Dining Alone and Al Fresco in Northern Wisconsin

I am currently enjoying my last week of vacation on Lake Emma in northern Wisconsin. My husband and daughter just left after being here for ten days, and although I miss them, I do enjoy being alone.

“Vacation” is probably not the word I should use since it implies that I am not at home. When I really think about it, here is where I am most at home, where I am the most “me.”

Of course, that is in large part due to the fact that I was born and raised in northern Wisconsin and spent most of the first 30 years of my life in this state. (Yes, that makes me middle-aged AND a Yankee.)

But the main reason my heart lives here even when my body is elsewhere is because no matter what the weather, no matter what the season (o.k.--winter, not so much), Lake Emma is breathtakingly beautiful.

And in the summer it is most beautiful starting around 6:00 p.m. when the water is usually glassy and calm. Then, I take the kayak out into the middle of the lake and just drift and daydream. If I’m lucky, I can sneak up on the resident pair of loons or spy a deer drinking at the edge of the water.

When I get back to shore, I love to cook something easy and tasty for dinner and take it outside to eat at the table on the deck. In the summer, the sun doesn’t set here until after 9:00 p.m., so I have lots of time to continue relaxing and enjoying the beauty before me.

In the following dishes, you’ll notice the common ingredients of olive oil, lots of garlic and pasta. More than any other kitchen chore, I LOVE to prep garlic—chop it, slice it, or even smash it. And who doesn’t love pasta? Even though these are single-serving recipes, they are easily doubled, even quadruppled.

Shrimp Scampi Solo

For some reason, when I am on my own I crave shrimp and pasta. Maybe that’s because my husband believes that noodles and seafood just don’t “marry” well together. I disagree and find this garlicky scampi delicious.

Source: original recipe

Yield: one serving

Ingredients:

¼ lb. spaghetti
2 T. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly cross-wise
2 T. butter
7 large shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut in half
¼ c. white wine
2 T. lemon juice
Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning (or salt, pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes)
¼ c. grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Process:

Cook spaghetti in salted water until al dente. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan sauté the garlic in olive oil very slowly over the lowest possible heat until golden, not brown. Remove the garlic from pan and reserve. Add the butter to the remaining olive oil in the pan, and add the shrimp. Sauté the shrimp until they are beginning to become pink and opaque. Add the wine and lemon juice and bring to boiling. Add the reserved garlic. Continue cooking the shrimp until they are just opaque but tender. Season the shrimp tomato with Tony’s (or salt, pepper and red pepper) to taste. Pour the shrimp-garlic mixture over drained pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Fresh Tomatoes and White Beans on Pasta

This is my simplified take on Pasta e Fagioli (pasta and beans). With all this garlic and a whole can of beans, I don’t think I need to explain why this might be a dish best eaten when you’re on your own.

Source: original recipe

Yield: one serving

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly cross-wise
3-4 tomatoes
¼ lb. spaghetti
1 15-oz. can Great Northern beans (or other white beans), rinsed and drained
Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning (or salt, pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes, if desired)
¼ c. grated, fresh Parmesan cheese

Process:

In a large frying pan, sauté the garlic in olive oil very slowly over the lowest possible heat until golden, not brown. Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of water to boil over high heat. Add the tomatoes and blanch for 20-30 seconds. Remove the tomatoes from the water (keep water boiling in pan) and submerge them in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes. Add the pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente; drain.

Meanwhile, remove the tomatoes from the water. Peel the skin from the tomatoes, halve, core, and squeeze to remove seeds. Roughly chop tomatoes. To the garlic and olive oil in the frying pan, add the tomatoes and beans. Increase the heat and cook until lightly simmering. Season tomato and bean mixture with Tony’s (or salt, pepper and red pepper) to taste. Pour the tomato-bean mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Serving suggestion:

The tomato-bean mixture is hearty enough to eat without the pasta. Adding a can of chicken broth to the mixture would make it a quick and satisfying soup.

Spaghetti with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Ham

When I am preparing to leave our house on Lake Emma, I try to use up all the leftovers I’ve acquired during my stay, especially the fresh ingredients. This recipe was born out of what was left—a half an onion and a few springs of basil left over from a salad I’d made, some deli ham I used for sandwiches, cream I used for my coffee, a nub of Parmesan, and, of course, leftover spaghetti. But this dish was so good, I think I’ll make it “on purpose” next time. All measurements are approximate.

