L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2014 www.italoamericano.com L'Italo-Americano 11 Save your energy for visiting with your guests with this simple brunch menu. Instead of the usual Bloody Mary, serve your guests a Bloody Monty. This drink, based on Amaro Montenegro, is ideal for brunch. Nibble on Crostini with Gorgonzola and Hazelnuts while you prepare a classic Frittata, and finish your meal with a delightful Orange-Marsala Olive Oil Cake accompanied with fresh berries. Add a pot of hot coffee, and the meal is complete. Bloody Monty makes 4 8 ounces blood orange juice 4 ounces Amaro Montenegro 2 ounces Solerno Sicilian Blood Orange Liqueur blood orange slices for garnish Combine liquid ingredients, and pour into small glasses half- filled with ice. Garnish with orange slices. You may substitute Cara Cara or Navel oranges, and call it an Orange Monty! Crostini with Gorgonzola and Hazelnuts You can stretch this topping as far as you like putting more or less atop each crostino. ¼ -½ inch thick slices of baguette, about 10 8 ounces Gorgonzola dolce 4 ounces whole milk ricotta ½ cup hazelnuts, toasted, skin- ned and coarsely chopped Basil leaves 1 clove of garlic, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise Extra virgin olive oil Grill bread on both sides until slightly warm and lightly marked. Rub one side with garlic and brush the same side lightly with olive oil. Break gorgonzola into small pieces. Using a fork, combine it with the ricotta. Spread the mixture on the garlic rubbed side of the bread. Place basil (either tiny leaves or larger leaves cut in chiffonade) atop the cheese mixture. Dot the crostini with the prepared hazelnuts. Arrange crostini on a serving platter and dribble a bit of extra virgin olive oil over them, allowing the oil to pool in the nooks and crannies of the top- ping. Zucchini Frittata with Roasted Tomatoes serves 4 ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions 2 medium zucchini, (about 12 ounces), thinly sliced 6 large eggs ¼ cup basil, cut in chiffonade 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley ½ cup Mozzarella cheese, cut in ¼ inch cubes ¼ cup grated Parmigiano- Reggiano Fine sea salt Freshly ground black pepper Chives, to garnish Olive oil Tomatoes on the vine To roast the tomatoes, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Coat tomatoes with oil. Place on a baking sheet and roast on center rack until softened, about 20 minutes. Adjust oven rack to about 6 inches from broiler. Preheat broiler. Over medium heat warm 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy broiler-proof 9½-inch skillet. Add green onions, zucchini, and a pinch of salt. Saute until ten- der, about 10 minutes. With a fork blend eggs, basil, parsley, ¼ cup Mozzarella, ½ teaspoon salt, and a few twists of black pepper in a medium bowl. Carefully pour mixture into skil- let. Cook over medium heat until bottom is set, about 7-8 minutes. Sprinkle Parmigiano and remai- Classic Easter Brunch Menu ADRI BARR CROCETTI ning Fontina over frittata and place under broiler, cooking until the frittata puffs and the top colors lightly, about 3 minutes. Use oven mitts to remove the skillet from the broiler. Sprinkle with snipped chives. Loosen frittata with a heatproof spatula, and serve from the skillet. Orange-Marsala Olive Oil Cake The fruity taste of olive oil marries beautifully with scent of orange and Marsala, with polenta lending its characteristic crunch to this delightful cake. Make it the day before to allow the fla- vors time to marry and mellow. I suggest a mildly flavored oil, such as Pascarosa from Puglia (www.pascarosa.com). Once cool, wrap the cake well in pla- stic or store under a cake dome. 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup coarsely ground polenta 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon fine sea salt 2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup fruity mild olive oil 5 large eggs, cold 1 cup dry Marsala Zest of 1 organic orange 1 teaspoon orange extract ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups of mixed berries, rinsed and dried ¼ cup superfine sugar ¼ cup orange juice Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to center. Butter and flour a 12-cup (or two 6-cup) Bundt pan(s). Whisk together flour, polenta, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Fit a standing mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat together olive oil, sugar, orange zest, and extracts until well mixed. Add cold eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue to beat for 4 minutes after the last egg is added. Turn mixer to low and add ⅓ of the dry ingredients, mixing until almost blended. Add ½ cup Marsala, and blend lightly. Add half the remaining flour mixture, beating until almost blended. Add the remaining Marsala, bea- ting until almost blended. Add the remaining dry ingredients and blend well. Transfer the bat- ter to the prepared pan(s.) Bake on center rack for 50-60 minutes for a large pan, about 45 minutes if using smaller pans, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 15 minu- tes on a rack. Invert pan to remove, and invert again to fini- sh cooling. Combine superfine sugar and orange juice, stirring to comple- tely dissolve sugar. Toss with berries. Serve cake with berries on the side. Questions? Email me at adri@AdriBarrCrocetti.com or visit at AdriBarrCrocetti.com Zucchini Frittata with Roasted Tomatoes

• Cover