Tuscan Cheese Cake - Torta di Ricotta

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We've had lots of pasta this fall, so with my kitchen in Italian mode, it was only a matter of time before I remembered this cake and pulled the recipe from my files. This dessert is not to everyone's liking, and while I hate to admit it, I have dissenters in my own family. They grouse the entire time they're eating the cake, but because no one here is force fed, that always makes me smile. The cake does have an unusual texture. It's a cross between a sponge cake and a cheesecake but it lacks the creamy sweetness of its American counterpart. If I had to compare it to something we all have eaten, a custardy bread pudding comes to mind. It's also been compared to a heavy souffle, the type you wouldn't want to drop on your foot. If you can, make this with fresh ricotta cheese, it really is worthwhile in this particular recipe. The cake has a faint undertone of lemon that makes it perfect to serve with macerated berries. I think the addition of almond flavor would also be wonderful. I refrigerate the cake for a full day before I plan to slice and serve it. I don't think it holds up well so my rule for it is a day to sit, a day to eat. I rarely have enough leftovers for that to be a problem. The recipe originally came from the Silver Spoon cookbook. Here's how they make this.

Torta di Ricotta - Tuscan Cheese Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of the Silver Spoon cookbook

Ingredients:
Butter for the pan
2-1/4 cups all purpose flour; extra for dusting the pan
4 eggs
1/2 cup light brown sugar; extra for sprinkling
1-3/4 cups ricotta cheese
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
5 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon baking powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a deep tart or springform pan with butter and dust with flour. Whisk eggs and brown sugar together until light and foamy. Stir in ricotta cheese, lemon zest, olive oil and milk. Sift flour and baking powder over egg mixture, mix well and pour into cake pan. Sprinkle generously with additional brown sugar. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, cool and turn out. Serves 6.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Yogurt Cheesecake - One Perfect Bite
Margarita Cheesecake - One Perfect Bite
Lavender Cheesecake Bars - One Perfect Bite
Caramel Apple Cheesecake - The Foodie/Nutritionist
Blueberry Japanese Cheesecake - Flour on Her Nose
Almond Cheesecake - Anncoo Journal
Fig and Almond Cheesecake - Brown Eyed Baker

Bob's Tuscan Bruschetta

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Several months after Bob was discharged from the army we met with a group of friends at Bughouse Square, the name locals gave to Chicago's Washington Square Park. After listening to the evenings "soapboxers" we headed to a coffee house for an evening of folk music and pizza. There were five couples with us that evening and the men had a shared service experience they rarely discussed. There was an engineer, a mathematician, 2 chemists and a pharmacist in the group. Between them they spoke 7 languages and held advanced degrees. The topic they preferred not to discuss? The army had made them all cooks and they had been together in cook's school at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Over the years it became a closed joke between them. As the wife of one of those men, I can tell you they pretty much avoided the kitchen after that. The only time Bob jumped in to help me was to make gravy. It was delicious, but he literally made a gallon of it, so, thereafter, I let him stand down. He'd occasionally roll up his sleeves to make chili, a pizza or ribs, but nothing adventurous. Then one night, in a fit of creativity, he made this Tuscan-style bruschetta. I'm here to tell you it is delicious. It is simple to do and the only trick is to make sure you serve it while it's still hot. The bruschetta can be assembled several hours before serving, but bake them off just before you want to serve them. I've found that oil-packed, sun-dried tomatoes pack quite a flavor punch and this bruschetta is the perfect place to use them. Kudos to my husband for his wonderful creation. Here's the recipe. I want you all to remember that, "no army travels far without its cooks". Even if they could have been Russian language translators or corpsmen.

Bob's Tuscan-Style Bruschetta...from Bob's corner of Mary's kitchen at One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup drained and chopped sundried tomatoes packed in in seasoned oil
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds
1/2 cup finely sliced scallions (white and tender green)
3 ounces grated Parmesan-Regianno cheese
8 ounces shredded Provolone cheese
24 1/2-inch baguette slices

Directions:
1) Combine sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, scallions, Parmesan and Provolone cheese in a large bowl. Mix well.
2) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spread cheese mixture over baguette slices and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve immediately. Yield: 24 bruschetta.

