Fox & Food

A Mother's Day bounty of tips from someone who's been sharing the joys of Italian food for decades.  Author Elizabeth Minchilli and celebrity chef Anito Lo chat with Fox News's Lilian Huang Woo about easy biscotti, pasta and other favorites to turn out for family celebrations.

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Spaghetti alla Vigliacca

COWARD'S SPAGHETTI Elizabeth Minchilli's The Italian Table

Spaghetti alla Vigliacca

COWARD'S SPAGHETTI

This sauce is all about the pancetta. It uses a HUGE amount of pancetta per person. It is what it is. And what it is, is amazing. When my daughter Sophie and I were at Rocco's recently we got into a discussion with the owners about the amount of pancetta in the dish, because the quantity was more than you'd usually see atop a plate of pasta. Sophie was definitely on "Team More" with Rocco the chef. I felt

it was a bit too much. The following recipe is the happy medium. But one thing to keep in mind is that since pancetta is the only thing going on here, try to get ahold of the best pancetta possible. Definitely do not substitute bacon and absolutely do not use anything smoked. While Trattoria Rocco makes this with run-of-the-mill spaghetti, and it's pretty great, when I make it I try to use a more artisanal brand like Faella or Gentile from Gragnano. The quality really does make a difference. You can serve the dish with ground chili pepper (Rocco sprinkles a bit along the edges of each plate). Traditionally this dish is not served with grated cheese.

If you're wondering why it's called Spaghetti alla Vigliacca, I have no idea. And after much research, seemingly no one else does either. SERVES 4 OR 5

reserved pasta water. Turn up the heat and finish cooking the pasta, mixing well to distribute the pancetta and fats over the strands of spaghetti. Garnish with the parsley. Serve immediately.

NOTE The pancetta pieces tend to congregate at the bottom of the pan or bowl. When serving, stir well and make sure everyone gets their fair share of pancetta!

3/4 pound pancetta

2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil,

plus an additional tablespoon if needed

2 or 3 small Italian dried or fresh chili peppers (peperoncino), to taste

Sea salt, for the cooking water 1 pound of spaghetti

Minced parsley for garnish

Pancetta often comes with the skin attached; if so, trim this off with a sharp knife. Slice the pancetta against the grain into 1/4-inch slices. Cut each slice into 1/4-inch pieces, across the rows of fat, resulting in about 11/2 cups of little log-shaped, fat-striated pieces.

Pour the olive oil into a pan large enough to fit the drained pasta later, then add the pancetta and chili peppers. Turn on the heat to medium- low and let the pancetta cook slowly and render its fat slowly. The desired texture is chewy; it shouldn't burn or even become crispy. While you are cooking it, if it looks very dry, as if there isn't enough fat, add another tablespoon of olive oil. You can tell it is done when the fat loses its translucent look and becomes opaque. It should take 10 minutes or so. Remove from the heat.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until almost al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the pan with the pancetta, along with the reserved pasta water. Turn up the heat and finish cooking the pasta, mixing well to distribute the pancetta and fats over the strands of spaghetti. Garnish with the parsley. Serve immediately.

NOTE The pancetta pieces tend to congregate at the bottom of the pan or bowl. When serving, stir well and make sure everyone gets their fair share of pancetta!

Oyster Mushrooms, Endive & Shallots over Polenta from OliveOilJones.com olive oil

Oyster Mushrooms, Endive & Shallots over Polenta

OliveOilJones.com olive oil

1.5 lb Oyster mushrooms

2 endive

2-3 cloves garlic

3-4 shallots

1 C fast cooking polenta

Parmesan for grating

Pasta con Pomodorini Schiacciati e Rughetta

PASTA WITH SMASHED CHERRY TOMATOES AND ARUGULA

This is one of those effortless recipes that relies on extraordinary ingredients. The cherry tomatoes used here are datterini, a particularly intense variety grown on the estate. If you're unsure if your cherry tomatoes are up to the job, just taste one. If it's watery and bland, this recipe won't do anything to improve it. Better to move on to another recipe or else search out better tomatoes.

The arugula used here is the perennial variety, which grows wild in Puglia. Tough and spicy, it adds both flavor and texture to the dish. Prewashed, bagged hothouse arugula may not have the same effect but will be close. SERVES 6

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 pound of cavatelli or orecchiette

1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 pound of cherry tomatoes 1/4 cup of fresh basil leaves

1 bunch of arugula or other spicy green, rinsed and dried

4 ounces of ricotta salata, grated (1 cup)

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente.

