday Tradition

Pizza's inspiration came from focaccia, and so does mine. I find myself roaming the kitchen Sunday afternoons waiting to start up the Kitchen Aid. After many years this recipe has finally been perfected. For years I have been evading requests for my secret ingredient, but this is the season of giving, so here we go:

Focaccia

2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
4-5 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon salt

Add 1 tablespoon of yeast to warm water and sugar, stir. Let sit for 7 minutes (until foamy). Pour into mixer bowl, set to a medium speed, add balsamic and olive oil. Mix in one cup of flour at a time with salt until it forms into ball of dough. Dust a cutting board with flour and knead dough for 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl, lightly coat with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and layer small towel on top. Let rise in a warm area for 1 hour 30 minutes - 2 hours. When dough becomes 2-3 times it's original size, take out and spread onto flour dusted cutting board until it fits into 11"x18"cookie sheet. Add whatever toppings you'd like, our favorites include: parmigiano cheese, onions, peppers, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, olives. Or, you can keep it simple with rosemary. Bake at 475 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes, cut and enjoy!