Pumpkin Polenta with Italian Sausage, Fennel, and Onions

Historically, polenta is peasant food from northern Italy. This dish of boiled cornmeal is cheap, simple, and filling, making it a staple in the diets of the poor for generations. Today, however, it seems that polenta has joined the ranks of haute cuisine as it pops up on trendy menus and the tables of elite foodies worldwide. Here is a less-than-traditional but oh-so-delicious variation on the joy that is polenta.

1 lb sweet Italian sausage (cut into bite-size pieces)
1 onion (thinly sliced)
1 large bulb fennel (thinly sliced)
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 14 oz can pumpkin puree
1 cup quick-cooking polenta
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (chopped)
1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup pecorino cheese (grated)
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned. Remove sausages from pan and let sit. Add fennel and onions to pan and saute until tender. Add wine and sausages to pan and cook the alcohol away for a few minutes.

In a separate saucepan, bring the chicken stock and butter to a boil, then stir in the pumpkin puree. Add polenta to the boiling liquid, stirring constantly until desired texture is achieved. Remove polenta from heat and whisk in thyme, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and pecorino cheese. Serve sausage, fennel, and onions over polenta and top with parsley and pecorino for a last minute color and flavor kick.

Mussels in White Wine Sauce

My life has been quite chaotic recently, traveling between Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, and Germany since I last posted. Now that I am back in New York, I should find myself with plenty of time for activities such as digital communication and blogging. w00t w00t! So here is a recipe from my travels. Rovinj, Croatia enchanted me thoroughly with its island views, seafood and truffle laced cuisine, and Venetian architecture. On one fine day we made a trip to the fish market to scout the bounty.


After much deliberation, we settled on mussels for our dinner. And the results were phenomenal.

1.5 kilo of mussels
3 cups white wine
3 big cloves garlic (chopped)
3 large tomatoes (chopped)
Olive oil
Pepper
Fresh herbs (parsley, rosemary, sage)
1 box linguine

Be sure to wash each mussel thoroughly. These guys can be full of bacteria, so it's worth the effort to scrub. Also, only use mussels that are closed. If it is open, poke it to see if it closes its shell in reaction. If it doesn't, it is dead, and you do not want to eat it.

Pour the wine into a large pot with a lid. Add garlic, tomato (keep some aside for topping the final dish), fresh herbs, pepper, and a small amount of olive oil to the pot. Let cook over high heat until boiling. Add mussels to pot and cover. When steaming, reduce heat. After about 5 minutes, mussels should begin to open up. Remove each mussel immediately after it opens so as not to over cook it and cause it to be rubbery. Some mussels may take much longer than others to open.


Once all the mussels are open, serve over some al dente linguine and cover with the sauce that the mussels cooked in. The shellfish will release all sorts of juices into this broth, so it will be salty and flavorful and amazing. Be sure to have some bread on hand for sopping it up. Top your linguine and mussels and sauce with some fresh tomatoes and herbs. Adriatic ecstasy.

Kebabche Meatballs with Tzaziki

I finally got it together to make some Bulgarian kebabche, which I loved so much while touring the country. These are incredibly easy to make, and they are so flavorful that they are sure to be a hit every time.

Disclaimer: These are not really AUTHENTIC kebabche. The real deal are oblong shaped and are made from a combination of pork, lamb, and veal. Also, I have heard varying opinions on whether onions are part of the traditional recipe. So, to be culturally sensitive to the integrity of regional cuisine, I will call these kebabche-inspired meatballs. Anyway, for my first foray into Bulgarian cuisine, I think this dish was a dazzling success.

For meatballs:
1 pound ground pork
1 small onion (diced)
3 Tablespoons parsley
2 Tablespoons cumin
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon pepper

Mix all the ingredients together well with a wooden spoon. Adjust seasonings to taste. Form the mixture into patties. Cook in a pan on the stove top or grill until cooked through. Makes about 8 patties.

For tzaziki:
2 cups plain yogurt
1 small cucumber (finely cut)
5 cloves garlic (minced)
Olive oil
Salt

Mix yogurt, garlic, and cucumber together. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Mix well.

Serve meatballs and tzaziki with pita bread and salad. Your breath will be strong enough to keep the vampires away for the rest of the day, but it's definitely worth it.