In the meantime, pour the olive oil into a large frying pan (big enough to hold the drained pasta later). Add the cherry tomatoes, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over high heat for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have started to break down.

Drain the pasta and add it to the tomatoes. Using the back of your spoon, smash the tomatoes to let their juices run out. Toss well to coat the pasta completely.

Divide the pasta into six individual bowls. Scatter the arugula leaves and ricotta salata over the top. Drizzle with more olive oil and serve immediately.

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Crucchi

Chocolate and Hazelnut Biscotti

Crucchi

CHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUT BISCOTTI

Crucchi belong to a category of rustic cookie that shows up all over Italy with slight variations depending on local ingredients. These not only use local hazelnuts but also chocolate, which turns them a dark, intense color. Don't expect a soft, chewy cookie. These are very hard, but also very addictive. They go perfectly with coffee at the end of a meal. MAKES 16 COOKIES

1 cup of toasted blanched hazelnuts (preferably halved)

2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder 11/2 cups of sugar

Pinch of sea salt

2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

If your hazelnuts are whole, stick the point of a knife into a nut at the fat, dimpled end, and it should break in half fairly easily. Don't worry if the halves aren't perfectly even. If that seems too fussy, then just roughly chop them. Just don't chop too finely!

Put the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine.

Crack the eggs into a small bowl and beat them with a fork. Add the eggs to the flour mixture and mix with a spoon. The mixture will be very dry and stiff. Use your hands to finish mixing, adding the nuts at the end.

Using your hands, form an irregular, raggedy mound of about a tablespoon of dough, and drop it onto the cookie sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough, spacing the cookies about

1 inch apart. Bake for 20 minutes. It is hard to tell when they are done, since they are a deep, dark brown, but 20 minutes is usually good.

Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely. The cookies will be very hard on the outside and a little moist and chewy on the inside. If making them ahead, store them in an airtight container for up to a week.

Prologue (David Mor, Cindy's Rooftop, Chicago)

.75oz Lillet Rose

.75oz Luxardo Bitter Bianco

.25oz Giffard Abricot du Roussillon

.5oz hibiscus syrup

.5oz yuzu juice

Fever-Tree Aromatic Tonic

Garnish: Frilled dianthus flower

Vessel: Coupe

Ice: n/a

Method: Combine ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice, shake + strain into a coupe glass. Top with Fever-Tree Aromatic Tonic.

Inspiration from David Mor: "The Fever-Tree Aromatic Tonic is pretty much unlike anything I have ever tasted; it is bitter while still floral and refreshing. It offers the notable flavors of Angostura bark while bringing up unknown flavors. I wanted to create a low-ABV aperitif that could be bittersweet, effervescent, and tropical. With flavors like yuzu, hibiscus, and apricot, the drink is balanced and acts as a perfect prologue to an experience."

Prologue (David Mor, Cindy's Rooftop, Chicago)

Photo Credit: Azuree Wiitala

Pasta con Pomodorini Schiacciati e Rughetta

pasta With Smashed Cherry Tomatoes And Arugula

from Elizabeth Minchilli's The Italian Table

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The most coveted treats to have at your Game of Thrones party as Season 8 of the HBO hit kicks off. Fox News's Lilian Huang Woo has the details.

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Black Tap Lucky Charms Shake

Turn out instagram-worthy shakes with tips from Black Tap and find deals for your St. Patrick's Day Celebrations. Fox News's Lilian Huang Woo has the details.

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Black Tap

Reuben Burger and Lucky Charms Milkshake

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Dumplings you don't need to fly to Asia for! Top Chef alum Shirley Chung shares tips with Fox News's Lilian Huang Woo on turning out the tastiest dumplings and other lucky Lunar New Year foods.

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Jiaozi from Chinese Heritage Cooking from My American Kitchen

Photo credit: Albert Law

JIAOZI WITH CHICKEN FILLING

According to Chinese legend, jiaozi was invented thousands of years ago by an Emperor's doctor during a cold winter.

That winter was so cold, lots of poor peoples' ears were falling off and many of them were getting sick. So, the

doctor begged the Emperor to give him some flour, and then he went around collecting mutton trims from the rich

families. The doctor made jiaozi dumplings folded in an ear shape and filled with mutton and herbal medicines, and

then he fed the poor of the whole city. Jiaozi became a staple dish to make when guests come to visit, during the

Chinese New Year celebration, when kids go back to visit mom . . . The Chinese show their love through these

dumplings. Lots of people get intimidated by folding dumplings--don't be. They don't have to be perfect: just seal

them with filling inside, or use a dumpling folder. Don't miss out on this deliciousness!

