Have you ever spent months, years even, trying to replicate a recipe from a favorite restaurant? I've been trying to perfect this chopped salad since the day I first tasted it at my beloved red-sauce Italian joint in L.A., and I'm proud to say I think I finally nailed it. (Sans the red checkered tablecloths.) ...Continue reading at The Kitchn
Recipe: Spicy Italian Sandwiches
Spicy Italian Sandwich-3
Happy football kickoff weekend! T minus two days! Walt and I are celebrating the season with a very ambitious schedule: first we will head to Athens to watch Georgia play Buffalo, and then we'll jet back to Atlanta to watch the Auburn versus Clemson Tigers. (Do you think we're the first couple in the history of football to watch both our teams' season openers live in one day? I surely hope so.) I'm exhausted just thinking about it! Oh the things we do for love.
For the special occasion, I've made some delicious spicy Italian sandwiches to take to the main event(s). These are guaranteed to satiate the appetites of even the "biggest" fans, and are just as good at the end of the game as they are fresh from the oven. The only thing that could make these tailgating sandwiches even better is an iced cold beer—I can't think of a more enjoyable way to put out the heat.
I'll have lots more tailgate recipes coming all season long, starting tomorrow with a round up of some of Dixie Caviar's greatest hits. Stay tuned, and go SEC!!!!
(UPDATE: I do not ever recommend attending two football games in one day. Let's just say I spent the Marta train home in tears of exhaustion, much to the annoyance of my fellow passengers. I stayed in pajamas and lived of Papa John's for the rest of the week.)
Spicy Italian Sandwich-2
SPICY ITALIAN SANDWICHES
Yields: 6-8 sandwiches
Spicy Italian sandwiches are my go-to at any sub shop: my current favorite is from Newk's Cafe, a Southern chain in my neighborhood, which inspired this recipe. The Wickles Hoagie & Sub Relish is what really takes this sandwich from ordinary to extraordinary; it is available at most Southern grocers and online.
For the sandwiches
1 loaf ciabatta bread
6 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni
6 ounces thinly sliced Genoa salami
6 ounces thinly sliced sopressata (or other cold cut like mortadella or coppa)
12 slices provolone cheese
Hot hoagie relish, to taste (I use Wickles)
Good quality Italian dressing, to taste
Spicy mayonnaise (recipe below)
For the spicy mayonnaise
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon horseradish sauce (add more for additional heat)
Split the ciabatta loaf in half using a serrated knife. Spread the spicy mayonnaise over the bottom half of bread. *Layer half of the pepperoni, followed by half the salami, sopressata, and provolone (I use stacks of two slices when layering the meats). Continue with the remaining pepperoni, salami, and sopressata, finishing with another layer of provolone. Slather the cheese with pepper relish. Spread a generous amount of Italian dressing over the top layer of bread and place bread on sandwich.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Wrap the loaf tightly in foil and place in a large roasting pan. Place a heavy oven proof item over the sandwich to weigh it down (I used my Le Creuset dutch oven inside of a cast iron skillet) and set aside for 30 minutes to two hours. Put the wrapped loaf (in the pan) into the oven, along with the weighted object, and cook until loaf is warmed through and cheese is melted, about 15-25 minutes. Slice crosswise into individual sandwiches, then in half again. Serve warm or at room temperature. (If taking to a tailgate, reform a loaf with the individual slices and wrap in foil until ready to serve.)
Yields: 6-8 sandwiches
Spicy Italian sandwiches are my go-to at any sub shop: my current favorite is from Newk's Cafe, a Southern chain in my neighborhood, which inspired this recipe. The Wickles Hoagie & Sub Relish is what really takes this sandwich from ordinary to extraordinary; it is available at most Southern grocers and online.
