by Mary Bailey
We are a bit obsessed with Tavola, the innovative new cooking app by Corso 32’s Daniel Costa. Imagine, all your favourite Italian recipes in one place, and using it is easy-peasy. Put the app on your phone to buy ingredients for a dish; cook from your iPad, tune into the music and try the wine suggestions with every dish.
It’s fun, it’s cool, and best yet — it’s home grown. The recipes suit our seasons and use ingredients we can readily find here in our city.
“I wanted to expose and explore the simplicity of Italian food in a different way,” says Daniel. “An app can evolve and change more quickly than a cookbook. Tavola is an entire experience, exciting, and immediate.”
Enjoy this collection of recipes from Tavola, suitable for dinner with family and friends throughout the season. Buon appetito!
The Tavola concept and all recipes are by Daniel Costa, photos by Dong Kim. The Tavola app, by Versett, is available at itunes.apple.com
Walnut and Anchovy Pesto Crostini
This walnut mixture creates intense flavours of umami and fresh herbs. Try spreading it on a sandwich with some fresh mozzarella or use as a sauce with spaghetti.
| ½ cup | shelled walnuts |
| 1 bunch | Italian flat leaf parsley removed from stem |
| 4 sprigs | fresh oregano, removed from stem |
| 4 sprigs | fresh mint, removed from stem |
| 1 handful | fresh basil, removed from stem |
| ¼ cup | finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano |
| ¼ cup | extra-virgin olive oil |
| juice | of 1 lemon |
| 4 | olive oil-preserved anchovies, minced |
| 1 teaspoon | kosher salt |
| 1 clove | garlic, cut in half |
| 1 | baguette or rustic loaf, cut into 1-inch slices |
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place the shelled walnuts on a sheet pan, bake in the oven until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Allow walnuts to cool.
On a large cutting board place the parsley, mint, oregano and basil and chop finely. Place the chopped herbs in a bowl. Place the walnuts on a cutting board and roughly chop. Add the chopped walnuts to the bowl of herbs.
Stir to combine the olive oil, salt and lemon juice into the mixture. Add the grated cheese and stir to incorporate. Season to taste with salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil.
Preheat oven to 450ºF.
Roast slices of bread (crostini) until dark golden. As soon as the bread is removed from the oven, rub the halved garlic clove over each slice.
Place a spoonful of the pesto on each crostini. Serve immediately.
Serves 4-6 as an antipasto.
Wine Pairing
Poggiobello Ribolla Giallo
(Colli Orientali del Friuli)
Radicchio, Roasted Walnut and Gorgonzola SaladA great example of how a few ingredients can work together perfectly. This is a fantastic salad to serve with grilled beef.
| 2 heads | radicchio, outer leaves removed, ripped into desired-sized pieces, washed and spun |
| ½ cup | shelled walnuts |
| 200 grams | gorgonzola |
| ¼ cup | good quality young balsamic vinegar |
| ½ cup | high-quality extra-virgin olive oil |
| kosher salt and pepper |
While the walnuts are roasting, place the balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a boil, whisk until emulsified, season to taste with salt and pepper. Put the radicchio and walnuts in a bowl, drizzle in the vinaigrette. Using your hands, toss with just enough vinaigrette to coat the radicchio, season to taste with salt and vinaigrette. Scatter on a big plate, crumble the gorgonzola over the salad and serve.
Serves 4 as a antipasto or 6 as a contorno (vegetable side).
