COOKING IN BOLOGNA

Sharon and I had done the pasta course here at the Culinary Institute and I thought it would be fun to just spend a day in the kitchen  learning some new things.  Turned out to be a great day.  

I was joined by a couple ,Brad and Linda, from San Diego who had taken the full day course the day before as well.  They were delightful and we developed a fast kinship - food and wine lovers.  

We started out going to the market.  Stephano and Brad pulled the food carts behind them and we stopped at the produce stands, the fish stands, and the cheese store.  Stephano first established that we liked fish and than asked us  - squid? cuddle fish? Octopus?  Bream?  Clams and mussels? We went along with his selections.  

Brad had a new camera that took selfies.  

Back at the Institute - also a wonderfull restaurant.  We started by cleaning the "fish".  First the squid then

the octopus

and cuddle fish.  

Next we shelled the peas

and chopped the onions.  

We put the three octopuses in the pan and 

added a lemon cut in half

and let the octopuses cook in their own juice.   

Here Stephano is showing us how to clean the cuddlefish.  

So quick to catch on,I took over.  

Pour some wine in the pan!

Slice the cuddle fish.

Cover the mussels and the clams with parley, throw in some wine and garlic and steam.  

We shelled the mussel and clams and strained the juice into a bowl.  Next we placed the shelled mussels and clams into the juices.  You can than store the mussels and the clams for a coupe of days in the refirgerator and they will not get rubbery.  

Check the octopuses - not quite done but getting tender.  

The fish won't fit so cut off it's tail and head and fins.  

Save the head to make fish stock.  

Cut a slit so the fish can be stuffed.  

Check on the cuddle fish which are cooking along with some onion, olive oil, the freshly shelled peas and a tomatoe paste puree.  

For the fish - use lots of herbs - make a bed of the herbs ( rosemary, thyme, parsley) including garlic.  Stuff the fish with the same mixture and put it on top of the bed of herbs.  Put the herb mixture on top of the fish as well.  Cook covered and turn at the half way point.  The whole fish took about 15,20 minutes.  

Time to make fish stock.  Put in some chopped onion. parsley, the fish head and saute.  Add wine and let everything caramelize.  Add some liquid from the mussels and clams and a little bit of water.   

Look at those teeth.

Our octopus is done.  Just wash it under the faucet to get some of the loose skin off.  The octopus was sliced thinly , added to some cubed cooked potatoe and add a little olive oil and its a perfect octopus salad.  

Cuddle fish are done also. 

We made risotto using the fish broth and the clams and mussels.  

Our fish - done also.  

A devine lunch

Some of the cooks from yesterdays class showed up.  

Mattio and other one of yesterdays cooks.  

In the afternoon we made dough to be used for pizza's and focaccia.  

Mattio is checking the yeast to be sure it's bubbling.  

Brad and Diane kneaded the dough which when they finished we divided and put it into four plastic containers coated with oiive oil.  

After that Brad and I had to clean the squid and Diane had to skin it.  Neither were great jobs.  

"Stuf" all over our aprons.  

On to the next task.  Filleting anchovies.  

Making a stuffing out of the tentacles and tails of the squid and adding bread crumb and onions and sautéing it.  This would be stuffed in to the squid.  

Our dough has risen.

Making anchovy cakes with our  anchovies  Layer the anchovy and a bread crumb mixture seasoned with dried oregano.  On the top layer spritz with household vinegar.  Cover and bake.  At the end , remove the foil and brown in the oven for a few minutes.  

Cook the stuffed squid in a tomato sauce - homemade, of course.  

Yesterdays class had boned a chicken so we used some of that and made chicken cacciatore.

We made another kind of tomatoe sauce for this.  

Diane and Stephano are finishing the chicken dish.

I'm spreading the dough and making three loaves of focaccia and one pizza crust.   

Now dinner.  What a feast!

I might add there were liberal quantities of wine and water ingested during the entire cooking experience and the lunch and dinner.   We all left around 8:00.  The evening was beautiful and I walked home trying to walk off a few of those calories although really the food was very light and I would say very healthy.  We didn't make one dessert and we didn't eat any pasta.  It was really such a fun day and I'm planning on seeing Brad and Diane in San Diego in July.  The amazin thing was we never measured anything, the whole experience was just relaxing and fun. I'd definitely do it again!