L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 www.italoamericano.org 19 L'Italo-Americano ITALIAN SECTION | I 'm in Italy!—in the region of Marche, along the Adriatic s e a — s t a y i n g i n t h e t o w n where my grandfather grew up (he immigrated to America in 1911, at age 22). I'm staying with my cousins—also named Becci—the branch of my grand- f a t h e r ' s a n d m y f a m i l y t h a t remains here in this beautiful area—near the seaside resort town of Senigallia. From their hilltop town, Scapezzano, one has panoramic views of both sea and mountains, stretching away forever. This time of year most of the rolling hills that stretch out below this small hill town are bright green with wheat, or fava beans, or even artichokes; others are a rich brown where an early harvest has been followed b y p l o w i n g t o r e a d y a p i c - t u r e s q u e f i e l d f o r a s u m m e r planting. At the edges of fields and roads, bright red poppies offer small pops of bright red that are impossible to miss—and savor! The abundance of seafood h e r e c a n n o t b e u n d e r s t a t e d ! Small fishing vessels each morn- ing return with what Americans would think of as very exotic seafood, including strange-look- ing squid-like things (we have octopus and calamari, but that's only the beginning of what's on o f f e r h e r e ! ) a n d a l l s o r t s o f p r a w n s n e v e r s e e n e v e n o n restaurant menus back home in the United States. And right now, here along this part of the Adriatic close, it's seppie season. Seppie, you may ask? No, I'm not referring to a setting on your Instagram app—I mean a popular Adriatic sea creature. Seppie are cousins of the small squid we call cala- mari, but 10 times longer and fatter: you may know them as cuttlefish. Like an octopus, a seppia holds very powerful ink in sacks used for self-defense; this ink, along with the creature itself, can be used in all manner of cooking and making of pasta. I n t h e s p r i n g i n M a r c h e , when seppie are available, fresh garden peas still in their shells can be found at almost any farm JOSEPH BECCI stand. Fresh from their pods, these delightfully sweet spheres of springtime goodness cannot even be compared to the frozen product. Perfectly timed at this time of year, the combination of fresh peas and in-season seppie is a Marchegiani classic—and a tasty no-brainer! Ingredients and Directions: •Extra virgin olive oil •3 cloves garlic, paper skin removed • 2 l b s s e p p i e ( c u t t l e f i s h ) cleaned (also available frozen in Asian markets, or substitute squid) •2/3 lb fresh peas, preferably still in their pods to be shelled just before cooking •28 ozs good-quality crushed tomatoes •½ cup white wine •Salt and pepper LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES •Crusty bread 1. Shell the fresh peas, dis- carding the pods. 2. Cut up the cuttlefish bodies into bite-sized pieces about 1- inch square. This can easily be done using kitchen scissors. Cut the legs into pieces of 2-3 legs each. Place in a colander and rinse and drain well. 3 . I n a m e d i u m p o t o v e r medium heat, add 2-3 table- spoons olive oil. When the olive oil is heated, add the whole gar- lic cloves and lightly brown all over, to infuse the olive oil with flavor. Discard garlic. 4. Add the cuttlefish to the hot oil and sauté for about 5 m i n u t e s , u n t i l t h e c u t t l e f i s h becomes white and opaque. Add the white wine and let it evapo- rate. 5. Add the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well. 6. After 20 minutes of cook- ing, add the fresh peas, stirring to mix in. 7. Cook for about 30 minutes until the cuttlefish is tender, stir- ring occasionally. Salt and pep- per to taste. 8. Serve with crusty bread. Joe and Michele Becci are a brother and sister team who love all things Italian. Together, from opposite coasts, they co-author the blog OurItalianTable.com. Seppie con Piselli (Stewed Cuttlefish With Peas) Seppie con Piselli (Stewed Cuttlefish With Peas)

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