The Villa Park Women’s League Dinners come with tested recipes.  They are printed below.

A Tasty Tour of Italy

Antipasti Platter

Mozzarella Fonduta

Panzanella Salad

Osso Buco

Saffron Risotto

Tiramisu

Antipasti Platter

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pound assorted sliced deli meats (such as salami, spicy capocollo, prosciutto, mortadella, and bresaola)
• 3/4 pound Parmigiano-Reggiano, cut into irregular chunks
• Pinzimonio, recipe follows
• Marinated Olives, recipe follows
• Roasted Pepper Salad, recipe follows
• 1 loaf focaccia bread, sliced

Directions:

1. Arrange the meats, cheeses, and foccacia on a large platter.
2. Arrange a platter of Pinzimonio.
3. Place the Marinated Olives and Roasted Red Pepper Salad in small serving bowls.
4. Serve, allowing guests to compose their own assortment of antipasti on their plate.

If you want to add any Grapes or other items please feel free to do this.

Pinzimonio:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Assorted cut-up vegetables (such as carrots, celery, fennel bulb, radishes, red and orange bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes)

Directions:

1. Stir the oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl to blend.
2. Arrange the vegetables on a platter.
3. Serve the vegetables with the dip.

Marinated Olives:

Ingredients:

• 3 Tab olive oil
• 1 Tab lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 c Sicilian cracked green olives
• 1 1/2 c kalamata olives
• 2 Tab chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions:

1. Stir the oil, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes in a heavy small skillet over medium heat just until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Remove from the heat.
3. Add the olives.
4. Toss to coat.
5. Add the basil.
6. Toss to coat.
7. Serve.

Roasted Pepper Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 red bell peppers
• 2 orange bell pepper
• 1/3 c pitted kalamata olives, thinly sliced
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 2 Tab drained capers
• 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Cover a heavy baking sheet with foil.
3. Arrange the bell peppers on the baking sheet.
4. Broil until the skins brown and blister, turning the peppers over occasionally, about 15 minutes.
5. Enclose the peppers in a resealable plastic bag.
6. Set aside until cooled to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
7. Peel, seed, and cut the peppers into 1/2-inch thick strips.
8. Toss the pepper strips, olives, oil, capers, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to combine.
9. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.

Mozzarella Fonduta

Ingredients:

• 2-  28-oz jar tomato-basil sauce,
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 c chopped fresh basil
• 8 oz thinly-sliced prosciutto, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2- 7- to 8-oz ball fresh mozzarella, sliced into six 1/4- to 1/3-inch-thick slices
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 c (2 ounces) shredded Gruyere
• grilled bread

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, bring the tomato-basil sauce and red pepper flakes to a simmer over medium heat.
2. Cook uncovered until thick, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil.
4. Preheat the broiler.
5. Place 8 or 10 , 5-ounce ramekins on a baking sheet.
6. Divide the sauce equally among the ramekins.
7. Divide the prosciutto among the ramekins.
8. Place the slices of mozzarella between 3 paper towels to absorb any excess moisture.
9. Place the slices of mozzarella on top of the prosciutto.
10. Season with salt and pepper.
11. Sprinkle the Gruyere on top.
12. Broil until the cheese is melted and golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes.
13. Serve with grilled bread.

Panzanella Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 Tab good olive oil
• 1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
• 20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 3 Tab capers, drained

Ingredients for the vinaigrette:

• 1 tsp finely minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3 Tab Champagne vinegar
• 1/2 c good olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions for the vinaigrette:,

Whisk all the ingredients together.

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.
2. In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers.
3. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
4. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.
5. Serve in Butter Lettuce Cups

Osso Buco

Ingredients:

• 2 sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 dry bay leaf
• 4 whole cloves
• Cheesecloth
• Kitchen twine, for bouquet garni and tying the veal shanks
• 5 whole veal shanks (about 1 pound per shank), trimmed
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• All purpose flour, for dredging
• 1 c vegetable oil
• 2 small onion, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 small carrot, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 stalk celery, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 c dry white wine
• 6 c chicken stock
• 6 Tab fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
• 2 Tab lemon zest

Directions:

1. Place the rosemary, thyme, bay leaf and cloves into cheesecloth and secure with twine. This will be your bouquet garni.
2. For the veal shanks, pat dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Veal shanks will brown better when they are dry.
3. Secure the meat to the bone with the kitchen twine.
4. Season each shank with salt and freshly ground pepper.
5. Dredge the shanks in flour, shaking off excess.
6. In a large Dutch oven pot, heat vegetable oil until smoking.
7. Add tied veal shanks to the hot pan and brown all sides, about 3 minutes per side.
8. Remove browned shanks and reserve.
9. In the same pot, add the onion, carrot and celery.
10. Season with salt at this point to help draw out the moisture from the vegetables.
11. Saute until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
12. Add the tomato paste and mix well.
13. Return browned shanks to the pan,
14. Add the white wine and reduce liquid by half, about 5 minutes.
15. Add the bouquet garni and 2 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
16. Reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone.
17. Check every 15 minutes, turning shanks and adding more chicken stock as necessary. The level of cooking liquid should always be about 3/4 the way up the shank.
18. Carefully remove the cooked shanks from the pot and place in decorative serving platter.
19. Cut off the kitchen twine and discard.
20. Remove and discard bouquet garni from the pot.
21. Pour all the juices and sauce from the pot over the shanks.
22. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon zest.

Saffron Risotto:

Ingredients:
16 c chicken broth
4 Tab butter
4 Tab olive oil
4 c Arborio rice
6 pinches saffron threads
6 Tab Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, bring chicken broth to a simmer.
2. Keep warm over low heat.
3. In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium heat.
4. Add oil and rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat each grain.
5. When rice begins to make a crackling sound, add saffron threads.
6. Add 1 cup of the warm chicken broth and cook, stirring, until the rice has absorbed the liquid.
7. Add the remaining broth, 1 cup at a time.
8. Continue to stir, allowing the rice to absorb each addition of broth before adding more.
9. Test the rice for doneness, it should be al dente but creamy.
10. Remove risotto from heat, add grated cheese, salt and pepper.
11. Serve at once

Tiramisu
Ingredients:

• 8 large egg yolks
• 1 c sugar
• 1 c whole milk
• Four 8-ounce containers mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 c espresso or strong coffee, at room temperature
• 1/2 c brandy or cognac
• 32 to 34 crisp Italian ladyfingers (savoiardi)
• 1/4 c Dutch-process cocoa powder
• Bittersweet chocolate, for shaving

Directions:

1. Line an 8-inch-square baking dish with plastic wrap, leaving a 3-inch overhang on all sides.
2. Fill a large bowl with ice water.
3. Make the custard: Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) until the sugar dissolves.
4. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the custard is light and foamy, about 10 minutes (a thermometer inserted into the mixture should register 170°).
5. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and set in the bowl of ice water.
6. Whisk until the custard is cool, about 1 minute. Put the mascarpone in a large bowl. Fold the custard into the mascarpone with a rubber spatula until almost combined, then whisk until just smooth (do not overmix or the custard will be grainy).
7. Combine the espresso and brandy in a shallow bowl. One at a time, dip the ladyfingers in the espresso mixture until soaked but not soggy; arrange 2 rows of about 5 biscuits each in the baking dish. Spread one-third of the mascarpone custard over the ladyfingers. Repeat with a second layer of espresso-dipped ladyfingers, arranging them in the opposite direction. Top with another one-third of the custard. Repeat with the remaining ladyfingers, alternating directions. Spread the remaining custard on top and dust with the cocoa powder. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight.
8. Invert a plate on top of the tiramisu, then flip the tiramisu with the plate. Remove the baking dish and plastic wrap. Invert a serving plate on top of the tiramisu and flip again so it is cocoa-side up. Remove the remaining plastic wrap. Shave curls of chocolate on top with a vegetable peeler.

Wine Notes:

Sant’Antonio Corvina Scaia Veneto 2012

90 Points!  The 2012 Corvina Scaia is an unbelievable deal, and a wine that can be purchased by the case-load for those informal occasions at home when a simple glass of red wine accompanies you as you cook dinner or watch television. This is the ultimate downtime wine. The fruit is fresh and bright with white cherry, cassis, sweet almond and freshly milled white pepper. It’s appearance is compact with a light ruby hue. – Monica Larner, eRobertParker.com

Terredora Falanghina 2013
Pale yellow color. The nose is clean and, after a little bit of warming up, reveals aromas of apple, pear and tropical fruit. The palate is dry, but with a nice overlay of sweet fruit. The alcohol is medium at 14% but as the glass warms up it become pronounced and a little hot. The palate overall is fresh and clean with medium acidity. This is medium bodied wine, with medium flavor intensity with grapefruit and melon on the medium finish. Fairly well balanced. Drink now through 2015.