For the sandwiches
1 loaf ciabatta bread
6 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni
6 ounces thinly sliced Genoa salami
6 ounces thinly sliced sopressata (or other cold cut like mortadella or coppa)
12 slices provolone cheese
Hot hoagie relish, to taste (I use Wickles)
Good quality Italian dressing, to taste
Spicy mayonnaise (recipe below)
For the spicy mayonnaise
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon horseradish sauce (add more for additional heat)
Split the ciabatta loaf in half using a serrated knife. Spread the spicy mayonnaise over the bottom half of bread. *Layer half of the pepperoni, followed by half the salami, sopressata, and provolone (I use stacks of two slices when layering the meats). Continue with the remaining pepperoni, salami, and sopressata, finishing with another layer of provolone. Slather the cheese with pepper relish. Spread a generous amount of Italian dressing over the top layer of bread and place bread on sandwich.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Wrap the loaf tightly in foil and place in a large roasting pan. Place a heavy oven proof item over the sandwich to weigh it down (I used my Le Creuset dutch oven inside of a cast iron skillet) and set aside for 30 minutes to two hours. Put the wrapped loaf (in the pan) into the oven, along with the weighted object, and cook until loaf is warmed through and cheese is melted, about 15-25 minutes. Slice crosswise into individual sandwiches, then in half again. Serve warm or at room temperature. (If taking to a tailgate, reform a loaf with the individual slices and wrap in foil until ready to serve.)
Spicy Italian Sandwich-1-3
*Optional: if you've got the time, heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and warm the meats briefly to pull some of the flavors out, just a couple for seconds per side.
Alejo's Chopped Salad
If you read my last post, you know that I just returned home from an exciting trip to Taiwan. Well I survived, and it was pretty amazing. Let's just say that I need a little break from Asian food for a bit. Because I fulfilled my mission to eat. and eat. and eat. So to get me back in fighting shape (hahaha. I've never been in fighting shape), I decided a little detox was in order. So after I made this incredibly decadent beef stroganoff, a salad was next on my list. But not just any salad. My favorite salad in the whole wide world. There's a little Italian restaurant in a seedy strip mall back in my old stomping ground, Venice Beach. I even wrote a feature about it back when I was better known as "The Deviant Diner." Man, that was a long time ago. The Alejo's Salad and Chicken Parmesan made my little world go 'round. You could pick up a cheap bottle of vino at the 7-11 and dine in, or you could get it to-go and feast in your pj's. I usually preferred the latter. With the bottle of vino. But since my California days are over, I'm stuck attempting the hearty salad based on mere memory. Good thing the ingredients are listed online. Now if only they'd spill the secret recipe for that sublime salad dressing...
Is this the exact same salad as Alejo's? No, it's not. (Although Walt said it's better. Bless him.) I mean, what's not to like? And it really did hit the spot when I needed something comforting and familiar. It should at least hold me over until the next time I'm on the left coast. Or until they open an Alejo's in Atlanta. 'Cause that would be awesome!
ITALIAN CHOPPED SALAD
Source: inspired by Alejo's Trattoria in Venice Beach, CA
Serves 4
Feel free to adjust the quantities of ingredients to your personal taste. This is just a guide, and how I like it done.
For the salad:
1 head romaine lettuce, shredded
2 cups shredded red cabbage
1 cup diced turkey breast
1 cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 ounces genoa salami, cut into slivers
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup shredded mozzarella
For the dressing:
3/4 cup good-quality olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the salad, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with desired amount of dressing. I like this salad with a fairly substantial amount, but whatever is leftover keeps well.
For the dressing, add all of the ingredients into a blender or small food processor. Blend until the dressing is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust any seasonings, if desired. Yields 1 cup of dressing.
Source: inspired by Alejo's Trattoria in Venice Beach, CA
Serves 4
Feel free to adjust the quantities of ingredients to your personal taste. This is just a guide, and how I like it done.
For the salad:
1 head romaine lettuce, shredded
2 cups shredded red cabbage
1 cup diced turkey breast
1 cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 ounces genoa salami, cut into slivers
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup shredded mozzarella
For the dressing:
3/4 cup good-quality olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the salad, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with desired amount of dressing. I like this salad with a fairly substantial amount, but whatever is leftover keeps well.
For the dressing, add all of the ingredients into a blender or small food processor. Blend until the dressing is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust any seasonings, if desired. Yields 1 cup of dressing.
