Reggio, Calabria and Eggplant Parmesan

First and foremost, I want to apologize for not

posting my ususal Fabiolous Tuesday posting

last Tuesday. I had intention of letting you

know beforehand and was so busy I never got

around to it. Also, I decided to post my trip

to Calabria today in lieu of the meat from the

last post. No worries - I still plan to post a

recipe for that just not today. My wife and I

drove 700 km south to the beautiful region

of Calabria where my in-laws reside.

Sunny and HOT day!!

In-laws and my wife, Valeria.

Typical dishes of the region.

You can see Sicily across the Strait of Messina.

Calabria is famous for it's Eggplant Parmesan.

Peel the skin and slice the eggplant.

Sprinkle with salt and squeeze to remove the

bitter moisture of the vegetable.

Fry in a pan with olive oil.

Layer the eggplant in a baking dish.

Add a layer of tomato sauce.

Next layer - cooked prosciuto!!

Smoked mozarella.

What would eggplant parmesan be without

a generous portion of fresh parmesan?

Add a layer of poached egg, more parmesan

and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

The result: a mouth-watering, Southern Italian dish!

This week I was fortunate enough to go to three

concerts. One of which was Crosby, Stills

and Nash at the Audiorium here in Rome.

Here's a little clip :-)



Tune in next week!

Your Chef, Fabio

Italian Pork Chop with Red Wine Sauce and Parmesan Crusted Potatoes

Good Morning! Today we are preparing pork chop

with red wine sauce and parmesan crusted potatoes.

After a trip to the local market for fresh garlic, carrots

and celery. Wash then dice the vegetables.

Grill in a pan with extra-virgin olive oil.

Flour the meat.

Add meat to vegetables in the pan.

Brown the meat.

Add red wine, basil and bay leaves.

Cook for about an hour and a half until

the sauce becomes thick.

Drain the sauce and save for finishing touches

for the pork chop dish.

(TUNE IN NEXT WEEK TO SEE WHAT WE

PREPARE WITH THIS MEAT!!!!)

Grill the pork chop in a pan with extra-virgin

oil and rosemary. Cook the potatoes in the oven

after coating in extra-virgin olive oil, parmesan

and bread crumbs. Finish the plate with

the red wine reduction sauce!

When I take my clients to

Mazzano Romano for the cooking course,

they have the option of seeing a

neighboring town: Calcata.
“Calcata is a comune and town in the Province of Viterbo
in the Italian region Latium, located 47 km
north of Rome by car, overlooking the valley of Treja river.
Calcata borders the following municipalities:
Faleria, Magliano Romano, Mazzano Romano, Rignano Flaminio.
In the 1930s, the hill towns's fortified historic
center was condemned by the government for fear
that the volcanic cliffs the ancient community was
built upon would collapse. Local residents moved to
nearby Calcata Nuova. In the 1960s, the emptied
historical centre began to be repopulated by artists
and hippies who squatted in its medieval stone and masonry
structures. Many of the squatters eventually purchased
their homes, the government reversed its condemnation order,
and the residents of what had become an artistic community
began restoring the ancient town.
This trend has continued. Today the town has a thriving artistic community
described in the New York Times as what "may be the grooviest
village in Italy, home to a wacky community of about 100 artists,
bohemians, aging hippies and New Age types."
The historical centre now includes restaurants, cafes, and art galleries.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcata,_Italy

Have a great week! Arrivederci!!