Italian Baked Rice for International Picnic Day

It's International Picnic Day - what a perfect celebration for June!

I could have served an American-style picnic today, complete with fried chicken and potato salad.  But I thought that "international picnic day" should be interpreted not as a universal day for picnics, but rather as a day for a meal filled with foods from around the world.

So my international backyard picnic lets us travel to Italy with a baked rice and cheese dish that is reminiscent of risotto, but requires less attention.  Dream of Morocco with fragrant spiced carrots.  Enjoy vibrant Mongolian seared beef, complemented with some simple feta-topped grilled vegetables, then finish the meal with light and tender Hungarian sour cream cookies.  Add a bottle of Spanish wine, and the picnic is complete!

Since I served so many lovely foods at my picnic, I'm going to make them the focus of this week's posts.  Today I'll share the recipe for Bomba di Riso [BOHM-bah dee REE-soh], the rich rice dish, with the other recipes to follow in subsequent days.

To make this casserole - which could easily serve as an entree, served with fruit and salad - all you need to do is cook some rice, stir in some eggs and cheese, and bake ... that's it!  It's a great change from plain ol' rice or potatoes, and there's a hint of nutmeg to offer an exotic nuance.  Some fresh spring peas or asparagus would be a lovely addition, stirred into the rice before baking.

Bomba di Riso
(very slightly adapted from Cucina Ebraica: Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen by Joyce Goldstein, from my good friend Mary Schuman)

1-1/4 cups white rice (Arborio preferred)
2 eggs
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
very generous sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
3 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into small dice
1/8 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a 1-quart casserole dish.

Prepare the rice according to package directions.  Remove from heat, then stir in eggs, shredded Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Place half of the rice mixture into the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.  Spread the ricotta over the rice, then top with the mozzarella.  Spread the rest of the rice mixture over the top, then sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

Bake for 30 minutes until bubbling and starting to turn golden.

Serves 6-8 as a side dish.

Mozzarella-Stuffed Turkey Meatballs

Fresh mozzarella was on sale at the grocery store recently, so I thought I'd buy a container and then figure out what to do with it.  This is often how things work here - I don't head to the store with a plan, but rather find out what's on sale or being offered as a Manager's Special (on the verge of its "sell by" date and thus discounted).  I bring the loot home and then write about whatever concoctions I've devised with my stellar deals.

This is an elegant and sophisticated dish which gives no indication at all of being inspired by a sale item.  An assortment of pantry staples such as bread crumbs, olive oil, and canned tomatoes were combined with some fresh vegetables and wine already on hand.  The result was a spicy sauce and some tender meatballs filled with melting cheese.  It was exceptionally good!

I'm proud of both my shopping skills and also of how wonderful this meal was!  And I'm trying to win a contest that would offer cookbooks, other goodies, AND a phone chat with the fabulous Lidia Bastianich herself as a prize - would that make a great item for the blog, or what???  So please go to this link and vote for me.  Many thanks!!!

Mozzarella-Stuffed Turkey Meatballs

Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 small yellow pepper, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine

Meatballs:
1/2 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
6 3/4" cubes fresh mozzarella
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Make the sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes, garlic, onion, peppers, fresh tomatoes, salt, and peppper; cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes to soften the vegetables. Add the wine and the crushed tomatoes; bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and continue simmering.

Make the meatballs: In a medium bowl, combine the turkey, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and bread crumbs; mix well. Form 6 meatballs. One by one, flatten the meatballs into small patties; place 1 cheese cube into the center, then wrap the cheese in the turkey, making sure to seal it well. Repeat until all of the meatballs have been stuffed.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 5 minutes, turning them frequently to brown them all over.

Carefully add the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

The meatballs and sauce can be served "as is" for a traditional Italian "secondi" ([seh-GON-dee] = second course), or they can be served over rice or pasta. (In Italy, a first course offers pasta, rice, or soup; the second course would offer meat, and then subsequently there would be vegetables, salads, and dolci - [DOHL-chee], sweets.)