Tuscan Bean Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Bob and I have been playing hot potato with some version of the flu for two weeks now. We're both finally on the mend and our appetites are starting to return. Our meals have been light for much of that time. I'm happy to report there's not a can of soup left in the pantry. That's a good thing. One more bowl of chicken soup would have me laying eggs and Bob crowing to wake the sun. We're still not ready for "real" meals but I wanted to make something more substantial than what we've been living on. I must also add that I didn't want to make a trip to the store and that limited me to what was in the pantry or freezer. I had an abundance of beans, plenty of frozen stock and a small amount of pancetta to play with. Fortunately, I also had an adequate supply of vegetables to help get me where I wanted to go. My destination was Tuscany. Bob volunteered to make bruschetta while I made a Tuscan bean soup we both love. This is really simple to do but timing is important. The beans and the soup pasta should be added to the stock about 15 minutes before the soup is to be served. If either sit in the stock too much longer than that, there'll be no liquid in the pot when you go to serve the soup. Once the vegetables are diced, the soup can be on the table with the hour. This soup is a personal favorite of mine. I think you'll like it too. I've scaled the recipe to feed smaller families, but if you have an army at your table you can double or triple the recipe without a problem. Do not, however, increase the measurement for lemon or cider vinegar. Here's how we do it.

Tuscan Bean Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3-oz. diced panchetta
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
5 to 6 cups homemade or reduced-sodium chicken, beef or vegetable broth
Juice of 1/2 lemon or 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 cup acini pepe pasta, uncooked
2 (15.5-oz.) cans drained cannellini beans
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3 to 4 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a 5 to 6 quart stockpot set over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add pancetta and saute for 3 minutes. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper and cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and sage and cook until garlic releases its fragrance. Add stock and bring to a boil. Stir in lemon juice or vinegar. Reduce heat, cover pot and simmer for 30 minutes. Add pasta and beans and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Stir in cheese and parsley just before serving. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Yield: 5 servings.

Polpettone - Tuscan Stovetop Meatloaf

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There are times when my sense of the absurd overcomes common sense. Before I go any further, you need a little background. I've been working with a cookbook that was written for folks who know their way around the kitchen. There are no detailed instructions to take you from the larder to the table in 10 easy steps. There's a list of ingredients and a few charming, but terse instructions that can be summarized as "mix and bake." I've long waged a personal war with recipes that call for a chopped onion or 2 cloves of garlic. My brain is wired to handle balanced equations and specific instructions. What size onion are you talking about? If onions upset me, you can imagine how well I handle an instruction directing me to shape a meatloaf like a football. You'll be even more surprised to learn I tried. Fortunately, I realized it was impossible to fry anything shaped like an American football before reaching DEFCON 1. Undeterred, but taking terrible hazing from Bob, I decided they must have meant a soccer ball. I tried that, too, but my creation collapsed under it's own weight and became a discus. I fell back on my old standby, the salami-shaped cylinder, and fortunately that worked, allowing me to roll the loaf as it browned. I choose this recipe because it's geared to a smaller table and I was intrigued by the fact that it was cooked on top of the stove. It also made a ton of sauce that would be perfect for pasta. Despite the false starts, silliness and instructions lost in translation this is a lovely meatloaf that is perfect for smaller families. Here is the recipe for polpettone - Tuscan meatloaf.

Polpetonne - Tuscan Stovetop Meatloaf...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Judy Witts Francini

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
2 ounces prosciutto, finely chopped
1 large egg, beaten
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
2 slices crustless bread, soaked in milk, then squeezed to remove liquid
Flour for dredging
1/2 onion, peeled and finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely dice
1 stalk celery, scrubbed and finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Olive oil
Salt, pepper and nutmeg
1 (28-oz.) can plum tomatoes packed in juice

Diretions:
1) Mix beef with prosciutto, egg, cheese and bread, Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. I used a teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and a big pinch of nutmeg.Shape meatloaf like a football, roll in flour or breadcrumbs.
2) Saute onion, carrot and celery in olive oil. I used 2 tablespoons. After 10 minutes, add polpettone, turning to brown on all sides. Add tomatoes and up to a cup of their juice. Cover and let cook slowly, turning frequently to avoid sticking. I cooked mine for 30 minutes. Very carefully remove from pan to a cutting board. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. Slice and serve with lemon wedges. Yield: 4 servings.

Cook's Note: The parsley specified in the ingredient list was never mentioned in the instructions. I added it to the tomato sauce. Next time I'll include it in the meat mixture.

Here are some other great meatloaf recipes from other blogs:
Moroccan Meatloaf from Simply Recipes
Kalyn's Best Meatloaf from Kalyn's Kitchen
Turkey Meatloaf with Fig Gravy from The Perfect Pantry