luluSeveral of our Maine gourmet group joined us in Cortona for the April Foodie Adventure, so when we met for our first summer meal it seemed right to recreate some of what we made.
Setting the table to inspire memories of Italy was easy. The centerpiece was a $3 find from the local Goodwill.
Clusters of red grapes repeated the look of the clusters on the candelabra. Talk about an easy creation!
Dishes, each with a different Italian landscape and wine, bought some years ago at TJ Maxx completed the theme.
It’s hard to imagine a table coming together more quickly than this one. With the plates having so much color and energy, there was no need for more than a simple background.
Now for the meal. We prepared so many good dinners that it was hard to pick favorite dishes, but I finally decided on mozzarella with prosciutto and tomato confit for an appetizer and seafood pasta for the main course. The appetizer was a big hit, and you might want to give it a try at your next Italian themed dinner gathering.
PROSCIUTTO BAKED BUFFALO MOZZARELLAWITH GARLIC & TOMATOES
2 T. olive oil
6 thin slices prosciutto
Tomato & Garlic Confit
6 6 oz. balls mozzarella
2 T. basil, coarsely chopped
Brush the insides of small ovenproof ramekins with olive oil. Line them with prosciutto, allowing some of it to extend to the top of the dish so it will crisp when baked.
Add 2 T. of the confit and top will a ball of the mozzarella. Top with another tablespoon of the confit and drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Tope with basil and serve with crisp crostini.
Tomato & Garlic Confit
10 plum tomatoes
5 T. olive oil
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
1/2 c. finely chopped yellow onion
4 large garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/2 t. sweet paprika
1/2 t. sugar.
Core and halve the tomatoes lengthwise. Place them cut side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle them with 2 T. of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes at 350.
Heat 3 T. olive oil in a medium pan and sweat the onions for 2 minutes over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook briefly. Reduce the heat and add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, paprika and sugar. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until the mixture becomes very thick.
Place the mixture in a food processor and blend to a fine paste.
Note: I suggest using only 1/2 mozzarella ball or 3-4 little ones as this is quite filling. Also, when you bake be sure to put the dishes on a cookie sheet to avoid trashing your oven with grease from the prosciutto. I wouldn’t let the meat overlap the sides of the dish.
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Joining
Starting at Sicily’s Catania airport, I was in cannoli heaven! I’m not sure why, but it is one of my favorite sweets and not a common menu offering in the States.
What really set cannoli in Sicily apart was having it made with fresh, creamy ricotta inserted into just made shells.
Most cannoli has a ricotta based filling that may have such as pistachios, candied fruit or chocolate chips as an added ingredient.
Thinking that everyone would like it, I opted for a filling with chocolate chips and a subtle taste of orange. If there is a best hint for making cannoli, it is to use a pastry tube to fill the shells otherwise it’s a messy process.
With the table set, it was time to get busy in the kitchen preparing the Sicilian dinner.
Arancini is basically a risotto ball so the first step is making your favorite risotto being sure not to let it get too soft and mushy. Al dente is the buzz word. When it has cooled enough to handle, roll the risotto into golf ball sized shapes with a small mozzarella ball in the middle. Dip the balls in beaten egg whites and roll them in a mixture of equal parts flour and bread crumbs seasoned with salt, pepper and chopped basil.
Once your balls are prepared, 
fry then in olive or canola oil over medium high heat until browned on all sides. A deep fryer would likely be a little more efficient than a skillet. I must tell you this part can be a little tricky as the balls tend to fall apart if they are handled too much so do use care when moving them around.
Remove the balls from the oil and drain them well on paper towels. Making the arancini is more time consuming than difficult I learned, but the good thing is it can be made a day ahead and reheated in the oven or warming drawer. That takes a lot of the pain out of preparing the rest of the meal.
At serving time, put a heaping portion of meat sauce in a bowl and top with 2-3 arancini. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and coarsely chopped basil or Italian parsley. Then sit back and enjoy the moans of pleasure that will come from your table. That makes the effort all worthwhile!
After a full day of seeing the sights and tasting food, wine and cheese, we return “home” to don our aprons and head to the kitchen to prepare the evening’s meal under the watchful eye of Chef Michael. 
There’s no mystery about what we are going to fix as in our welcoming folder the menus and recipes for the week are included. Can you tell that each dinner is a whole lot of food?
Funny how cooking is much more fun with a group, and it took all of us to prepare the evening’s vittles.
and discover that for some things it takes two!
some more tedious than others. I have to confess to being nothing more than a cheerleader when it came to making this dessert!
Chef Michael and his energetic wife Mary Jo of Camden, Maine’s Hartstone Inn always find wonderful places for us Foodies to stay. This time lovely accommodations are at Cavalonga in wide open spaces surrounded by olive, citrus and almond trees near Ragusa.
When we arrive we are greeted with appetizing antipasti trays and refreshing beverages perfect for tired travelers.
Waiting in our rooms are lots of happys that Chef Michael and Mary Jo have left for us. The most important one is the apron that will get lots of use and more than a few stains as we prepare nightly feasts.
Settled in, we are ready to begin the adventure. Each day begins with breakfast prepared by Chef Michael who gets up earlier than the rest of us.
Ladies, of course, always want to do a little shopping, and the guys just shrug their shoulders and look for the nearest place to have gelato or a glass of wine.
Late afternoon we return to our temporary home, wash our hands, don the apron and head to the kitchen to prepare the evening meal under the watchful eye of Chef Michael. 
