L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano Eat, drink, and be moderate T o work in the wine and food realm without co- loring too far outside the lines of healthy ea- ting and drinking can, at times, require a bit of careful stepping. In honesty, writerly obli- gations aside, to sustain the plea- sure of eating, drinking and cele- bration, in personal life, too, I keep a watchful eye on consumption li- mits. Expressed another way, perhaps only to make the point: how many bistecca fiorentina washed down with bottles of high alcohol Tuscan red wine one might want to reaso- nably consume is something to be considered from time to time. In the interest of eating and drinking in a more health-minded way, without sacrificing the plea- sure of taste, ingredients and tech- niques borrowed from other inter- national cuisines often help me make interesting and tasty tweaks to some favorite Italian-American dishes. Here, using a few easily availa- ble Japanese products, are a few riffs on three popular Italian-Ame- rican standards. The adaptations communicate enough of the origi- nal message to be satisfying and tasty, if not interesting. Of course, as what's on the plate evolves, so might your preferences for what's in the glass. Which is why I'll include a uniquely quali- fied wine recommendation, too, in the tasting note at the end of this article. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Spa- ghetti with Garlic and Oil) My grandmother's idea of fast food included quick-made plates of spaghetti aglio e olio. She'd of- ten garnish the dish with a table- spoon or two of good capers. While deliciously salty and briny, between the anchovies and capers, a plate of Grandma's spaghetti aglio e olio could easily deliver the recommended daily amount of so- dium all on its own. Preparing the dish with less anchovy & capers, garnishing instead with bonito flakes aka katsuobushi – dried, fer- mented, smoked tuna flakes remi- niscent of bottarga and borrowed from the Japanese pantry – reduces the dish's sodium and introduces wonderfully compatible fishy, smoky, umami flavor complexity. Pesce alla Griglia (Grilled Fish) There are few things as primally satisfying and delicious as Tuscan cuisine's bistecca alla fiorentina cooked over charcoal embers. However, with a mind toward be- nefitting from the health benefits associated with eating less red meat, I'll often opt for pesce alla griglia as a protein choice. Using salmon, a fav preparation in that category combines Japanese miso paste with white wine or sake to form a paste slightly thicker than pancake batter. The miso/wine pa- ste preparation is smeared on the salmon filet(s), the filets then going into the refrigerator to marinate for 3-6 hours. Fire up the grill and cook as usual. Throw your preferred ve- getable on the grill at the same time. An easy meal, lower in satu- rated fat and cholesterol (than that bistecca alla Fiorentina), and one that still pairs nicely with a good red wine. Crostini di Fegatini (Crostini with Chicken Liver Pate) Classic crostini di fegatini are packed full of flavor, nutrients, and antioxidants. And cholesterol. Re- ports show that a 2-ounce serving of chicken liver contains 316mg of cholesterol (The Dallas Morning News, Chicken Livers: Healthful or Not, 2013). I suppose that figure wouldn't include the butter and/or cream normally used in the paé re- cipe. In the interest of following a heart-healthy eating pattern, on oc- casion I'll opt for a version of cro- stini that I find equally satisfying - mashed Avocado topped with Ja- panese furikaki - a dry Japanese seasoning made from nori seaweed, dried fish, sesame seeds - instead of chicken livers. Avo- cado gives the creamy mouthfeel of pate and the furikaki delivers the right bit of saltiness and umami punch. If you're really in the mood to celebrate, top with a few salmon egg caviar. A desire to eat healthy, or at least healthier, can spark creative inspiration for riffing on favorite traditional dishes that are, how shall we diplomatically say … nu- tritionally generous. Borrowing in- gredients from other cuisines when creating more moderate variations might even catch the interest of peeps from different sides of the culinary fence, bringing new friends to the global table. Not a bad thing. Before closing, I must mention the well-done and inspiring inter- net blog known as justonecook- book.com, a website "…created by Namiko Hirasawa Chen (Nami) in 2011 as a blog to keep track of her recipes and to share them with her friends who wanted to learn Japanese cooking…" (justone- cookbook.com). A great source of easy and interesting Japanese re- cipes, justonecookbook.com intro- duces interesting ingredients, ideas, and techniques, that lend themselves to healthy eating and cross-pollinating culinary disco- very. Tasting Note Cornelissen Susucaru Rosato Made atop Mount Etna from a blend of local grapes, this rosato has scents and flavors of waterme- lon, small berry fruit, roses, and minerals, with balancing, pleasan- tly bitter grace notes. Juicy, ex- pressive, fresh, with palate-clea- ning tannins, the wine is beguilingly compatible with vir- tually all foods. Aglio e olio spaghetti is a staple of Italian cuisine, but there can be interesting variations on the theme (Ⓒ: Dreamstime) A good red is always a pleasure, but drinking in moderation is always key! (Ⓒ: Dreamstime) JOEL MACK WINE NEWS TRENDS PROFILES

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