L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015 www.italoamericano.org 20 L'Italo-Americano H aving just returned from a tour of Puglia, my thou- ghts linger on that region's table in this week's "Buona Tavola." I will soon be on the road again traveling from A bru zzo to Lazio, Tus cany, U mb ria, and back to P uglia. Beginning with my next column, I will be reporting on the foods I find, old and new, along the way. For now, let's ponder the mussel, or mitilo. If it is considered the most ordinary of shellfish elsewhere, not so in Puglia. Taranto's waters yield the biggest mussel harvest of all of Italy's regions. A predi- lection for the bivalve goes back to the ancient Greeks, who harve- sted wild mussels all along the peninsula's coast, and began to grow them on wooden rafts they set afloat in the sea. They found ideal conditions for their cultiva- tion in the "G reat S ea" and "Little Sea," as the waters off the port of Taranto are called; the s eas are fed by underw ater springs on the Ionic side of the Boot. N ot s urpris ingly, the cooking traditions of Puglia, and Taranto especially, include a wealth of mussel dishes ranging from appetizers to salads, pastas to layered casseroles ("tielle"). The simplest of them all is a fiery s tew redolent w ith w ine and herbs consisting of little more than mussels, wine, tomato, hot pepper, a hint of oregano, and parsley. In other parts of Italy, this soupy course might be called cozze al vino bian co, but in Puglia, it is "mitili alla peppeted- Put Some Mussels in Your Stew JULIA DELLA CROCE 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 da," peppered mussels. Briny and hot, it is a splendid appetite arouser, or in larger portions, a satisfying light meal. Zuppa di mitili alla peppe- tedda M us s els in White Wine, Tomato, Herbs, Hot Pepper An appetizer for 4 people The traditional way to eat this zuppa is to pour it over thick sli- ces of sturdy bread. After the mussels have been picked out of the shells and eaten, spoon up the garlicy broth and savor the saturated bread. • 3 pounds fresh, not too large mussels • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional oil for the table • 3 large cloves of garlic, smashed • 2 teaspoons fresh chopped oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried ore- gano • 1 teaspoon hot chili pepper flakes, or whole chili pepper, to taste • 1 cup fresh or canned peeled and chopped tomatoes • 1/2 cup good dry white wine • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley • Sturdy crusty bread, cut into slices and lightly toasted 1. With a stiff brush, scrub the mussels well. Pull off their beards, using a pair of pliers if necessary. Use a small knife to scrape off any barnacles. Wash them well in cool running water to remove any traces of sand. Discard any that are open. 2. In a heavy Dutch oven with tight-fitting lid large enou- gh to easily accommodate the mussels, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sauté until it colors lightly, about 4 minutes. Stir in the ore- gano and chili pepper followed by the chopped tomatoes and wine. Simmer to reduce the jui- ces somewhat, about 10 minutes. 3. Add the mussels, using a wooden spoon to toss them with the other ingredients. Cover the pot tightly and bring to a boil over medium-high flame, then immediately lower the heat and simmer 2-3 minutes further, or until mussels are fully open. Scatter the parsley over them and remove the pan from the heat. 4. Serve the zuppa in shallow bow ls over s lices of bread, discarding any mussels that are not open. Spoon broth and a dribble of olive oil over each ser- ving. Pass more bread at the table. Julia della Croce is a print & broadcast journalist and James Beard award-winning cookbook author, cooking teacher, culi- nary consultant & recipe develo- per. You can visit her on her web- site,www.juliadellacroce.com and blog, http:// juliadellacroce. com/forktales1/ Connect on Facebook: Julia della Croce - chef & foodwriter Twitter: @juliadellacroce Zuppa di mitili alla peppetedda. | Credit: Copyright Christopher Hirsheimer & Melissa Hamilton for Italian Home Cooking: 125 Recipes to Comfort Your Soul, by Julia della Croce (Kyle Books)

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