I had heard great things about Franny’s restaurant in Brooklyn and about the new book Franny's: Simple Seasonal Italian. So, my curiosity was piqued when I heard the founders were coming to Central Market Cooking School to teach a class a few weeks ago. I attended the class with a media pass and received a copy of the book. I have to admit, I wondered if there would be anything new to learn here. I do cook a lot of Italian food and already have a quite a few books that cover that topic. What I discovered was that although the dishes were familiar, the approach and attention to detail were the real focus here. First and foremost, the recipes are all about the in-season ingredients. At the restaurant, the menu changes throughout the year to make use of what’s fresh and at its best. Peppers are pickled and fruit is frozen to extend the seasons, but the vegetables in the starring roles are just-harvested. Then, those ingredients are allowed to shine with straightforward, uncomplicated uses of them. As I read the book, I found page after page of food that I want to eat every day. There’s a chapter full of ideas for crostini like Ricotta with Olives and Pistachios and Hard-Boiled Eggs with Bottarga di Muggine with suggestions for the best kind of olive oil to pair with different toppings. Next comes the chapter of Fritti with tempting, crispy, fried things like various, savory zeppole and Fried Zucchini with Parmigiano-Reggiano and Lemon which I tried and found delightful with its tempura-like coating. I’m going to have to cook my way through the Pasta chapter so I can taste every single dish. And, although the recipes aren’t difficult, there are good reminders about choosing really well-made pasta for the best texture and cooking it to the proper doneness so it can finish in the sauce. Taking a moment to consider those little details makes all the difference. There are also Salads, Soups, Franny’s famous Pizzas of course, and Fish. Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly think about dessert after all of the other fabulous food, the Desserts chapter got me. The Chocolate Sorbetto and Pistachio Cake are on my shortlist of things to try.
At the class, Francine and Andrew started by demonstrating Whipped Eggplant and Anchovy Crostini which was a smooth and light puree of grilled eggplant drizzled with olive oil and topped with an anchovy fillet. The next course was a fresh mix of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and corn in a red rice salad, and I learned that a type of red rice grows in Italy. The Sauteed Squid with Salsa Verde dish is usually made with lovage, parsley, and mint. Since lovage wasn’t available here, celery leaves were used as a substitute. The pasta dish of the evening was light and herby with chopped parsley, basil, and mint stirred into the melted ricotta than sauced the strands of spaghetti. Dessert was a rich and fragrant Vanilla Panna Cotta. Photos from the class are posted on my Facebook page.
With a nice, plump eggplant that had just arrived from my CSA, I decided my first stop in the book would be at the Fried Eggplant with Parmigiano-Reggiano, Tomato, and Basil dish. Yes, it’s fried, but with the oil at the proper temperature and the breading properly applied, the eggplant slices become crispy and golden without absorbing the oil. And, unlike a mozzarella-filled, traditional eggplant parmesan dish, this is light by comparison. The eggplant slices were sprinkled with salt and left to drain in a colander for an hour before being patted dry, dusted with flour, dipped in egg, and coated with breadcrumbs. They were fried in 375 degree F oil for a few minutes and then drained on paper towels and seasoned with salt. I took a small liberty with the sauce. Rather than peeling and dicing large tomatoes, I used pretty, little cherry tomatoes which were cooked in olive oil with garlic. I pulsed the cooked tomatoes in the food processor to make a slightly chunky sauce. The sauce was spooned onto plates and sprinkled with torn basil and shaved parmigiano. It was topped with slices of fried eggplant and more basil and parmigiano. It was a dish of simplicity at its very best like everything else in the book promises to be.
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