L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.com 12 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015 L'Italo-Americano F eeling the w inter blues ? Ready to put some pizazz back in your palate? Brightly hued blood oranges will certainly do the trick. Aah, the winter beiges. Trips to the local farm market this time of year tend to be rather uninspi- ring – those fresh heaps of sum- mer colorful produce have been replaced by mountains of (mostly) beige root vegetables. Do not get me wrong - I absolu- tely love a good rutabaga or celery root. I enthusiastically jump in with both feet at the start of the root vegetable season but by February, with snow piling up outside, everything just starts to feel – well, beige. However, my trip to the farm market this past week was about to take a turn for the better. There, sitting in some brightly colored baskets, was a huge pile of gorgeous red hued blood oran- ges. It was as if a light from above was shining directly on that basket; those little red-oran- ge orbs glowing brightly; their skin hiding that gorgeous burnt orange flesh and juice contained within. Flashbacks to winter in Sicily; and like watching the lava flow down Mount Etna amidst snow covered slopes; these little beauties were about to add some warmth to my beige winter pala- te. Bring on the pizazz! I have included two recipes below. While contemplating what to make with your bounty of blood oranges , w hip up a batch of blood orange sangria to lift your spirits. For me, I paired a beautiful crimson sauce with creamy sautéed scallops. Add blood oranges to your roas t chicken. Whis k s o me blood orange juice into a simple vinai- grette or your favorite sorbet recipe. Sunshine in a bowl! Whatever your choice, let your winter spirit soar amidst your beautiful bounty of crimson happiness. Buon appetito! Sautéed Scallops with Blood Orange Sauce Ingredients: • 6 blood oranges (divided) • 4 tablespoons butter, divided • About 1 ½ pounds of scallops • 2 medium shallots, minced • 2 cloves garlic, minced • ½ cup dry white wine Add Some Pizazz to your Winter Palate with Blood Oranges! MICHEL BECCI • S alt and fres hly ground black pepper Preparation: Zest one of the blood oranges into a medium bowl. Juice the orange that was zested along with 4 other oranges (5 in total). Trim all the peel and white pith from the remaining orange. Hold the peeled orange over the bowl containing the juice. Using a sharp knife, cut the sections from the membrane and place them into the bowl. Give the remaining membrane a good s queeze over the bow l and discard. In a large sauté pan over high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the scallops and sear, turning once, until both sides are nicely browned - about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. In the same pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add in the shallots and garlic. S auté until s oftened, about 3 minutes. Add in the wine and blood orange juice. Continue to cook until the liquid is reduced by about half, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with s alt and pepper. S tir in the remaining tablespoon of butter. S poon s ome of the blood orange sauce onto warmed ser- ving plates. Top with a few scal- lops. Spoon some of the blood orange sauce over the scallops and place an orange segment or tw o on top of each s callop. Serve! Blood Orange Sangria Ingredients: • 6 blood oranges (plus 2 extra for slicing for serving) • Sugar for rimming the glass • 1 bottle of dry white wine • ½ cup brandy • Juice from 2 limes • Additional fruit if desired (you can use a mixture of citrus, strawberries, blackberries – wha- tever suits your taste) Preparation: Zest one of the blood oranges and combine it well with some sugar in a small bowl. Reserve for rimming the glasses. Juice 6 of the blood oranges (including the one that w as zested) discarding any seeds. S lice the remaining 2 blood oranges into wheels. Reserve a few for garnishes for the glasses. In a large pitcher, combine the blood orange juice, white wine, brandy, lime juice and blood orange slices. Add in any other fruits if using. Stir well. Put in the refrigerator to chill for a few hours. Run a slice of lime or lemon around the rim of each glass. D unk each glas s in the sugar/orange zest, coating the rim well. Fill each glass with a few ice cubes, add in some fruit from the sangria. Pour in the san- gria and serve! Author's note: I tend to like my sangria on the dry side – feel free to add in a bit of simple s ugar to s w eeten. (Combine equal parts sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Sweeten to taste.) You can also substiute Campari or Aperol in place of the brandy. Joe and Michele Becci are a brother and sister team who love all things Italian. Together, from opposite coasts, they co-author the blog OurItalian Table.com. Blood Orange Sangria MAESTRO BRAND ITALIAN SAUSAGE Also served at many of your favorite restaurants! www.maestrosausage.com Find us exclusively at the following retailers: Sorrento Italian Market 5518 Sepulveda Blvd. Culver City, CA 90230 Beef Palace Butcher Shop 5895 Warner & Springdale HunƟngton Beach, CA 92649 The Butchery 415 South Associated Rd Brea, CA 92821 The Butchery 103 E. 17th Street Costa Mesa, CA 92627 The Meat House 23982 Alicia Parkway Mission Viejo, CA 92691 Vicente Foods 12027 San Vicente Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90049 Roma Italian Deli & Grocery 918 North Lake Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91104 Bay CiƟes Imports 1517 Lincoln Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90401 Eastside Market Italian Deli 1013 Alpine St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 Eagle Rock Italian Bakery 1726 Colorado Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90041 CavareƩa's Italian Deli 22045 Sherman Way Canoga Park, CA 91303 Mickey's Deli 101 Hermosa Beach Ave. Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 Grand View Market 12210 Venice Blvd Mar Vista, CA 90291 Venice Ranch Market 425 Rose Ave Venice, CA 90291 Sautéed Scallops with Blood Orange Sauce

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