Serves 2-4.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wine Tasting for Dummies

Last week, I won two tickets to (un)Corked, a fabulous wine tasting sponsored by The Produce Station (a lovely gourmet market and wine shop here in Ann Arbor) and hosted by the Alley Bar. The focus of this month's event was The Many Faces of Sangiovese -- Italian wines lovingly produced with grapes "named after the blood of Jove" (according to the promotional copy).

Now, anyone who knows me knows that I don't drink -- the last glass of wine I had was a half-glass of Asti at Tom's niece's wedding in July. When one spends 18 years married to an alcoholic (who spent 13 of those years sober, much to his credit!), one kinda loses a taste for anything with even a hint of alcohol to it. You learn to cook without wine, so as not to have it in the house. In fact, that's how I got started with my hobby of entering cooking contests -- by submitting a non-alcholic drink I'd developed after my ex's stint in rehab (a white chocolate cocoa) to a contest seeking festive holiday recipes to encourage having fun without the risk of drinking and driving. Since I've been divorced, though, there's no reason that I can't drink ... it's just not something I do very often at all.

So when I saw the Produce Station's tweet that retweeting about the (un)Corked event might win a lucky person some tickets, I thought: "Hey, it sounds like a good time! At a bare minimum, I'll promote a local business and its evening of entertainment. And who knows ...? Someone has to win, after all!"

And the next thing I knew, I had won!

So Tom and I went to the Alley Bar last Thursday night (the events are held on the first Thursday of each month, and are a tremendous value at only $10/person), and were greeted by an incredibly friendly and most enthusiastic Andy of The Produce Station. We chose our booth -- which welcomed us with sliced baguettes from Detroit's Avalon International Breads as well as slightly tart and creamier-than-butter Pyramid Pointe goat's milk cheese from Evergreen Lane Farm & Creamery in Fennville -- and waited with excitement and anticipation. Neither of us had ever been to a wine tasting before, and weren't quite sure what to expect other than the obvious.

The place filled up quickly, and we were introduced to our wine expert extraordinaire -- Jorge -- who went around the room with Andy filling everyone's glasses. Fortunately, each table also offered tasting notes, so that we were given a bit of information about each wine in addition to having room to scribble our own thoughts.

The first wine we tried was a 2009 Fattoria Colmone della Marca 'Bianco del Moro', Marche ($21.99/bottle) -- a white wine. I once heard someone say that Italians will only drink white wine once the red is all gone, dismissing white varieties as inferior. But this one was absolutely lovely! We gave it a vigorous swirl -- as Jorge had shown us how to do when I asked about the proper protocol -- and then buried our noses deep into our glasses to immerse ourselves in the fragrance. The next step was to take 2-3 sips, letting the wine roll over our tongues and around our mouths for 10-15 seconds, hitting each point and experiencing something different at every one.

Jorge tapped his glass to shush everyone (I told Tom this is where we're supposed to kiss, like a bride and groom at a wedding!), and then proceeded to explain a bit about the wine. I was so impressed that he spoke with great knowledge, but without any pretense at all. Clearly he is devoted to his passion in life and wants to share it with others, educating those of us in desperate need rather than shunning us for our ignorance. This made the evening great, great fun, as one could be knowledgeable or not with no minimum requirement -- the only important criterion was to come ready to taste and to learn!

The Bianco del Moro was made from grapes grown particularly in Central Italy, and it was very light in color, taste and potency. It was very tart (the tasting notes emphasize "its sharp acidity"), very fruity ("red berries, cotton candy, hazelnuts and white peach ... takes on a marzipan tone on palate"), and the sides of my tongue tingled after I swallowed. I would absolutely drink this one again, if offered an opportunity!