Source: original recipe

Yield: one to two servings

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
½ onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly crosswise
2-3 T. chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
6 slices deli ham, chopped in ½-inch pieces
½ c. white wine
½ c. water (or pasta cooking water, if cooking fresh pasta)
¾ c. leftover spaghetti (or ¼ lb. freshly cooked, al dente)
2 T. light cream
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1-2 T. chopped fresh basil
¼ c. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning (or salt) to taste

Process:

In a large frying pan, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil very slowly over the lowest possible heat until golden, not brown. Add the tomatoes and ham cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the wine, water, and pasta and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the pasta is hot. Add the cream, pepper, basil and cheese and stir to coat the pasta. (I suggest beginning with a small amount of pasta and adding to achieve the desired consistency.) Season with Tony’s or salt to taste.

Five-Ingredient Frittata

Still using up stuff in the fridge! I’m calling this “Five-Ingredient Frittata” because it contains 5 items I’d like to use up before I return home to Baton Rouge. Frittatas are great “kitchen sink” dishes—you can put anything and everything in them as long as you have a few eggs.

Source: original recipe

Yield: one serving

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced cross-wise
¼ c. chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, drained
2 eggs
½ tsp. Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning (or salt and pepper to taste)
¼ - ½ c. cooked spaghetti
½ tsp. dried basil
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese

Process:

In a medium frying pan, sauté the garlic in olive oil very slowly over the lowest possible heat until golden, not brown. (Am I repeating myself?) Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and reserve, leaving the olive oil in the pan. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with the Tony’s (or salt and pepper). Pour the eggs into the frying pan and “sprinkle” the spaghetti evenly over the tops of the eggs. Then sprinkle the garlic and tomatoes over the spaghetti. Cook over low heat until the eggs are set on the bottom (run a spatula under the frittata to release from pan) but still unset on top. Sprinkle the basil and cheese on top of eggs.

To finish the frittata, there are 3 options. For the “Top Chef”: flip the frittata in the air and “catch” it in the pan. Cook for a minute or so until set. For the “Sous Chef": place the pan under a broiler briefly until the top is set, but not brown. For the rest of us: place a plate on top of the pan. Flip the frittata onto the plate and slide the unset side of the frittata back into the pan. Cook for a minute or so until set.

Foraging for Food

Growing up in northern Wisconsin, I was blessed to live in a heavily wooded neighborhood where almost everyone’s backyard lawn gave way to a forest of birch, maple and pine trees. As children, my sisters, our friends, and I spent almost every waking moment in our tree-filled playground, pretending to be pioneers, Native Americans, or explorers as we blazed a maze of trails that led to grassy clearings and creeks.

In the summer, we ignored the mosquitoes and wood ticks and set up camp under the huge branches of pine trees. In the winter, we ignored the bitter cold and built forts of packed snow.

And, of course, we had to forage for food.

Ferns leaves were placemats, sticks were forks and spoons, and pieces of birch bark were plates. Sometimes we just played at eating meals of crushed leaves and dirt, but other times we actually ate things we found, such as wild strawberries and blueberries and, occasionally, crushed acorns (which, by the way, do NOT taste like peanuts). In the winter, snow stood in for everything from porridge, which just sounded like pioneer food, to, no surprise, ice cream.

This idea of living close to nature captured my imagination and still does, but, as with many things, it was only the idea, not the reality, that I could ultimately embrace. Today, I do not live off the land in any way, shape, or form. I do not camp, and I gave up growing vegetables long ago. My main excuse is that life in southern Louisiana is just too darn hot, especially for a “recovering” Yankee like me.

But Louisiana weather does give me opportunities to rough it quite a bit from time to time. These “opportunities” are called hurricanes.

Most recently, Hurricane Gustav left us without power for twelve days, and while this was really just a minor convenience compared to the serious damage many people suffered, it did force us to think INSIDE the box (and can and package) when it came to preparing meals.

For several days after a major hurricane, buying food is difficult. First, the branches and debris need to be cleared before you can even get your car out of your driveway. Then, if you can navigate past the fallen trees and downed power lines in the road to the grocery store, chances are you will face long lines and empty shelves, especially if you need fresh bread, milk, or produce. And forget about restaurants. They don’t have power or supplies either.

However, with a generator-powered refrigerator, a gas-powered stove, a charcoal grill, and, above all, a full pantry, we eat pretty well. Here are some recipes that allow me to make do with ingredients I usually have on hand.

Hurry-Can Salad

Source: original recipe (if what follows can be considered a recipe)

Yield: about 4 cups


Ingredients:

1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz. can corn, drained
1 15-oz. can Rotel-brand tomatoes (original or mild), undrained

Process:

Combine ingredients in a bowl. (Yeah, that’s it.)

Serving suggestions:

You could season to taste (but the tomatoes are pretty perfect as is) or add diced vegetables you have on hand (celery, carrots). As is, this could work as a good salsa, or you could add some cooked rice to make it a more substantial side dish. I would suggest adding a can or two of chicken broth and leftover rice or cooked chicken to make this a soup, but hurricane season is NOT the time for a hot soup.