SERVES 4

Jiaozi Wrapper

4 cups (480 g) all-purpose flour

1¼ cups (300 ml) water

1 tsp salt

Chicken Filling

1 lb (450 g) ground chicken

4 tbsp (60 ml) oyster sauce

4 tbsp (60 ml) soy sauce

4 tbsp (60 ml) chicken stock

1 large egg

1 tbsp (15 ml) sesame oil

2 tbsp (14 g) minced ginger

½ cup (50 g) minced green onions

For Serving

Black vinegar

Chili oil

Tools to Help You

Dough mixer

Pasta roller

3-inch (8-cm) cookie cutter

Dumpling folder

Jiaozi Wrapper

Combine the flour, water and salt in a mixer. Knead until it forms a smooth

dough, and rest it for 30 minutes. In my house, after the dough has rested,

I will portion it into bottle cap-size balls (about 7 grams each), then

individually roll them out into small rounds with a rolling pin to make

wrappers. Alternatively, you can run the dough through a pasta roller. Roll

them to #4 thickness, then use a 3-inch (8-cm) cookie cutter to cut out

round wrappers.

Chicken Filling

Put the ground chicken in a medium-size mixing bowl. Combine the

oyster sauce, soy sauce and chicken stock together in a cup. Slowly

pour this liquid into the ground chicken while stirring, until all the liquid

absorbs into the meat. Next add the egg and sesame oil, and mix well.

After all the seasoning is mixed into the chicken, add the ginger and

green onions, and mix well. It's ready for folding.

Dumplings

Using a dumpling folder, if you'd like, take 1 wrapper and 1 tablespoon

(15 g) of chicken filling per dumpling. Place the filling in the

middle of the wrapper, close the edges and make them into an ear shape (half-

moon shape). After all the jiaozi are folded, boil water in a large pot. Add

the jiaozi in when the water is boiling. When the water returns to a boil,

add ½ cup (120 ml) of cold water, and bring back to a boil. When all the

jiaozi are floating on top of the water, they are done. Enjoy them hot with

some black vinegar and chili oil.

Red Snapper

Photo credit: Albert Law

WHOLE STEAMED RED SNAPPER

Steamed whole fish is the staple of any Chinese celebration feast. Fish symbolize prosperity, luck and opportunities

in our culture. My version is extra exciting, with bean sprouts tossed in and Doubanjiang to add texture and spice.

The aged soy sauce brings in more umami, and the final pour of hot oil over the steamed fish will push the aroma to

overdrive. You want to source the freshest fish to steam. Make sure the gills are bright red, the eyeballs are clear

and the flesh bounces back when you press it. If a whole fish freaks you out a little bit, you can always steam a

fish fillet; just drop the cooking time to 4 to 5 minutes. Don't worry, prosperity won't run away from you. Decode

the special meaning behind this dish: Bean sprouts represent growth, and fish represents prosperity and wealth. Eat

this dish, and you will grow your wealth.

SERVES 6

1½ lb (675 g) whole red snapper, cleaned, scaled and gutted

Salt and white pepper, to taste

1 oz (28 g) bean sprouts

1 tsp Doubanjiang chili paste

1 tbsp (15 ml) Shaoxing wine

2 thinly sliced green onions, divided

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp (7 g) thinly sliced ginger

1 red Fresno chili, thinly sliced, seeds removed

4 tbsp (60 ml) aged soy sauce (I like Wan Ja Shan brand)

4 tbsp (60 ml) canola oil

Tools

Stainless steel or bamboo steamer that is big enough to fit the whole fish

A large plate that fits in the steamer and holds the fish

Fill the bottom of the steamer with water and start boiling the water.

Score the fish 3 times on each side for even cooking. Rub the inside and

the outside of snapper with salt and pepper, and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, toss the bean sprouts with the Doubanjiang,

Shaoxing wine, 1 pinch of sliced green onions and the sesame oil, and

season to taste with salt. Stuff the snapper with the seasoned bean

sprouts. Place a few slices of ginger on the flesh of the fish, and place the

fish on a plate for steaming. Steam the stuffed whole snapper over high

heat in the steamer for 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss the sliced Fresno chili pepper and the rest of the green

onions together. Heat up the soy sauce in a small saucepan, simmer for

1 minute and turn of the heat. This cooked soy sauce is part of the sauce

for the steamed fish.

