My friends at CookKosher just posted my special tips on How to Cook the Perfect Pasta, including when you need to reheat it for Shabbat!
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BUILD AN OLIVE OIL WARDROBE

Oils and fats do not just add texture, but flavor in Italian food; that’s why, if you want to eat like a REAL Italian, you should use different ones depending on the type of food you are cooking and the result you are trying to achieve.
Butter and seed oils are more traditional than olive oil in Northern Italian cuisine (goose fat used to be popular as well!); and in general, for risotto, for frying fish, and for desserts, some people prefer sunflower oil, grapeseed oil or even canola. Some dishes like risotto taste best with butter, but you prefer to limit saturated fats you can start with a canola or sunflower oil, and just add some butter at the end with the parmigiano, to give it flavor and sheen.
Most generic Italian olive oils, even when extra-virgin, are made with blends from different regions (by the way, always buy extra-virgin for the best flavor: plus they are cold-processed and therefore do not require a hechsker according to most authorities). This makes them too strong for certain dishes, and not always pleasant to the palate.
I prefer to have a few extra-virgin oils on hand: a very delicate one from Liguria (Imperia or Alghero, in the North-West) for fish; a medium Tuscan (slightly bitter) or Umbrian (fruitier) for salads, vegetables and meat dishes. For earthier dishes like pastas or specialties containing a lot of tomato, garlic and spices, a stronger oil like a Sicilian or Pugliese can be recommended.
If you can only get one bottle, pick an oil from Tuscany or Umbria, which will go with most dishes, and a smaller bottle of Ligurian oil, which will taste wonderful drizzled on steamed fish.
I always buy one bottle of extra-virgin olive oil labeled “Olio Novello”, “Di Frantoio” (fresher oil, from the mill); this is more expensive, but of much higher quality. For cooking, I use my regular-quality extra-virgin olive oil; before serving the food, I drizzle it with a few drops of the higher-end Olio Novello, to add depth to the flavor!
Please don’t buy any ‘light’ or ‘blended’ kind, but look for EXTRA-VIRGIN, COLD-PRESSED olive oil. This is the only type that is unprocessed (and naturally kosher - according to most authorities, it doesn’t need a hechsher because it’s made by simply pressing cold olives).
Make sure it’s labeled ‘EXTRA’-virgin, not just ‘virgin’. Virgin oils are still extracted without chemicals, but after repeated pressings of the olives- which makes their acidic levels higher, and their taste more pungent.
If it doesn’t even say ‘virgin’, don’t buy it! It has been produced by chemical heat pressing, which makes it harsher-tasting, less healthy, and not kosher unless certified.
Olive oil is not just meant to grease up foods: it makes food taste better. If you really shudder at the idea of pouring abundant quantities of oil directly from a bottle into your pots and pans, you can always put it into a spray bottle. But remember that consuming olive oil may reduce your risk of heart disease and make your skin look great, not to mention the fact that it will remind you of the Hanukkah miracle, making you smile.

For a while I resisted the idea of writing about tomato sauce. In fact, as a typical Italian living in the US, I’m often annoyed when talian cuisine is identified exclusively with tomato and cheese-laden dishes. But then the spring arrived, persuading me to break the ice, and to use this post as an opportunity to dispel some myths!
Tomatoes first arrived in Italy for the first time during the 1500. They were brought by the the Spanish, who had encounterd them in the Americas. In particular, Jews of Spanish origins brought them to Livorno (Leighorn), and from there to the rest of Europe. However, at the beginning tomatoes were met with suspicion. After all, even in the Americas they were still considered poisonous and enjoyed solely as a decorative plant. It’s not clear how long it took for people to realize what they were missing on: all we know is that for a while these myths about the poison lingered, or were replaced by others about magical or aphrodisiac powers.. But without a doubt, nobody was thinking yet of pizza margherita! The fact that Jews, always adventurous with vegetables (at least in Italy), were among the first to bite into this forbidden fruit is suggested by the fact that many traditional Livornese recipes with tomato are named “alla giudia” (Jewish-style). Meanwhile, the general population was also starting to experiment with the “pomidoro” (from the Latin “golden apples”), at least in some regions, and with the exception of the aristocracy, which waited much longer. (In France, au contraire, tomatoes were served at the Royal Court). In any case, it took a while to arrive at today’s dishes: the first written record of a recipe for pasta with tomato sauce only dates back to 1837!
Historical digressions aside, one of the reasons I’ve been wanting to write this post is to state clearly that pasta sauce is a dish, not an ingredient. It’s something that you can make easily and quickly to dress your pasta. It should not be used to add flavor to your brisket, or (my pet peeve!) to pizza. You are going to cook/bake your brisket and pizza anyway, so what’s the point exactly of adding a pre-cooked sauce? Use simple tomatoes and a clove of garlic and they will cook with the food. Trust me, nobody in Italy would ever, for any reason, put marinara sauce on their pizza. For a realistic, minimalistic and perfect version of pizza margherita, check out the recipe and video by Mario Grazia for Academia Barilla.
And now on to the pasta sauce, in a couple of variations. You will notice that I use canned tomatoes. That’s because I live in Manhattan and I find the varieties that are sold here too seedy and firm: they are much more suitable for salads than for sauces. Even when I was growing up in Venice we used canned tomatoes imported from the San Marzano area near Naples. However, if you are lucky to live in an area where the tomatoes are soft and juicy, go ahead!

