L'Italo-Americano

LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano sharper than that of fiordi- l a t t e , t h e c o w c h e e s e w e usually call "mozzarella." Truth is, you can pick either mozzarella di bufala or fior- dilatte, both are delicious and fresh. Of course, you should always go for origi- nal made in Italy and orga- n i c p r o d u c t s , w h e n e v e r possible. Last but not least: basil. Stay away from dried basil, only fresh leaves will do. Basil is not only easy to f i n d f r e s h a t t h e s u p e r - market, but it's also incredi- bly simple to grow: nothing compares to the pleasure of picking some leaves straight f r o m t h e p l a n t a n d t o s s them into your salad. Extra virgin olive oil of the best quality and only a hint of s a l t c o m p l e t e t h i s s u p e r simple and super fresh dish. S i m p l e a n d f r e s h , w e said, but also incredibly ver- satile and an amazing can- vas for culinary creatives across the globe to exercise t h e i r a r t o n . S o m e v a r i a - tions of insalata caprese are very close to the original: you can substitute large, sli- ced mozzarella with boccon- cini, those bite-size mozza- rellas usually the size of a l a r g e c h e r r i e s ; s i m i l a r l y , cherry tomatoes can be used instead of larger varieties and if you go for this "baby size" version, than you can make spiedini di caprese, or caprese skewers, alternating cherry tomatoes, baby moz- zarellas and leaves of basil one after the other. I f y o u h a v e I t a l i a n friends, or you spend time i n I t a l y o f t e n d u r i n g t h e summer, you've certainly been served a caprese with olives and capers and, often, even with salted anchovies. L e s s c o m m o n a r e o t h e r variations: some people add pesto, other tuna, other still bresaola, an Italian cold cut typical of Valtellina. If you really want to do something o u t o f t h e o r d i n a r y — a t least for us Italians, who rarely use "exotic" ingre- dients in our cuisine — you can add avocado to it, too. And if you like to give your caprese a true kick, then go f o r a h a n d f u l o f c h o p p e d s u n - d r i e d t o m a t o e s . Balsamic vinegar is another popular addition. Whichever way you deci- d e t o m a k e i t , c a p r e s e r e m a i n s a q u i n t e s s e n t i a l Italian dish, and not only for its patriotic colors. In it, there is all the beauty of our cuisine: simplicity, nature and love for our traditional flavors. Want to make it? W e l l , i t ' s a s s i m p l e a s grabbing… (for four people): f i v e m e d i u m t o l a r g e tomatoes (see above for how to choose the best ones!) 2 mozzarelle di bufala (or fiordilatte, if you prefer) a handful of fresh basil leaves a pinch of salt extra virgin olive oil According to La Cucina Italiana, you should slice your tomatoes quite thick, a r o u n d 1 / 2 a n i n c h a n d sprinkle them with salt, so t h a t s o m e o f t h e w a t e r drains out. Cut your mozza- rella in slices of the same thickness. On a plate, alter- nate slices of tomatoes to slices of mozzarella, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with basil. And that's it! Dinner is served! You can use cherry tomatoes and cherry-size mozzarella, too (Photo: Maria Romanyuk/Dreamstime) Continued from page 26

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