When the fish is finished steaming, take it out of the steamer an

d place on a serving dish. Drizzle the soy sauce all over the fish, and place an even

layer of green onions and Fresno chili on the steamed fish. In a small sauté

pan, heat up the cooking oil until smoking hot and then pour the hot oil

over the green onions on the fish. You can smell the caramelized soy sauce

and onion aroma.

Reprinted with permission from Chinese Heritage Cooking from My American Kitchen by Shirley Chung, Page Street Publishing Co. 2018. Photo credit: Albert Law.

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Spicy, baked or fried ... winning ways to turn out chicken wings for your Super Bowl Spread.  David Leite of Leite's Culinaria shares tips with Fox News's Lilian Huang Woo.

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Buffalo Chicken Wings

Leite's Culinaria

photo:

Ryland Peters & Small

found on Leite's CulinariaKorean Chicken Wings

What's the trick behind the best Korean chicken wings? According to Aki Kamozawa & H. Alexander Talbot, it's an overnight bath in a mixture of egg whites, salt, and baking soda. The concoction not only "forms an even coating that clings to the baked chicken wings and seasons them," as the authors explain, but somehow manages to "break down the outer layer of proteins on the skin," which renders the chicken skin thin and crackling, the underlying meat moist and juicy. There you have it. Best baked chicken wings recipe ever. Resourceful home cooks may wish to note that the authors also brush this very same marinade on a whole chicken, let it soak up the flavor in the fridge overnight, and then roast it.

One last thing. It's not only the knee-wobblingly crisp skin that makes these baked chicken wings Korean-style. It's also the fact that they're served with yangnyeomjang, a Korean dipping sauce that's sorta sweet yet still has some heat.-Renee Schettler Rossi

Korean Chicken Wings

Adapted from Aki Kamozawa | H. Alexander Talbot | Maximum Flavor | Clarkson Potter, 2013

INGREDIENTS

For the baked chicken wings

3 large egg whites

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 3/4 teaspoons fine sea salt

4 pounds whole chicken wings

For the Korean dipping sauce

1/4 cup tamari soy sauce (seek out a gluten-free brand, if desired)

3 tablespoons apple juice

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon Korean red chile flakes or crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, roughly chopped or coarsely ground if desired

1 garlic clove, grated

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

1 scallion, finely sliced

DIRECTIONS

Make the baked chicken wings

1. Plop the egg whites, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and stir to dissolve the salt and baking soda. Add the chicken wings and toss to coat evenly. Remove the wings from the bowl and arrange them on 2 wire racks. Place each rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate the wings overnight, uncovered. (This results in the crisp skin. Don't skip this step!)

2. Preheat the oven to 450°F (235°C).

3. Slide the wings, still on the racks on the baking sheets, in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Flip the wings over and cook for 10 more minutes. Flip the wings over again and bake until deep golden brown with ridiculously crisp skin, 10 to 15 more minutes. Let the wings cool on the wire racks for 5 minutes.

Make the Korean dipping sauce

4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, apple juice, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chile flakes, sesame seeds, garlic, ginger, and scallion.

5. Pile the baked chicken wings on a platter and serve the sauce alongside. Oh, and you're going to want to serve these with napkins. Ample napkins.

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Get the 101 on Intermittent Fasting and burning fat the When Way.  Best-selling author Dr. Michael Roizen of the Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Michael Crupain of the Dr. Oz Show sit down with Fox News's Lilian Huang Woo to share tips on healthy eating from their book What to Eat When.  

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Farro Penne with Broccoli from www.whenway.comFarro Penne with Broccoli

Michael Crupain, MD, MPH

Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables (Mike R's too!) and we both eat it every chance we get. This recipe give the basic technique for cooking broccoli. I love broccoli so much that I use a whole bunch for one meal, but in the recipe below I suggest have a bunch per person. You can just eat the broccoli on its own, but here I show how to turn it into a quick pasta dish that great hot or cold.

I use farro pasta here, because of all the whole grain pastas I think its the best. Its also the most traditional, because in Puglia, farro is often used to make pasta.

