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"Mangia-pane a tradimento." (Bread-eater in betrayal. A person who lives at someone else's expense without doing anything.) Welcome to another recipe edition from Angela's Organic Oregano Farm!

This week's Italian recipes:
  -Baked Tomatoes
  -Zucchini and Red Onion Focaccia
  -Florentine Steak

"Buona sera!" A quick note of thanks for being a part of our growing recipe community. We're over 5,200 members now. Remember, you started it. Have a great weekend of feasts!

Thanks again for reading!

Yours Truly,              
Angela Reina       

Baked Tomatoes
Pomodori al Forno

Ingredients:

2 pounds plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeded
2 teaspoons minced fresh Italian parsley
1 cups (or more) olive oil, divided
1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
Aged goat cheese
1 baguette, thinly sliced crosswise, toasted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250?F.

Pour 1/2 cup olive oil into 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.

Arrange tomatoes in dish, cut side up.

Drizzle with remaining 1/2 cup olive oil.

Sprinkle with oregano, sugar, and salt.

Bake 1 hour.

Using tongs, turn tomatoes over.

Bake 1 hour longer.

Turn tomatoes over again.

Bake until deep red and very tender, transferring tomatoes to plate when soft (depending on ripeness of tomatoes), about 15 to 45 minutes longer.

Layer tomatoes in medium bowl, sprinkling garlic and parsley over each layer.

Reserve olive oil in baking dish.

Drizzle tomatoes with reserved olive oil, adding more if necessary to cover.

Let stand at room temperature 2 hours.

Serve with aged goat cheese and toasted baguette slices. Serves 6.

That's it!

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Zucchini and Red Onion Focaccia
Focaccia con Zucchine e Cipolla Rossa

Ingredients:

One 10-ounce tube refrigerated pizza dough
3/4 cup garlic-and-herb cheese spread, divided
3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano cheese, divided
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
1 small red onion
One 7 to 8-inch long zucchini (yellow or green), cut crosswise into 1/8-inch thick rounds, divided
Extra virgin olive oil
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400?F.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spray with nonstick spray.

Unroll dough onto parchment.

Spread half of herb cheese over 1 long half of dough, leaving 1/2-inch plain border.

Sprinkle with half of Parmigiano cheese and 2 tablespoons parsley.

Using parchment as aid, fold plain half of dough over filled half (do not seal edges).

Spread remaining herb cheese over top.

Sprinkle with remaining Parmigiano cheese.

Remove enough outer layers of onion to yield 2-inch diameter core.

Cut into 1/8-inch thick rounds.

Arrange 1 row of zucchini down 1 long side of dough.

Arrange onion rounds in row alongside zucchini.

Arrange 1 more row of zucchini alongside onion.

Brush vegetables with olive oil.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake bread until puffed and deep brown at edges, about 23-25 minutes.

Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley. Makes 4-6 servings.

That's it!

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Florentine Steak
Bistecca Alla Fiorentina

Ingredients:

2 (1 and 1/2-inch thick) bone-in porterhouse steaks (3 and 1/2 lbs)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 sprigs rosemary
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:

Heat a charcoal grill or set a gas grill to high.

Bank coals or turn off burner on one side.

Brush steaks with half the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Grill on hottest part of grill, flipping once, until browned, about 4-6 minutes.

Using rosemary sprigs as a brush, baste steaks with remaining olive oil.

Cook to desired doneness, about 4-6 minutes more for medium rare, or until an instant-read thermometer reads 125?. If the outside starts to burn before the steak is fully cooked, move to the cooler side of the grill until done.

Let steaks rest about 5 minutes.

Slice against the grain along the bone.

Serve with lemon wedges.

That's it!

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"Only In Italy" is a daily news column that translates & reports on funny but true news items from legitimate Italian news resources in Italy. Each story is slapped with our wild, often ironic, and sometimes rather opinionated comments. And now, for your reading pleasure, a sample of today's edition:

Gas Prices At the Italian Pump Up 20%, 3rd Most Expensive On the Planet

Rome - May 14, 2012 - Gasoline is over 20% more expensive in Italy than it was a year ago, ISTAT said on Monday when releasing figures that look set to feed public anger about fuel prices.

The national statistics agency said gas prices were 20.9% higher in April with respect to the same month in 2011, the biggest year-on-year increase since May 1983.

Consumer groups have accused oil companies and distributors of unfairly jacking up prices over the last year, with prices approaching two euros ($2.50 USD) a liter.

Several companies cut their prices by up to two euro cents last week after the government made a "firm" call for them to bring their prices into line with the European average.

1) Norway $9.69 a gallon
2) Denmark $9.37
3) Italy $9.35

We thank everyone for the congratulations. So close to grabbing that silver medal. Give us a couple of days...

Face it, driving in Italy is not for the intimidated, it?s often delirious and vivacious with vehicles squeezed onto streets designed as alleys for livestock. You need to be on alert at all times, have a thick skin and keep a close eye on the gas gauge.

Here are our essential Italy driving tips for saving gas:

1) Gas attendants in most southern regions: Get out of your car, do not smile nor greet the attendant, clearly state your request in 3 words in an unfriendly manner (ex. "25 euro verde" OR "25 euro diesel"). Make sure the pump is reading zero before the attendant begins to fill your tank or the "figlio di una battona" may make you pay double.

2) We all tailgate because it reduces aerodynamic drag...and because we're irresponsible jackasses behind the wheel. So, get used to it and don't take it personally. By the way, we also never use our rear view mirrors, so you should do the same. Pay attention to who you're tailgating in front of you and leave your rear to the others.

3) As soon as the light turns green we WILL honk at you. So, move it! We can't waste gas sitting idle at a light while you're busy gazing at the scenery.

4) You're not going to find parking in our cities. Period! Don't waste gas by circling the streets looking for a spot. Most of our sidewalks serve as parking spaces so make sure you master the art of parallel sidewalk parking.

5) Naples is an irrational world in itself. (I think we've mentioned this before.) The godforsaken drivers are barbaric and more aggressive than anywhere else on the continent. Before entering the complex city maze, make sure you have a full tank of gas and that you've watched the entire 'Mad Max' film series twice.

"Only In Italy" Subscribe for free and day in and day out, 5 days a week, you'll have laughter, tears and intelligent commentary all blaring at you from your stupid little monitor. Click Here to Subscribe!

 
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