Cheese And Pepperoncini Dip
Ingredients:
• ½ lb grated Cheddar
• ½ lb grated Muenster • ¼ cup mayonnaise • 2 Tbsp Stone Ground Mustard • 2 Tbsp Hot Sauce • ⅓ cup diced Pepperoncini • Onion and Garlic Powder • Kosher Salt
Recipe:
- Mix ½ pound each grated cheddar and Muenster, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp Stone Ground Mustard, 2 Tbsp Hot Sauce, ⅓ cup diced Pepperoncini.
- Season with onion and Garlic Powder and Kosher Salt.
Fabio's Tomato Tart Appetizer
Ingredients for the crust:
• 2 cups plus 1 tbsp.
• Unbleached flour • 10 tbsp. butter, cold, plus more butter for the pan • 5 tbsp. water, cold
Ingredients for the filling:
• 2 medium celery stalks, chopped • 2 carrots, diced • 1 medium-size red onion, chopped • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 2 lb. very ripe tomatoes, • cut in large pieces and pressed to drain • 3 tbsp. olive oil • Salt and pepper • 1 bunch basil • Shaved Parmesan (optional)
Recipe:
- To make the crust, put the flour and butter into a food processor with the blade attachment and incorporate the butter by pulsing a few times.
- Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time while continuing to pulse.
- When all the flour is absorbed, remove the dough from the food processor and work it with your hands a bit to form a ball.
- Cover it with a slightly moist linen towel and place it in the fridge till you need it.
- Butter a 10-inch round springform pan. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about ¼-inch thick.
- It should be large enough to completely cover the pan and hang over the sides.
- Using a fork, make holes all over the dough, then refrigerate for about 2 hours.
- To make the filling, put the celery, carrots, onion, garlic, and tomatoes into a Dutch oven or a lidded nonstick pan over medium heat, drizzle them with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook and reduce for about 1 hour, covered. Stir occasionally to make sure the tomatoes don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Take the lid off and keep cooking, still over medium heat, for another 15 minutes, pressing the tomatoes with a potato masher until they are completely crushed and the mixture has reduced completely.
- Transfer it to a bowl to cool down. Once it has reached room temperature, place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes to chill.
- To make the tart, preheat the oven to 375˚F.
- Pour the filling into the dough and cover it with the basil leaves.
- Fold the extra dough hanging over the side of the pan toward the center.
- ll of the tomato filling should be covered except a small part in the middle. Bake for about 1 hour or until the crust is nice and brown and flaky.
- Let it cool down, then run a knife around the edges of the pan to make sure that the pastry dough is detached from the sides.
- Removethe springform sides and serve the tart on the pan bottom at room temperature, sprinkled with flaky shaved Parmesan if you want.
Ricotta-Filled Dates Wrapped in Prosciutto
Ingredients:
• 25 dried dates, as large a s possible
• 1 lb. ricotta cheese • 25 slices prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise • Extra-virgin olive oil • Pepper
Recipe:
- Cut the dates in half and use a teaspoon to place a dollop of ricotta in each half.
- Wrap each half-date in a half-slice of prosciutto and place them in a baking pan. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oli and dust with pepper.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
For More Information On Fabio, And His Newsletter "Fabio’s Kitchen Academy, " visit his website www.fabioviviani.com.
Fabio's New Cookbook, "Fabio’s Italian Kitchen," is available on amazon.com.