I was knee high to a whippersnapper

I was knee high to a whippersnapper, or about the size of a footstool for those of you too young to remember what a whippersnapper is, when my mother opened a small Italian Restaurant in the living room of our home. Of course everything took place above my head in those days but the unmistakable intoxicating aromas and tastes were commonplace in our home for the next 40 years.

It was there throughout my childhood that I would develop a passion and yearning for great food, and the camaraderie we thought only attainable around a table of Mom's cooking. My mother Eleanora (Lee) and Aunt Ester toiled daily at their labor of love. It was the late fifties when they started and only at my mother's passing did it end some 40 years later. During that time she would become a local legend and mother to all who passed through her doors.

Growing up we were different, oh yes, we were Italian! We thought different, spoke different, and most of all our food was different... it was part of our culture. Most of my friends in those days arrived home after school to a meal of fish sticks or spagettio's. While My mother had been toiling in the kitchen all day. Once dinner was over my friends retired to the Living room to watch Leave It To Beaver and Father Knows Best while my brother and I were inundated with New York and Boston's cultural and characters in the living room of our home every night .

We didn't get to choose who arrived, they just came...from everywhere and from all walks of life; Catholic Priests, Business Men, Politicians and yes, Wiseguys. They were all there for the same reason...in search of the camaraderie of the Italian table and but mostly for my mother's food. There just was no other food like it. Yes we were different even though we didn't get it at the time.

The Restaurant (Casa Bianca) is gone now, the food will never be quite the same, but the joy, love and family seated around the table holds the same euphoric place in my heart as when my mother gathered us around our Italian Table and would inevitably say "eat this you'll feel better". As Italians we thought great food could cure anything, even cancer!

 Enjoy the Mrs Tom Grills stories and recipes that will be a part of my blogs and visit our show room at Proctor Gas ..."we'll keep the flame burning for ya!".

Fresh Herb Salmon with Eggplant Olive Relish

Restaurant to Propane

It has been a long Journey from my mother's kitchens and the restaurant where I grew up. Although I never meet my father I was surrounded by Aunts and Uncles that adored me and raised me like a little princess. My brother was gone by the time I was nine or ten and that left the castle to me. He likes to remind me of how they used to dress me up like a china doll. He didn't quite know how to react to that. I guess that's why as soon as they figured I wasn't going to be a concert pianist and they watched as I turned to horses as my life's first passion.

Our house was a fortress that at one time housed four families, but by the time I was 10 it was just us. There were 10 bedrooms on the top two floors, two were in the attic. My mother forged a great restaurant out of nothing in a residential section of downtown Rutland. She had strange ideas, trusted nobody except her brothers, sister and cousins. She wouldn't advertize, she thought it was a sign of weakness and people would think the business was in trouble if we did.

When Mr Tom and I first hooked up an answering machine on the home phone it infuriated her to no end. She despised technology. When mother called and we didn't pick up she would begin giving the phone "what for" it took her some time to grasp the idea that people on the other end could hear her. I can just see me trying to convince her today that she needs a facebook page to promote her business.

Today Mrs. Tom wants to share a healthy dish with an Italian Twist. Salmon is being touted as the new brain food said to stave off dementia and to increase your cognitive health. Thats why Mrs. Tom stays so sharp. This dish is very simple and you can use any kind of side dish, potato salad in the summer time, green beans or anything you like.

Fresh Herb Salmon w eggplant olive relish

Serves 4

21/2 lb piece of Salmon (skin removed)

3/4 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup of gresj squeezed lemon juice

3/4 cup fresh parsley (course shaved)

3/4 fresh dill (course shaved)

3/4 fresh basil (course shaved)

sal & pepper

Place the salmon in a shallow baking dish season with salt and pepper. Pour the oil and lemon juice on the fish, place the chopped fresh herbs on top of the fish put it back in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, spoon the lemon and oil mixture over the top of the fish 2 or 3 times while it is marinating.

When the fish is ready heat the the grill and place the fish herb side up on your grill and close the lid do not flip the fish. Grill about 6-7 minutes basting the top of the fish a few times with the lemon olive oil...don't get too much oil at one time to cause a flame-up.

EGGPLANT OLIVE RELISH RELISH

1/2cup Olive oil

1 eggplant peeled and cubed (½ inch cube)

1Red pepper diced ¼ inch

2 TBS rough chopped garlic

2 TBS fine chopped shallot

1/2 bunch finely chopped green onion

1 cup black greek olives coarsely chopped

1/2 bunch Italian parsley chopped fine

5 large basil leaves chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup marinara sauce

 

Method:

Pour 1/4 cup the oil in a medium sauté pan

Lightly sweat (sauté) garlic shallots peppers and green onion

Increase to medium high heat and add eggplant.

Mix and sauté for 2-3 minutes to give good color add more oil if necessary

Mix in olives, herbs and marinara fold together 2 minutes

Season with salt and pepper to taste

Remove from heat and transfer to flat pan to cool under refrigeration

Mrs. Toms Secret

Pull your relish from the refrigerator and serve at room temperature or just warm. Ask your fish monger to skin the fish for you as it will be hard to cut once it comes off the grill.