15-MINUTE TOMATO SAUCE, Southern-Italian Style

1 pound (large can) strained tomatoes (simple pureed tomatoes)
2 whole cloves garlic
4 basil leaves
salt and pepper
1large pinch baking soda (or sugar) to reduce the acidity
3 or 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Heat the oil, add the garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes stirring. Add the tomato, the basil, salt, sugar or baking soda, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with pepper, discard the garlic and dress your pasta, which should be ready by now!

30-MINUTE TOMATO SAUCE, Northern-Italian Style

1 pound canned tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes, blanched, peeled, and seeded)1/2 medium onion
1/2 medium carrot
1 celery stick
a few leaves of basil or parsley, if liked (optional)
3 or 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large pinch baking soda or sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Chop the onion, celery and carrot very finely. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the chopped vegetables and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add the tomatoes (broken into pieces with your hands), the baking soda or sugar, the chopped basil or parsley (if using), salt, pepper.
Simmer for 20 minutes on low heat. Pass the sauce through a food mill (if you don’t have one, use your food processor).

Many of us love eating fish in restaurants and are aware of its health benefits, but have no idea of how to cook it at home. Actually, the challenge is not so much cooking fish, as shopping for it! The key is finding a good, clean fish market or counter and getting to know the fishmonger, who will help you find the freshest fish available and will clean it for you if you can’t stomach doing it yourself.

LOOK HIM IN THE EYE! (the fish, not the fishmonger)
A fresh fish should look alive! Its eyes should look clear and stick out, they should not be opaque and sunken. Its gills should be wet and bright red (if they are brown or grayish, your friend was frozen); the skin, flesh and fins should be firm and bouncy, and the scales shiny.
It should smell like the ocean, but not TOO fishy. If you are buying fillets, be aware that brown edges or red streaks show age and should be avoided. You should always prefer a smaller fish over a larger one, because it will have more delicate flesh (one exception, I believe, is Turbot). I avoid fish that is sold already wrapped in plastic. If you have to buy it, at least rinse it very well and pat it dry with paper towel before cooking. However, it’s best to buy fresh fish, or even frozen. Most frozen fish nowadays is frozen fresh and can taste great if you let it thaw slowly in your fridge, rinse and dry it, and then cook it immediately.
What you should avoid at all costs is fish that was frozen but is being sold as fresh, because its texture will be unnaturally mushy.

• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk
• 1 scant cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Direction:To make the crespelle, add the eggs and milk to the flour mixing until combined. Add 1 tbsp oil or melted butter. Allow to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Heat some oil in a 9″ non-stick pan, and when the pan is hot add enough batter to form a crepe (no more than 1/4 cup); Distribute the batter over the pan surface, cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on one side, flip with the help of a platter and cook the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter, greasing the pan again occasionally. Makes approx. 16 crepes. Fill with the savory or sweet filling of your choice.

I often include PARMIGIANO REGGIANO in my dairy recipes. Parmigiano Reggiano is only produced in a specific area of Italy, and aged 18 months to reach its depth of flavor. A tiny amount (and few calories) will suffice, if grated fresh! If the price tag of imported kosher parmigiano leaves you speechless and you need to cook for a large crowd, in some cases you can try the Argentinian “parmigianito”. It does not have the same depth as parmigiano reggiano because it’s not aged for the same amount of time, but it’s pleasant and it can work in most dishes. Always grate your cheese (grate it, don’t shred it, unless you are making Tacos) right before you use it, to preserve its flavor.
I almost don’t want to say this because I’m going to sound like one of these food-obsessed, opinionated Italians, but please please don’t substitute with that American-made prepackaged grated “parmesan” in the shaker. It really tastes like sawdust. (here you go. I said it. I’m an arrogant Italian. I do love peanut butter, though).

