The distillation of a lifetime’s passion for food, Antonio Carluccio’s book Simply Cooking confirms a firm belief that cooking - whether for oneself or for family and friends - is one of the most loving of all human skills.
As a student in Vienna, Antonio cooked for himself and his friends on a very low budget – dishes he had learned in his mother’s Austrian kitchen during the lean, post-war years when vegetables were cultivated in the garden, breads and pasta were made at home, and he foraged daily for wild foods (especially mushrooms). Nothing was wasted, and any leftovers were used in a dish for another day.
He says, “Once you are on your own, you develop a sense of self-sufficiency, and learn how to balance your working or studying time with good and valuable free time.”
Here is a recipe from Simple Cooking.
Sicilian Vegetable Stew
Versatile, delicious and easy to make, caponata is probably Sicily’s best-known dish. Throughout the centuries, Sicily has been invaded and colonised by many other nations and many Sicilian recipes show influences from other cuisines. Here you will see that there are some hints of the French ratatouille, while the inclusion of raisins and pine-kernels suggests some Arabic influences too. Serves 4-6
800g aubergine
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
3 ripe tomatoes, cut into chunky cubes
1 tbsp tomato puree, diluted with a little water
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp salted capers, soaked (see page 34)
20 green pitted olives
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
chopped leaves and stalks of 1 head of celery
1 tbsp raisins
salt and pepper
1 tbsp pine kernels (optional)
Cut the aubergine into 3cm chunks, soak in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain. This will stop the aubergine from absorbing too much oil.
Fry the onion in the olive oil in a large pan for a few minutes to soften. Put the aubergine chunks into the pan and fry until soft and tender, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, diluted tomato puree, sugar, capers, olives, vinegar, celery leaves and stalks, raisins and some salt and pepper and stew slowly until everything is melted together, about 30 minutes.
Stir in the pine kernels, if desired, and serve either cold or warm as a side dish, or by itself with bread.
In 1998, Antonio was given the Commendatore award, the equivalent of a British knighthood, for his knowledge, enthusiasm and lifetime’s service to the Italian food industry. In 2007, he received the O.B.E.
Antonio Carluccio’s Simple Cooking is printed by Quadrille
*Also see The Culinary Guide
*Review on http://strollingplayer.com
ISBN 978-1-84400-734-9
