Rosalie suggests starting with a great loaf of bread and a tasty feta cheese to make the classic bread salad—or Panzanella—really shine.
BY ROSALIE HARRINGTON
Joanna was an excellent chef, and watching her make cous cous from scratch on the little island of Levanzo off the Sicilian coast, near Trapani, was exciting. I watched her, fascinated, as she kneaded the dough and, using a well worn screen, pushed it through the small holes to create lovely dots of pasta. Then she would cook them, not in water, but in a luscious broth made usually from fish bones and served on a platter, family style, with whatever fish had been brought in by the fishing boats that day – octopus, clams or the spiny Mediterranean lobster all might be on the platter. But it’s not uncommon for the main course to not be only fish, but also with chicken and simmered along with fresh tomatoes and herbs in the broth. Combining chicken with the fish, as in Paella, is not as much in style today as it has been through the years, but the old Trapani style is authentically made with homemade cous cous, assortment of fish, fish and chicken broth.
Not all visitors get to see the cous cous being handmade as I did, but it is important to understand that the precooked version that we find on the store shelves today does not have the real flavor of the authentic dish. The beautiful thing about travel is that we can experience the real deal, and in Italy that means seeing for yourself the passion and energy that everyday people put into finding the best ingredients so they can make the best meals, often very labor intense.. For example, people line up early in the morning for bread at “the” bakery on the island. I can still remember the red truck that was brimming with sea urchins that you could buy cracked open to order (a challenging task performed with a special knife.) We scooped out the delicious roe with the fresh bread to enjoy one of the most delicious tastes ever.
During the second world war, my family story goes, Americans were held captive by Italians on the island of Levanzo, off the coast of Sicily. A little boy who was around eight years old ran home to tell his mother “Ma, there’s an Italian in the camp.” So what do you suppose any Italian mother would do? Yes, she cooked. A big bowl of pasta was brought to the “Italian prisoner.” He was my cousin, an Italian soldier, Dado Venturelli, who passed away several years ago. I am so happy that I had a chance to be with him on several occasions and entertain him at my home and hear first hand his stories. On one trip, he and I traveled twelve hours or more by train from Rome to visit Levanso together. It was one of the best vacations of my life. Dado was a good dancer, an excellent card player, funny and charming and always looked like “a million bucks,” my family likes to say. Being an island, there was no need for tight security back when Dado was being held in Levanzo; the prisoners were free to do their chores, exercise and have a daily life. My cousin befriended the little boy and they remained “family” through the many years since, always treating my Roman cousin like royalty.
For decades, Nito was the co-owner of a pensione on the island. In summer, Levanzo is overflowing with Italians from all over and the inn is a popular destination. Off season there are only a few dozen inhabitants. Joanna, who was Nito’s wife, was the chef for the hotel, and all of their children worked there as well. On Favignana, the more famous of three islands, Italians gather to watch the capture of the tuna, which is done using an old fashioned method that is quite fascinating. Nito was an expert diver, considered somewhat of a local hero. In the traditional manner, he would dive into the water to beckon the fish to the surface where men in fairly small boats were waiting to attack with harpoons. Once, when I was visiting Nito, an Italian magazine which my relatives described as the equivalent of our Time magazine, was interviewing him about the old way of fishing tuna. It is very bloody and gory.
Despite the bloody display, many boats – from large yachts to small row boats – line up patiently awaiting the capture. The next day, the beautiful tuna are available from the fish mongers in the few fish stores on the island. I have been lucky enough to be there for this event. The tuna is served raw, sliced very thin and drizzled with olive oil and fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper. It is most delicious when the fish marinates a few hours, if you can wait!
Italians love pasta (flour and water, or made fresh with egg added) and Italians love bread. Not just for toast or for sandwiches. Left over bread is cut up into one inch squares to make panzanella, made from tossing those chunks with chopped fresh tomatoes, basil, red onion and grated Parmesan and drizzled with the beautiful Sicilian olive oil, salt and pepper. During the war, flour was scarce and respect for the preciousness of bread, and all food, has remained; nothing is wasted. The bread salad is left over from another time when adversity ruled the day.
Joanna also makes a delicious pasta dish with the roe from the tuna and sprinkles it with bread crumbs. The origin of the crumbs was due to the scarcity of Parmesan cheese during the war. The brilliant Sicilians improvised with ground up bread, toasted in the oven with fresh garlic, olive oil and a few chopped herbs. They are delicious as a stuffing, especially for shrimp or squid or peppers. I make these crumbs often and store them in the fridge. They make a delicious topping for pasta dishes. Whether cooking cous cous, the simple bread crumbs or bread salad they bring back beautiful memories of cooking alongside the talented Joanna on this beautiful island.
Bread Salad (Panzanella)
- From a loaf of hearty Tuscan bread, or equivalent, available at bakeries such as A&J King in Salem, cut up three one inch slices and then make one inch squares.
- Place in a bowl and add the following: 2 cups of red or yellow grape tomatoes, cut in half, two tbsp. chopped red onion, three tbsp. chopped basil leaves, a quarter cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
- Toss and drizzle with a quarter cup of olive oil, 2 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. If you like you can toss with a quarter pound of crumbled feta and a quarter cup of cooked fresh peas, as shown.
- Allow for the flavors to compliment one another for several minutes or more, before serving.
- This will keep in the fridge for a few days and you can add your own creative touches such as left over grilled shrimp, chicken or corn.
Toasted Bread Crumbs
- Place several pieces of hearty bread in the food processor with two cloves of garlic, a quarter cup of olive oil and a half tsp. of dried Greek oregano (if you like). Pulse until crumbly and place on an oiled shallow pan and bake in a 425 oven for ten minutes and turn over to brown the other sides.
- Watch carefully as the crumbs will brown quickly after a few minutes.
- Allow to cool and place in a plastic container.
- Sprinkle over a pasta dish of your choice and you will be pleased.
