On our recent trip to Chicago for a week’s vacation, we were able to spend time with family and friends and do all the touristy things we haven’t done in years. We visited Museums, Giant Buildings, Michigan Avenue, took in an architectural boat tour on the Chicago River, went to Chicago blues clubs, ate at some of the best restaurants the Windy City has to offer and spent a good amount of time eating and drinking at Eataly. The visits to Eataly are high on the list of favorite things we did while on vacation in Chicago.
We’ve been to Eataly in New York many times and our visit to Eataly in Chicago was the first. What made the time spent at Eataly so incredibly wonderful, besides the food and wine, was being with our family for their first trip to this Cathedral of Italian Food and Wine. If you don’t know about Eataly let me give you a brief description. With a major investor, Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich and her son, Joe, opened two markets in North America: One in New York and the other in Chicago. (I hear they are opening one in Miami upon the completion of an 80 story tower. The possibility of this happening is quite exciting). If you are unfamiliar with Eataly the easiest way to describe it is through their marketing. This is their description of Eataly: Eataly is an original “marketplace” model inviting consumers to be active participants in an innovative food and beverage experience where they shop, taste and savor high quality traditional Italian food products and beverages along with local produce and artisanal products; a multifunctional marketplace that includes a premier retail center for Italian delicacies and wine, a culinary educational center, and a diverse slate of seven boutique eateries. Eataly ambassadors are here to provide a high quality experience to all of our guests, whether you are here to shop or enjoy a meal. Retail purchases may be made at our main checkout area. If you are visiting us to enjoy lunch or dinner, each restaurant offers authentic Italian dishes with an emphasis on a particular type of food group.
That description tells you a little about Eataly but since this article is about a dinner I prepared this past Saturday Night I’m not going to go into full description of the Market. To find out more about Eataly go to their website www.eataly.com
While we were at Eataly we consumed incredibly delicious food and wine and I want to share with you what we ate and drank. This past Saturday Night I invited a few close friends for dinner and I prepared some of the food we had at Eataly. We ate and drank as if we were at EATALY in the exact manner we were served at the establishment. The Antipasti was served family style and we ate standing up as was done at Eataly and in many restaurant in Italy. After the antipasti we went to the dining room for pasta and dessert. A restaurant all my own.
Along with the great food, we had several bottles of Italian wine; two that I purchased from Andrew at Wine Watch www.winewatch.com. I asked what to serve and Andrew gave me great suggestions, as always. We started with a bottle of FONTODI 2010 Chianti Classico from Panzano in Tuscany. Since Panzano is one of our favorite places in Italy, we were delighted to drink this rich, flavorful wine. The FONTODI was followed by VIGNAMAGGIO 2010 Chianti Classico (also recommended by Andrew). Our friends brought LA SERENA 2009 Toscana Rosso and lastly a bottle of THE DREAMING TREE 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon North Coast. The Dreaming Tree was a pleasant surprise as it was able to stand up to the Chiantis without a problem. (By this time the only thing standing up was the wine.)
Here is the menu of the wonderful meal we ate at Eataly which I recreated using my recipes and their ideas. Buon Appetito!!
Antipasti
Prosciutto Parma, Cappicola, Sopressata, Gorgonzola Cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano, Talagio Cheese, Mozzarella Burrata with Tomato and Basil, Mozzarella Burrata with Asparagus and Sweet Peas, An Assortment of Cured Olives and Hot Peppers, Roasted Red Peppers, Hot Giardenara, Tuscan Bread from Gran Forno Bakery, Fig Preserves and Pear-Orange Marmalade
Dinner
Pasta Bolognese with Sweet Italian Sausage
Garlic Green Beans
Dessert
Cannoli Cheesecake with Cannoli Crust and Cannoli Cream
Bolognese Sauce with Italian Sausage
Traditionally Bolognese Sauce is made with a mixture of beef, veal and pork but I like to shake things up a bit by using Italian sausage only. This gives the sauce a very distinctive flavor and changes the ho hum to wow. In this recipe I use MUTTI Italian Tomato Paste which can be bought at any reputable Italian market. It is much more beautiful in color and not as acidy (strabooze as my mother would say) as American brands.