Next was a 2007 Volpaia Chianti Classico ($19.99/bottle) -- a good old-fashioned traditional Italian red wine. Jorge told us that this had been "a good year, but difficult" in terms of the growing season; but the wine turned out to be "very elegant" in his opinion. It was light, not robust, and a "pretty, well-balanced wine" (per the tasting notes). It's made with 90% Sangiovese grapes, but some Merlot and Syrah are permitted to be mixed in as well. The Chianti was very astringent, which Jorge told us was "necessary" as a complement to food. It smelled very rich after we swirled it, with hints of cheese and minerals, and tasted very fruity. Another I would drink again, if given the chance!

Moving right along, we then tried a 2007 Flavio Fanti "La Palazzetta" Rosso di Montalcino ($23.99/bottle) which almost seemed to have hints of ash in its aroma -- it definitely wasn't sweet. Upon tasting, we found that it was a bit tart, and the back of my tongue tingled for a moment after swallowing.

Jorge pointed out that it shows a "nutty quality" (at which point a very out-of-place biker dude with a tall can of beer -- complete with Harley t-shirt and cap -- yelled out "I'm a nut, and my wife thinks I'm a nut!"). And the tasting notes highlight "tremendous amounts of plum, red cherries, floral elements, vanillin and absolute licorice" which make the wine "extremely complex and luscious."

Andy came by our table to ask which of the selections we'd liked, and agreed with us that this was the favorite so far ... it was truly exceptional! I had visions of serving it with a hearty pasta sauce I make (the recipe for which is rumored to have Mafia connections ... shhhh) that features meatballs, sausage and pork in a rich tomato base.

The third wine's status as our favorite didn't last very long, however, as we moved on to our fourth selection -- a 2008 Moris, Morellino di Scansano ($15.99/bottle) which was noticably richer than the previous one. It had a very deep flavor laden with fruit; the notes described it as possessing "generous fruitiness" and showcasing "a darker face of Sangiovese." This wine from Tuscany had been bottled after a mere 8 months, when most of its variety would have waited anywhere from 12 months to 3 years.

I said "I like this very much," and Tom immediately replied, "Me, too!" He also told me that it "left a presence of cookie ice cream" on his palate, although I felt it had an almost smoky aftertaste. This wine should be savored with a simple plate of rich cheese and good bread, rather than with anything more substantial that would compete with it for attention.

Finally, we tried a wine that should really have been an investment, one given a special place of honor for a patient wait as it evolves towards its full potential: a 2005 Tenuta di Sesta, Brunello di Montalcino ($49.99/bottle). As he poured it, Jorge pronounced that "we're committing infanticide," and the tasting notes told us that it "deserves at least another 7 years in (the) cellar" for "the rewards (to be) plentiful."

But it was important to try this "fabulous wine" nonetheless, representative as it was of the Brunello grape from Tuscany and "full of elegance and finesse." The wine was noticeably lighter and thinner than the previous ones, both in color and in flavor. It lacked depth, and was very astringent upon the first sip; it stung the sides of my tongue. It was nice, but it was also abundantly clear that it needed more time to mellow and to become richer.

Once the tasting was over, we offered our enthusiastic thanks to Andy for the opportunity to have joined such a great party. Unfortunately, Jorge was deeply involved in a conversation at the table next to ours, but I wish we could have thanked him for sharing so much knowledge in such an informal and welcoming way.

I would love to attend another session of (un)Corked, and recommend the event with a rousing endorsement. "The Misunderstood, Explained -- Rose" will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 5 at the Alley Bar, and I wholeheartedly encourage you to go! Women who'd clearly come from the office, retirees, Gen X-ers ... the tasting welcomed anyone who could be there legally. Whether you know a lot about wine or are as desperately in need of instruction as I am, I promise that you will have a fabulous time.

(un)Corked: Wine Tasting -- Casual Atmosphere, Great Wines, Good Friends
Hosted at Alley Bar
112 West Liberty
Ann Arbor
To purchase tickets, click on this link.