8FFLFOE
Above: Spices and casings are at the ready. Left: Quentin Levy cranks out pork sausage at his July 14 class.
over 20 years, Levy started a business that allowed him to work on a more personal level. “My stuff is really small-batch,� Levy said. “Strawberry lavender water kefir: I guarantee you will never hear that again.� None of the students in Levy’s July 14 sausage-making class had ever heard of such a drink,
but all seemed to enjoy sampling the light, fizzy beverage that packed a slight punch. The kefir was designed as a pairing to the salami and fresh sausage that Levy prepared in Hidden Villa’s Dana Center. The drink coincided with the suggested theme of the $65 class: fermentation, or the anaerobic
process by which foods can be preserved or prepared. While setting the stage for the Spanishstyle chorizo — a fermented salami made with the same technique used by the ancient Romans — Levy discussed the health benefits of the fermentation process, which can enrich foods with vitamins and probiot-
DINNER BY THE MOVIES AT SHORELINE’S
Cucina Venti ons ervati s e r g in accept
able l i a v a ng cateri Now
ics while also enhancing flavor. Levy also advocates the use of organic and locally raised meats. He used a pork shoulder from Fogline Farm in Santa Cruz for the class, and often uses meat raised at Hidden Villa in his recipes. According to Levy, knowing where your meat comes from helps you assess the likelihood of contamination that can result from commercially farmed pigs, often fed cornmeal and antibiotics which raise the risk of superbugs. It’s no coincidence, Levy
suggested, that the Latin word for sausage is botulus. While an old adage states that no one should see laws or sausage getting made, Levy makes a good argument for the latter: when it is homemade, you know what goes into it. In the place of nitrites, nitrates, dextrose and “pink slime,� the mechanically separated meat product, Levy said that all you need to make great sausage is just “pig and salt� — although he did supplement that formula with dry Continued on next page
Acqua Pazza Acqua Pazza, (meaning crazy water) is an old ďŹ shermen of the Neopolitan area. The term itself most likely originated from Tuscany where the peasants would make wine, but had to give most to the landlord, leaving little left for THEM TO DRINK 4HE PEASANTS WERE RESOURCEFUL AND MIXED THE STEMS SEEDS AND pomace leftover from the wine production with large quantities of water, bringing it to a boil, then sealing in a terracotta vase allowing it for several days. Called l’acquarello or l’acqua pazza, the result was water barely colored with wine, which the ďŹ sherman may have been reminded of when seeing the broth of the DISH COLORED SLIGHTLY RED BY THE TOMATOES AND OIL )T BECAME VERY POPULAR IN THE UPSCALE TOURISTY #APRI )SLAND IN THE S
From our kitchen to yours. Boun appetito! Chef Marco Salvi, Executive Chef
Pesce all’Acqua Pazza Fish in Crazy Water s 4 EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL s GARLIC CLOVES IN LARGE DICE s 4 )TALIAN PARSLEY l NELY chopped s LB RIPE CHERRY TOMATOES chopped
s LEMON SLICED s 0INCH OF CRUSHED RED PEPPER s 2IPE BLACK OLIVES s SALT AND PEPPER s LB WHITE l SH CUT INTO PIECES (sea bass or red snapper)
To cook: Place the olive oil and garlic in a large skillet and sautÊ on medium heat. As soon as the garlic begins to brown remove the garlic, add the pepper akes and let the oil cool.
1390 Pear Ave., Mountain View (650) 254-1120 www.cucinaventi.com
Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
Pour water into the pan with the cooled oil, about ½" deep. Add half of the parsley, the tomatoes and the lemon slices. Add the ďŹ sh slices, skin side down, and season the ďŹ sh lightly with salt; top with the rest of the parsley. Place the skillet back on the stove on medium-high heat and bring the water to a boil cook for about 10-15 minutes, turning the ďŹ sh to cook on the both sides. Make sure the ďŹ sh is only half covered by the water. Adjust salt, and add pepper if necessary. Transfer the ďŹ sh to warm plates, pour a little of the crazy water over and around the ďŹ sh, making sure to include some tomatoes. Toss in some black olives and serve immediately.
August 2, 2013 â– Mountain View Voice â– MountainViewOnline.com â–
21