I also want to tell you about two connected treasures/secrets. You get the treasure at the secret hiding place: Pennsylvania Macaroni Co. in Pittsburgh's STRIP DISTRICT. The website is: Pennmac.com they have all manner of Italian ingredients (in case you're not freaked out by imports--once again, I couldn't resist it).
The treasure is a cabernet sauvignon vinegar from Spain called Forum. My friend Susan says,"you could put this in a wine glass and drink it." I swear, you cannot get this vinegar ANYWHERE else. I've looked. It costs about $14. for a 12 ounce bottle, Penn Mac will ship it to ya.

no meat today

After yesterday's comments, I am going to relax with the greatest of all foods--beans and greens. Let me say that if you are a bean aficionado or wishing to become one, check out Rancho Gordo-- ranchogordo.com this gentleman is dedicated to the growing of heirloom beans. They are heaven.

So, in almost every culinary tradition there is some type of dish that uses beans and greens as a staple. I like to refer to these peasant dishes to the "cucina rustica" from my Italian heritage.

Method:

saute' a dice of carrot, celery,onion and garlic in olive oil with some sage and rosemary.* add 1-1/5 cups of cannellini or borlotti beans with the liquid they have been cooked in and heat them gently to allow the flavors to marry.

now, in another saute' pan, heat some olive oil and 3-4 cloves of crushed garlic. when the garlic renders some aroma add your washed, salted greens--(roughly chopped escarole, kale, broccoli, mustard greens your choice) and saute' until wilted. I usually don't do a mixture of the greens because sometimes I'm in the mood for broccoli, sometimes escarole.

Place the beans and greens side by side on a serving platter

or divide into pasta bowls to eat. This dish may also be eaten with a grain like short grain brown rice, polenta or, of course, pasta.
In summer, it's good with a Caprese salad and some crostini.

is nothing sacred?

My great friend Donna sent me an article from the New York Times (July 11) about a local "cook-off" here in Portland, Oregon where several chefs are presented with a pig to do with as they wish--cooking, curing, serving to the (I believe) $100. per ticket guests who decided to partake of this Roman Circus. That in itself, is not so goofy--in fact my friend Therese and I had actually thought about going since Portland is such a great meat town.
It turns out that two of the attendees got into an argument over what constitutes local--sustainable and all those other buzzwords that the food elitists seem to adore, which I sometimes am tempted to commit suicide (or murder) if I have to hear again. Apparently one or more of the pigs did not have the appropriate Oregon, Willamette Valley credentials and was actually, possibly from Kansas--God forbid. So these two pig headed (I couldn't resist it) bird brained, horses asses got into a fist fight!!! And guess what? That begged the question: what happens when California or Washington berries are added to supplement the local Oregon berries--they're thinking this ACTUALLY happened in some Portland restaurants! Throw those restaurant owners into jail next to Bernie Madoff or Charles Manson. God in heaven.
Enough. Let's just say that as an operating room nurse in a level one trauma center--those jerks
at the pig fest have no clue as to what anything means--if those kinds of arguments are the problems that constitute their lives--they have it made--I suggest that might have a cup of coffee, eat a bag of chips with a baloney sandwich and ponder their good fortune.