Ingredients

About 4 quarts Water

2 T Salt

1/2 Bunch Broccoli, Broccoli Rabe, or Broccolini (or more if you love Broccoli like I do)

2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Clove Garlic

½-1t Chili Flakes (depending on how hot you like it)

1 Cup of whole grain penne (farro is the best if you can find it)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Fill 4-quart pot with water, leaving about 1 inch of space at the top, and put on stove to boil on high. While the water is coming to a boil prepare the broccoli.

Wash broccoli and cut off tough bottom part of stem.  Using a peeler, peel the outer layer of the stalk (this will make sure you don't have any tough stringy broccoli).  Cut the florets from the stalk, trying to get a consistent size.  Cut the stalk into quarters and dice.  disks and cut the disks into quarters.

When the water is boiling, add the salt. When the water returns to a boil add all of the broccoli pieces.  You want to cook the broccoli until the water just starts to come back to a boil again, which should be around 2 minutes.  Be careful not to overcook, you want the broccoli to still be crisp.  When done, remove the broccoli to a colander using a spider or slotted spoon to drain.  Shake colander to remove excess water and let the broccoli sit for a few minutes.  The drier it is, the better your sauté will be.

While the broccoli is resting peel and then halve, slice, or shop the garlic, depending on how much garlic flavor you want in the final product.  If you want a subtle infusion half the cloves and add them to the oil before the broccoli.  If you want a little more garlic flavor add the chopped pieces or slivers almost at the end, so they can still cook but won't brown.

Now Cook the pasta and sauté the broccoli.

With water boiling again, add pasta.  Set time for 1 or 2 minutes less than package instructions.

When you have seven minutes left on the timer, heat a sauté pan with the olive oil over medium high heat. If your using the chili flakes add them into too. When the oil is shimmering, and flows easily or when you see the chili flakes starting to wobble around, your oil is hot enough for the sauté. If its starts smoking it's too hot. You should have about 5 minutes left. Add the broccoli and allow it to remain undisturbed in the pan for about a minute or more. Next add your slivered or chopped garlic now. Cook for another two minutes or so, flipping the broccoli one more times if necessary to reach the desired level of doneness--we like ours to still be toothsome. At this point the pasta should be done. Using the spider, transfer the pasta from the water to the pan with the broccoli over medium heat. Toss, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

 

 

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Bubbly for any budget.  Wine expert Wall Street Journal Wine Columnist Lettie Teague shares top picks with Fox News's Lilian Huang Woo. 

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Ruinart Rose, one Teague recommendation.

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How much do you love that Bourbon lover in your life? The owner and founder of Brandy Library speaks with Fox News's Lilian Huang Woo about amazing pours for people on your list.

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For crisp, delicious potato pancakes Fox News's Lilian Huang Woo turns to the founder of the annual Latke Fest at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City.  Author and CEO of Great Performances Liz Neumark shares tips for perfect Latkes for Hanukkah or any time. 

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Latkes Dill-luxe_ Joyce's Famous Potato Latkes with Gravlax, Sour Cream & Dill

 

Traditional Potato Latke Recipe:

(From Sylvia's Table)

Ingredients For the Latkes:

1 medium Onion, chopped

4 Russet Potatoes, peeled and shredded by hand or food processor

3 tbsp Flour or Potato Starch

3 Eggs

Salt and Pepper

Ingredients For the Toppings:

Applesauce (store-bought or homemade) or Sour Cream

Directions:

1. Sauté the onion in about 2 tbsp of olive oil till soft but not browned. Set aside to cool.

2. Mix the grated potatoes, onions, flour and eggs together in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Then turn them into a colander set over a large bowl. Drape a damp dishcloth over the colander. When it seems that very little liquid is draining off the potatoes, after about 15 minutes, carefully pour off the water leaving the starch that has collected at the bottom of the bowl. Mix the starch back into the potatoes - this will help hold the latkes together as they cook.

3. Place a large skillet over a medium heat and pour in equal amounts of olive and canola oil to a depth of about 1 inch. The oil is hot enough when a tiny bit of the latke mixture sizzles when you drop it in.

4. I make small latkes, 3-4 inches across, scooping up a large tablespoon of batter into my palm and flattening it out before sliding it into the pan. The edges of the latke are very ragged and make me think of multi-clawed crabs! It takes only a few minutes for the latkes to brown. Then I gently flip them. As they come out of the pan, I move them onto a cookie sheet lined with paper towels.

Guideline for Yield: One potato will make about 2-3 latkes. One person will eat 3 latkes, depending on the size.

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