Salt has gotten a bad reputation lately, but the issue is mostly with processed food. As a flavoring agent, salt cannot be replaced, and one of the markers of a good cook is adding the right amount. Keep an open jar near your stove and add gradually, pinch by pinch, while cooking and tasting. Natural sea salt has more depth, and is now widely available.

To make a fluffy cake that melts in your mouth, remember these secrets:
1 - choose Italian 00 flour, cake flour or pastry flour rather than all-purpose flour: cake and pastry flour are milled more finely
2 - follow the sequence exactly and don’t change the amounts (this is a case in which measuring with a scale is superior to using cups, since it’s more exact).
3 - baking powder and beaten egg whites should always be added at the end, or the cake will not raise.
4 - choose high quality ingredients, in particular your butter or oil, or the flavor will be affected.
5 - The flour, the baking powder and the sugar should be very dry and with no lumps. Store flour in a zip-loc bag or air-tight container after opening, and ALWAYS sift before using.
6 - don’t randomly replace sugar with other sweeteners without consulting recipes. Sugar is not only a sweetener - it also adds volume and tenderness in baking, and acts as a preservative. It attracts moisture in the batter, reducing the amount of gluten, which results in a more tender crumb.
7 - Be vigorous when beating ingredients that need to become stiff (egg whites, cream etc.), but be very gentle when incorporating these ingredients into the rest of the batter at the end, and fold them in slowly (if using an electric mixer, choose a high speed for the first and a slow speed for the latter).
8 - do not use very cold ingredients. Milk, butter and eggs should be at room temperature, so it’s a good idea to take them out of the refrigerator about 30-60 minutes before using.
9 - for an even fluffier cake, replace 1/3 of the flour with potato starch or corn starch.
10 - always add a pinch of salt to the batter for depth of flavor.

HOW TO MAKE MEAT AND VEGETABLE EXTRACT AT HOME - THE SECRET INGREDIENT THAT CAN RESCUE YOUR DINNER!

I know that we are all supposed to cook from scratch, but there are just days when we arrive home after a ten-hour workday (or more - any Newyorkers there?), there is nothing ready to eat, the kids are pulling each other’s hair off and we just can’t focus. And somehow, whatever we are trying to make comes out, well, bland. Blah.
This can also happen when we have taken our time to follow a recipe and we are having guests - somehow we didn’t add enough salt/herbs/spices/who-knows-what at the start, and when the food is cooked, it’s still flavorless.
IS THERE A WAY TO RESCUE YOUR DINNER? Everybody knows that in a pinch, a tablespoon of chicken or vegetable soup mix would do, but - have you read the ingredients? As we grow more health-conscious, a lot of us would probably prefer to avoid all that mono-sodium glutamate, colorants, emulsifiers, and whatever else is in there. Plus, it usually has a rather unpleasant aftertaste.
HERE IS HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN, DELICIOUS MEAT AND VEGETABLE EXTRACTS AT HOME.

MEAT EXTRACT
1 celery stalks
1 carrots
1 small onion
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 pound beef
1 pound turkey
1 pound sea salt

Remove any fatty parts and bones from the meat, place all the ingredients into a large steel pot, cover with water and cook on low heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Pass everything through a sieve or colander and set the broth aside. Put all the cooked meat and vegetables in a mixer and grind until smooth, adding a little broth only if necessary.
Spoon this thick paste into glass jars, close the lids well and boil the jars in a pot of water for 30 minutes on low heat.
No need to freeze, your NATURAL MEAT EXTRACT will last for many months in the refrigerator and rescue countless meals!

VEGETABLE EXTRACT
4 celery stalks
2 carrots
1 large onion
1 zucchini
1/4 pond parsley
20 basil leaves
2 rosemary sprigs
15 sage leaves
1/3 pound sea salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

chop all the ingredients finely and place into a large pot with the oil. Cover with the salt and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours on very low heat, stirring occasionally, without adding water. Blend with a hand mixer and put back on the stovetop till it thickens.
Spoon into glass jars while it’s still hot, close the lids tight and boil in water for 30 minutes on low heat before you store in your fridge.