Makes 3 Quarts
2 Large Spanish Onions
6 Large Carrots
6 Celery Stalks
¼ Cup Garlic Cloves
½ Cup XVOO
½ Cup Unsalted Butter
3½ Pounds Sweet (Mild) Italian Sausage, Removed From Casings and Crumbled
2 Cups Good Quality Red Wine
½ Cup Balsamic Vinegar
½ Cup Italian Tomato Paste
1 28-Ounce Can San Marzano Tomato Puree
2 Teaspoons Coarse Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
3 Whole Bay Leaves
Chicken Stock (For thinning sauce if too thick)
1 1/2 Pounds Fresh Tagliatelle Pasta
Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, finely chop the onion, carrots, celery stalks and garlic. (You will have to do this in batches.)
In a large Dutch oven, heat the XVOO and the butter over medium heat until the butter stops sizzling. Add the sausage and cook until the meat starts to turn brown, breaking up the meat as it cooks, but remember to leave some nice size chunks. Remove the sausage from the pan and drain on paper towels. Pour out half of the drippings and return the pan to the heat. Add the chopped vegetables and sauté until the vegetables give off some of their juices, stirring often for about 10 minutes. Add the drained sausage back to the pan and add the wine and vinegar; cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the tomato paste and tomato puree and stir to combine with the meat and vegetables. Add the salt, pepper, bay leaves and optional crushed red pepper flakes and bring the whole thing to a bubbling boil. Turn the heat down and briskly simmer with the pan slightly covered with a lid. Stir often and simmer for 3 hours.
As the sauce cooks it will become a rich reddish-brown in color. You want it to be rich and thick but not dry. If the sauce becomes too dry add a cup of chicken stock during the cooking.
I like to make this sauce a day or two in advance because the longer it sits the better it is. When reheating, slowly bring it back to a simmer and cook for another hour, stirring often and adding chicken stock if you think it’s too thick. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
To serve, cook the fresh pasta in a large pan of boiling water (at least 6 quarts of water) with 2 tablespoons of salt. Cook about 5 minutes until al dente. Drain the pasta saving a cup of the pasta water (this water is good to use if you want to thin the sauce a bit). Return the pasta to the pan and add some of the sauce to the pasta. Toss to coat and cook for about 1 minute. Serve in warm pasta bowls and top with a bit of the sauce and freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Hints and Tips: I like my Bolognese Sauce a little on the spicy side and in this recipe I use half sweet sausage and half hot sausage. This is a personal preference.
Cannoli Cheesecake
To make the cannoli shell crumbs I used two packages of mini cannoli shells with 12 small shells in each pack. I placed the shells into a food processor and pulsed to make fine crumbs. The result is a delicious crust with as one friend stated, a donut like flavor.
Makes One 9” Cake
For the Crust
1½ Cannoli Shell Crumbs
1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
¼ Cup Unsalted Butter, Melted
For the Filling
16 Ounces Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese, Drained and Room Temperature
16 Ounces Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
1¼ Cups Granulated Sugar
3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs, Room Temperature
2 Large Egg Yolks, Room Temperature
1 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips, Chopped
Zest From 1 Large Orange
Cannoli Cream and Fresh Berries
Preheat oven to 375°. Place the rack in the center of the oven.
For the Crust
In a medium bowl combine the cannoli crumbs, sugar and butter. Spray a 9” springform pan with non-stick baking spray such as Pam and press the crumb mixture into the bottom and half way up the sides of the pan. Set aside.
For the Cheesecake
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the ricotta and cream cheese with the sugar and blend together on medium speed. Add the flour and vanilla extract and mix well.
With the mixer on low, add the whole eggs and the egg yolks one at a time to the cream cheese mixture, being sure each egg is well incorporated before adding the next. Beat until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and orange zest.
Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan. Place on a sheet pan and bake the cheesecake for 50 – 60 minutes, until the cheesecake tests done by inserting a thin bladed knife into the center and the blade comes out clean. Do no over bake.
Remove the pan from the oven and let cool on a wire cooling rack for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, using a small metal spatula loosen the crusts from the side of the pan. Cool 30 minutes longer and remove the springform pan. Cool completely before refrigerating. Cool in refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.
To serve, cut into wedges and serve with Cannoli Cream. Garnish with fresh berries.
Buon Appetito