Orzo with Everything

This a fantastic side dish that can be served warm, chilled, or at room temperature.

Source: Bon Appétit, June 1998

Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 ½ c. orzo (rice-shaped pasta; about 10 ounces)
1/3 c. (packed) chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
5 T. extra-virgin olive oil (I used less)
¼ c. balsamic vinegar (I used more)
¼ c. (packed) chopped Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives
1 c. finely chopped radicchio, about 1 small head (I omitted this)
½ c. pine nuts, toasted
½ c. cup chopped fresh basil
½ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 large garlic cloves, minced

Preparation:

Cook orzo in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain well. Transfer to large bowl. Add sun-dried tomatoes, oil, vinegar and olives and toss to blend. Let stand until cool. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing.) Mix chopped radicchio, pine nuts, chopped basil, Parmesan and garlic into orzo mixture. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Death by Pasta

This is a pretty decadent dish, but if you make it through a hurricane, you deserve it!

Source: original recipe

Yield: serves four

Ingredients:

8 oz. dried penne pasta
5 slices bacon, chopped
1 med. onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional or canned)
¼ tsp. salt
¼-½ tsp. red pepper flakes
½ c. chopped, drained sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
1 c. frozen peas
1 c. heavy cream or half-and-half
½ c. Parmesan cheese

Process:

Cook the penne pasta until al dente in a large pot of boiling water. Drain pasta, reserving the pasta water. Meanwhile, sauté the bacon in a large sauce pan until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towel. To the bacon fat in the pan, add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender. Add the seasoning, sun-dried tomatoes, peas, cream and about ½ c. of the pasta water. Cook the sauce over low heat until slightly thickened, thinning if necessary with additional pasta water. Stir in the cheese until it melts in the sauce. Check seasoning. Toss the penne with the sauce.

Enoteca Marcello's--Baton Rouge

(Unfortunately, Enoteca is no longer open.)

Enoteca Marcello’s Wine Bar & Café is one of Baton Rouge’s newest restaurants and, judging by the well-heeled crowd there at my two visits, one of the city’s hottest as well.

Located at 4205 Perkins in the Southdowns Shopping Center at the former site of the Southdowns Lounge, the nondescript exterior of Enoteca Marcello’s belies its elegant interior.

To the right of the entry is a toney cocktail area with an L-shaped bar, several high-top tables, and a wooden counter with barstools hugging the exterior walls. To the left of the entry are two beautifully apportioned dining areas whose ochre walls are lined with prints, paintings and mirrors of various sizes giving these rooms an elegant, Florentine feel. In the center of the second dining room, though, several wooden high tables with bar-height chairs seem out of place.

The entry also houses the wine “library” where diners can select their own bottles from the well-organized racks. The wine list on the menu is small but solid, and these wines can be ordered by the glass or bottle.

Although our waiter neglected to tell us about the nightly specials, she was pleasant and knowledgeable, suggesting that we have our red wine brought to cellar temperature (about 65°) before she decanted it at the table.

As an appetizer, we ordered the bresaola. The thin slices of cured beef were served with a lemon wedge and a sprinkling of grated Pecorino. However, we had to ask for, and then wait for, bread which, when it did arrive, was warm, crusty and had a nice hint of rosemary.

Confession: Both times I’ve eaten at Marcello’s I ordered the same dish! And it was fantastic both times.

The Shrimp Pepate consists of seven large sautéed shrimp served in a light olive oil sauce with roasted garlic, crushed red pepper and toasted pine nuts on linguini. A touch of lemon juice would have added a little acidity to this dish, but the nutty garlic flavor and heat of the red pepper are perfect with the shrimp. And I greatly appreciate the portion size which, unlike the family-size pasta dishes served at Italian chain restaurants, made this dish totally “finishable.”

My husband chose the Veal Palermo, a breaded, pan sautéed scaloppini (chicken or veal) topped with fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, and garlic in a lemon butter sauce. While to both our tastes the breading was a little doughy and salty, the veal was tender and the portion was generous.

Although our waiter did not suggest dessert, we inquired and then ordered the Anna Tutta Panna. Served in a glass tumbler, the dessert consists of a bottom layer of gooey caramel flavored with amaretto and a top layer of sweet mascarpone cheese, a nice break from the ubiquitous tiramisu, which was also on the menu.

I would argue that Baton Rouge does NOT need another Italian restaurant. (Ethiopian? Caribbean?) However, Enoteca Marcello’s is a fine addition to the Capital City’s dining scene and one that nicely jumps out of the traditional and overused red sauce pot. I recommend trying it, but, until the buzz abates a little, make reservations (225.379.7662).