Gas Grilled Pizza

Pizza on the Grill

Our Mother Eleanora was the youngest of the family, a family of five children the descendents of the three Bove brothers who married three sisters. They sired 18 children, the last of which our Uncle Joe passed only a few weeks ago. Our grandparents were from Naples Italy. Naples is the home of Pizza. At least the story is that Pizza was created in Naples to honor Queen Margherita of Savoy. There are some that will tell you that the French invented the pizza but we are going to stay with the story of Queen Margherita. It is said the pizza depicted the Italian flag with its green, white and red colors.

Mrs. Tom's roots are Neapolitan and here she will share her secrets passed down from her mother and translate those secret recipes to her style of cooking on the outdoor gas grill. Making your pizza on the outdoor grill insures a crispy thin crust and adds a delicate smoked flavor to the dough.

Mrs. Tom will admit that there are days when she is so busy that she will resort to a store purchased dough or better yet one from a local pizza house or bakery. There are also good options on the store shelves if you don't have the time or inclination to make your own sauce. Here Mrs. Tom will share one of her favorite dough's and just how to grill them.

Gas grilled Pizza...John Henry's blackened Filet Mignon, Blue Cheese and Sweet Red Onions

The dough

Think of the dough as an artist canvas where there are no rules and almost everything goes. It was Wolfgang Puck at his Beverly Hills Spago Restaurant in the very early 1980's that began to change how we thought about pizza. He began to use classic dinner items and brunch items on his pizza. My brother tells me he flew out just for the pizza and with reservations in place a month ahead of time for two nights he rubbed elbows with the rich and famous, dined one night from the dinner menu and night two was pizza and champagne. Pizza was never the same again.

This is the dough that has become standard in our family since my brother's trip to Spago in 1980. Wolfgang would approve.
 

Makes 4-8 inch or two 14 inch dough

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoon of olive oil

3/4 cup cool water

1 package fresh or dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1/4 cups of grits or polenta(for forming the dough)

1/4 cup of flour for dusting the rolling surface (while kneading)

·       Place the flour in a food processor
·       combine the salt, honey, olive oil and a 3/4 cup of cool water in a small bowl

·       Dissolve the yeast in a 1/4 cup of warm water and let it proof for about 10 minutes

·       with the motor running, slowly pour the salt and honey liquid through the feed tube. Then pour in the tempered yeast.

·       process until the dough forms on the blade of the processor if it becomes too sticky add a bit of flour.

·       transfer the dough to a lightly flour dusted surface... knead the dough until it is smooth. Place in a buttered bowl and allow the dough to rest covered for 30 minutes.

·       divide the dough into 2 or 4 equal size balls roll the dough until smooth and place in a bowl...refrigerate and cover with a damp towel

·       1 hour before using the dough remove from the refrigerator and let it stand for at least 1 hour until it comes to room temp

·       sprinkle the work surface with grits or polenta and form your dough
 

Handy tools for making the pizza

·       pizza peel or baking sheet

·       tongs

·       rolling pin optional

·       pizza wheel
·       cold beer or good bottle of wine to sip while tending the grill
 

Heat your grill on high for 15 minutes with the lid down

·       turn your grill to medium heat

·       brush the pizza both sides with oil

·       put the pizza on the grill for about 3 or 4 minutes on medium heat with the cover down don't peek, turn the pizza over using spatula and tongs. Turn off one set of burners so you can create indirect heat and place the pizza over the burners that have been turned off. Rotate the pizza a few times if the crust closest to the open flame begins to char.

Toppings

·       for the 14 inch size

·       two 7oz filets sliced thin (or any good cut of steak that you like)

·       two cups fresh graded mozzarella

·       1/1/2 cups crumbled blue cheese

·       1 medium red onion sliced thin

·       tomato sauce...homemade or purchased

·       John Henry's blackening rub seasoning sold at the Proctor Gas outdoor grilling showroom

·       3 table spoons olive oil

·       suggested seasonings, fresh oregano, basil at the end just a couple of minutes before the pie is done

·       Once you turn the pizza and place on the indirect heat you are ready for the toppings. Mr Tom probably could have used the sole of an old shoe as long as you put a good steak on it. So we are starting our grilled pizza with a classic steak, blue cheese and red onion.

·       In a small bowl place the steak and toss with John Henry's blackening seasoning rub. In a sauce pan place the olive oil and just sear the steak for 30 seconds on each side.

·       Now place the ingredients on the pizza, first spread your sauce, then the mozzarella, then the steak, blue cheese and shaved red onions on the top. Leave on the heat for 7 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling away. Finish with fresh herbs.

Mrs Tom's secret
For a two burner grill turn off the one side when you turn the pizza, for a 3 burner turn off the middle and for a 4 burner turn off the two middle burners. Place the pie over the off burners and rotate if necessary to keep the crust evenly cooked. Check out the line of John Henry's rubs for the upcoming grilling season at the Proctor Gas showroom, good for fish, poultry, pork and beef.