Kale and Broccolini with Pecorino Romano and Red Pepper Flakes

All images © Valery Rizzo

I have been trying to keep it light and simple these days and with lots of vegetables. For the last six months I have been on a kale kick, which is not a bad thing to be hooked on and I found beautiful broccolini at The Park Slope Coop. It's really easy to prepare and can be devoured for lunch or dinner. I have it as a main dish and I skip the blanching of the broccolini. I don't understand the obsession with blanching, the characteristic of the broccolini is the bitter taste, which I enjoy. If you boil it in a larger deeper pot you can get rid of some of the bitterness while retaining the other half.

1 bunch Lacinato Kale

1 bunch Broccolini

1 tablespoon Pecorino Romano

Extra-virgin olive oil

Red pepper flakes

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

In a large deep pot bring water to a boil for the broccolini. As water is boiling take the whole head of Kale and slice horizontally into 1/4 inch strips. In a large deep saute pan add a swirl of olive oil. 

When the water is just to a boil, heat the oil in your saute pan and add your kale strips. stir with a wooden spoon to coat the kale with the oilve oil. Chop about an inch off the bottom of the entire bunch of broccolini and add to your boiling water.

After a couple minutes add about 1/4 cup of water to the kale cooking in pan. Cook kale for about 8-10 minutes. Only if needed you can add a bit more water for moisture until finished cooking. Cook the broccolini for 8-10 minutes or until tender.

When tender add your moist broccolini directly from the pot into the saute pan together with the Kale. Season with salt and pepper and cook for another 2-3 minutes. 

Plate your kale and broccolini and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of Pecorino Romano and a kick of red pepper flakes.

Serves 2.

Don Paco Lopez Panaderia

All images © Valery Rizzo

This month I shot a photo feature for the website Nona Brooklyn about Don Paco Lopez Panaderia, a mexican bakery in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, famous for their Rosca de Reyes or Kings Ring they make for Three Kings Day. They also have an adjoining mercado where they serve up Pueblo style tamales as well as other mexican food. To see the full story on the very cool Nona Brooklyn about how the Panaderia makes their roscas, tamales and other mexican sweets click here.

Nona Brooklyn is all about good food. By 'good', they mean local, artisanal, sustainable and/or traditional food and drink made by people with a passion for what they do. Brooklyn is full of people growing, making, serving and selling food you can feel good about. Nona brings you everything you need to know about that food and the people behind it. 

Brooklyn Photo of The Week : Baccalà

Photo © Valery Rizzo

I found all of this Baccalà outside of Coluccio, in Bay Ridge around Christmas time. I have never been a big fan myself of dry salted fish, but I can appreciate it for what it is and I thought it was interesting. I even once had it in Rome, but no could do.

Whenever I want to feel like I am in Italy again, Coluccio is the place to go. Almost everyone speaks Italian as a first language and you can find all those specialty items from Italy that make me reminisce. Recently I found those gorgeous multicolor sprinkles for my holiday struffoli, Farro pasta (very meaty), and this Venetian Bigoli Nobili Radicchio Rosso (red radicchio) Spaghetti I adore, which is made from durum semolina, is this deep dark reddish bronze color and has an amazing flavor. They also sell espresso cups, machines, biscotti, chocolate, cheeses, meats, Brooklyn gum, you name it.

D. Coluccio & Sons, Inc. 1214-20 60th Street, Brooklyn, New York.