Modular Food™ by Joia is has been an exercise in creating imagery that illustrates just how simple, cool and fun it can be to evolve multiple dishes from a few base products.  Joia™ is a new Hudson Valley-based company with a mission to bring locally-sourced and produced, hand-cut, slow cooked foods back to the table again. This 1+2=3 project was designed using loads of graphic food imagery to illustrate just how easy it is to work with Joia™ through its website and collateral materials. Whether heated and eaten as they are or used to innovate new dishes, Joia Modular Meals™ save hours of sourcing, preparing and cooking whole ingredients into healthy and delicious meals.

To learn more about Modular Food™ by Joia™, visit: www.joiafoods.com

Weekends call for delicious, home cooking, sometimes with the involvement of even the smallest hands in the Tonelli household.

The kitchen resembles an elementary school arts and crafts class, even though real-time cooking with Dad is a lot more fun. Tiny fingers pinch flour and eggs in an enormous well, then knead and roll the dough for Agnolotti – an art not unlike mastering Play-Doh when you are 7- or 9-years old.  Pliable and brilliant in color the dough and filling are fun, just like art class, but much tastier to eat. Next, picture perfect pasta sheets get layered into handmade lasagnas or spotted with seasoned braised meat and spinach filling before folding, cooking and finishing to enjoy around the table together – the way a perfect Sunday dinner should be.

Styled and shot for Chef and Restaurateur Marcello Russodivito’s new cookbook due June 2011, this patriotic rigatoni dish with deliciously paired sauces was created in celebration of the year 2011 – Italy’s 150th Anniversary of unity as a country.

Corzetti alla Maggiorana e Pinoli

Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia

Risotto con Asparagi e Spugnole

Penne al Pomodoro e Basilico

Ongoing project on Italian Pasta and Primi Piatti cookbook with The Culinary Institute of America.

Completed the Spring Shooting Session of the Pasta Book, co-authored with Chef Gianni Scappin and Chef Alberto Vanoli.

Making abundant risotto has never been a problem in my house.

But trying to add liquid the next day and re-heating it to create a “born-again” version typically produces a sub-standard result, there are a few preparations that can be made using leftover risotto that don’t make you feel like you are eating leftovers at all. On the contrary, these preparations can be presented as new dishes on their own and their quality, if properly made can be outstanding. One of these simple preparations is called Arancini di Riso, which are risotto balls about the size of a lime or clementine, stuffed with sausage, vegetables or cheese and other delicious garnish bites, then breaded and deep fried. This same preparation in some parts of Italy, is also known as Suppli‘.

Now because the cooking is really quite fast and enclosed inside of the breaded crust, the rice reheats and remains moist without needing to absorb more liquid and without overcooking. The result is an irresistible crispy bite on the outside that leads to a creamy risotto and a flavorful filling in the center. In fact, it is so good that it is almost not fair to call it a leftover.

The surprise bite at the center or stuffing can be totally up to you of course and is best selected respecting the main flavor of the risotto you are using. Normally a good melting cheese like mozzarella or Fontina or even Taleggio or Gorgonzola by itself or paired with a vegetable variation like tomato, tomato sauce, or peas or with a meat like sausage or cooked ham.

Arancini can be prepared ahead of time and fried just before you plan to serve them. Give it a try, next time you cook more risotto than you can eat and I am convinced that cooking extra risotto every time won’t be considered an accident anymore.

Being from Milano, risottos hold a special place in my heart.

The richness, creaminess and texture, the incredibly rich flavor and endless variations that these humble preparations are capable of offering have few matches in the Italian culinary world.

There is one for each season and one for each taste. From the healthiest, vegetarian varieties, prepared with seasonal vegetables and vegetable broth, to the most indulgent seafood based on shellfish and crustacean meat and broth, to the cheesiest and meatiest prepared with rich meat broth and braised meats or melted cheeses. Risottos are like a world of their own, where only your imagination and good taste are the limit, once you master the basic technique.

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Somewhere between Polenta and Grits, this wintery preparation from central Italy is easy to prepare and versatile. It can be served as a Primo Piatto, just like a pasta course, as is or on top of some cooked greens like spinach. Or it can serve as crispy and rich side dish to a braise, roasted or sautéed meat.

They are made with coarse ground semolina (durum wheat) or even cream of wheat. Simply add about 1cup of semolina to 4 or 5 cups of hot milk stirring to avoid lumps. Cook about 15 minutes, season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and grated Parmigiano and pour the thick mixture on a greased sheet tray or greased surface. Use a greased spatula or plastic wrap and a rolling pin to level at about 1/2 inch thickness and allow to cool.

Once room temperature the mixture becomes firm and can be cut in shape, normally round discs about 2 inches in diameter.Arrange discs in a buttered oven proof dish and season the top with more grated Parmigiano and additional butter. At this point you may refrigerate or even freeze for later use if desired.To complete bake at 425F for about 20-30 minutes or until the gnocchi will achieve a golden crispy crust.

A humble yet luscious pasta dish typical from central Italy. Composed of a few simple elements, it requires quality ingredients and skillful care to become a true delicacy.

No doubt it is packed with calories, fat an cholesterol. Get over it. Nobody is perfect. It is just fine if you enjoy it occasionally and in moderation as one very tasty and satisfying course on a multi-course meal, in which case you can plan to serve 6 or even more small portions out of one pound of pasta.

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