Wine Pairing
Fritz Haas Pinot Grigio
(Trentino Alto-Adige)
Halibut with Roasted Tomatoes, Shaved Fennel and Pine Nuts
The depth of flavour of roasted tomatoes, fresh fennel and fatty pine nuts works perfectly with halibut. You can roast your tomatoes in advance but ensure they come to room temperature or just above before serving.
| 4 pieces | halibut fillets |
| 4 tablespoons | olive oil |
| 2½ cups | cherry or grape tomatoes, halved |
| 8 tablespoons | extra-virgin olive oil |
| 2 teaspoons | kosher salt |
| 1 bulb | fennel, thinly sliced across the grain |
| ¼ cup | pine nuts |
| 1 bunch | Italian parsley, stems removed |
| ⅛ cup | fresh lemon juice |
| ¼ cup | extra-virgin olive oil |
In a bowl mix the tomatoes with the olive oil and kosher salt. Spread the tomatoes out on a baking pan. Place in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes or until caramelized and reduced in size by about 50 per cent (depending on variety, the time may vary so keep a close eye on the tomatoes). Stir the tomatoes every 10 minutes to avoid burning. Allow the tomatoes to cool at room temperature. Place the tomatoes and all the roasting juices and oil in a bowl. Gently stir to combine and season to taste with salt.
Place the pine nuts in a small nonstick frying pan and cook over medium low-heat until golden, stirring frequently, for approximately 8 minutes. Keep a close eye as the pine nuts can burn quickly.
Place the lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Using a whisk, emulsify the lemon and oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Increase heat to 425ºF.
Season the halibut fillets with salt and a little cracked black pepper. Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over high heat. Once the pan is smoking hot, gently place the fish in the pan. Cook for approximately 2 minutes or until golden, flip the fillets and remove pan from the heat. Place the pan in the oven. Cook for approximately 10 minutes or until just cooked through.
While the halibut is cooking, place the fennel, parsley, pine nuts and just enough lemon vinaigrette to coat the fennel in a bowl. Toss, season to taste with salt.
Remove the halibut from the oven. Place the fillets on 4 plates, put a spoonful of the roasted tomatoes on top of each fillet, drizzle a little of the tomato oil around the plate. Top with a small handful of the fennel salad. Serve immediately.
Serves 4 as a secondo (main course).
Wine Pairing
Marotti-Campi Verdicchio
(Morro d’Alba, Le Marche)
Beer Braised Rabbit
Perfect for a cold day. You can substitute wine for the beer, but I like the slight bitterness the beer contributes. Serve with grilled bread and braised greens.
| 6 | rabbit legs* |
| 2 cups | Peroni beer |
| 2 stalks | celery, large dice |
| 2 | carrots, peeled, large dice |
| 1 | large Spanish onion |
| 4 cloves | garlic |
| 1 bunch | thyme |
| 1 | bay leaf |
| 4 cups | chicken broth |
| 2 tablespoons | extra-virgin olive oil |
| 1 tablespoon | red wine vinegar |
| 100 g | pancetta, small diced |
Season the rabbit legs with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Sear the rabbit legs until dark golden on all sides. Remove the rabbit legs from the pot. Add the pancetta, cook the pancetta until lightly golden, add the celery, carrots, onions, garlic cloves, thyme and bay leaf. Fry the vegetables until golden. Add the beer to the vegetables, cook for 2 minutes, place the legs back into the pot, cover with enough chicken broth to just cover the rabbit. Place a lid on the pot and put in the oven. Cook for 1_-2 hours or until the rabbit is fork tender. Allow the rabbit to rest in the liquid for 20 minutes.
Gently remove the rabbit from the pot. Place the pot of braising liquid on high heat, add the vinegar, reduce the liquid by half or until a thin sauce consistency, season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the rabbit to the braising liquid and serve.
Serves 6 as a secondo (main course).
Wine Pairing
Cos Nero D’Avola (Sicily)
* Rabbit is available at some farmers’ markets, D’Arcy’s Meats, Acme Meat Market, Buffalo Valley and the Italian Centre Shops.
Parmigiano with Truffle Honey and Black Pepper
I always prefer cheese instead of a dessert after my meal. Try substituting the Parmigiano with other aged Italian cheeses like Tuscan Pecorino or aged Piave.
| Parmigiano Reggianno |
| truffle honey |
| black pepper |
Drizzle truffle honey over, and top with a few cracks of black pepper.
Serve with or without bread.
Wine Pairing
Donna Fugata Passitto de Pantelleria (Sicily)