Tuscan Panzanella Bread Salad

[Kylie1969]

Lucky you having been to Italy...I would love to go

How long were you there for?

 

[buckytom]

the best ceasar sald i've had was at a restaurant in bermuda, of all places.

we ate at some fauncy place that i can't recall now, but we ordered the tableside ceasar, and where i learned to make the classic.

they brought the ingredients on a trolley with a giant, larger than a basketball sized hewn wooden bowl in the center.

it was amazing, but could easily be reproduced in almost any kitchen.

 

[Kylie1969]

It sounds great Tom, certainly sounds like the classic Caesar salad

 

[Harry Cobean]

Lucky you having been to Italy...I would love to go

How long were you there for?

usual stuff k....holidays etc.tuscany,rome,venice,sardinia,sicily etc.never more than two weeks at a time.that's one of the problems that the med faces tho'....tourism....it's rapidly becoming an over polluted/under stocked/over fished sea & tourism is one of the culprits.

 

[Harry Cobean]

the best ceasar sald i've had was at a restaurant in bermuda, of all places.

we ate at some fauncy place that i can't recall now, but we ordered the tableside ceasar, and where i learned to make the classic.

they brought the ingredients on a trolley with a giant, larger than a basketball sized hewn wooden bowl in the center.

it was amazing, but could easily be reproduced in almost any kitchen.

was the bowl triangular.......bet the salad disappeared without trace tom,sounds fab matey!

 

[Kylie1969]

usual stuff k....holidays etc.tuscany,rome,venice,sardinia,sicily etc.never more than two weeks at a time.that's one of the problems that the med faces tho'....tourism....it's rapidly becoming an over polluted/under stocked/over fished sea & tourism is one of the culprits.

I certainly would love to go to Tuscany the most

 

[Harry Cobean]

I certainly would love to go to Tuscany the most

it is lovely k

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Buckytom: To answer your question, Yes in N.Y.C.

Yes, in Manhattan.

Have wonderful August,
Margi.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Kylie: The Similarity is the ingredient, Bread.

From my viewpoint, the similarity is the ingredient, bread ... and there are uncountable variations, as Cerise stated, and of course, depending where one is.

A Panzanella salad in rural Italia, is not a Panzanella salad in the cities; it is much more rustic, just field greens verses Rumanian Lettuce used in a Caesar, and whatever local veggies are possible due to availability regionally and sometimes, capers and anchovies too and the key ingredient; the bread or the bread croutons, with a dressing ...

Have a nice August.
Margaux.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Kylie,

Not to be prejudiced, however, Firenze, Venecia, the Amalfi Coast, Roma, Abruzzi, the island of Sardinia, Isla D´Elba - Emilia Romagna & Rimini, Emilia Romagna, Bologna, Liguria, Molise, Marches, Umbria and Valle D´Aosta - Lake Garda amongst numerous other provinces and islands of Italia, each having their own enchantment and profound beauty ...

Highly recommendable for a spectacular unforgettable vacation.

Have a lovely day,
Margaux.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Photo: Caesar Salad

Photo Courtesy: Madrid Capital Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute.

*** Panzanella Photo to follow shortly.

 

[Soma]

haha, "stale bread mixed with stuff"....funny, Harry; made me chuckle.

Looking forward to the photo, Margi.

 

[Harry Cobean]

haha, "stale bread mixed with stuff"....funny, Harry; made me chuckle.

Looking forward to the photo, Margi.

it made me gag soma! not my cup of tea as i said.....didn't like the consistency of the moist bread but the croutons helped i suppose.not keen on endive or raddichio either.....much prefer the sweeter/crunchier romaine in a caesar.my local costco has some american import huuuuuuge romaine's....beautiful
glad you had a chuckle soma....food/drink can be made much too much of a serious subject imo,it should be fun at all times,but that's just my take on the subject!

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Buon Giorno , Good Morning Soma,

It is very common for western Mediterraneans particularly to use day old bread in their soups, salads, breading for dredging and sauces.

These countries have a profound pastoral culture.

Have a lovely August.
Margi.

 

[Harry Cobean]

it's also common in the british isles to use day old bread soma, as in bread & butter pudding,breadcrumbs for coating/frying & bread sauce for christmas lunch......seems to be a pretty global ingredient/technique to me

 

[Margi Cintrano]

For Photos of Panzanella Salads

Buonasera,

For those interested the following websites and links have distinctly varying versions, from traditional to vanguard of the Tuscan Salad:

1) www.chow.com/recipes/10638


2) www.foodnetwork.com/panzanella

3) www.allrecipes.com/recipe/panzanella-salad

4) Martha Stewart´s website has an unusual take on the recipe too

Best regards for a nice August.
Margaux Cintrano.

 

[GotGarlic]

I agree, Harry. The Romans and then the Byzantines took their cooking techniques everywhere their armies went and just substituted local ingredients, such as cabbage leaves for grape leaves. Mexicans use day-old tortillas to make chilaquiles (leftover tortillas fried and served with eggs, salsa and cheese) and tortilla soup.

Cooks Illustrated has a version of the panzanella salad that I really like. I'm not partial to soggy bread, either. Their recipe calls for salting the tomatoes, putting them in a sieve over a bowl, and letting the liquid drain for a half-hour or so. This concentrates the flavor of the tomatoes. Then they use the tomato liquid instead of water to moisten the bread cubes. I don't soak them, as the typical recipe says; I just toss them with a few tbsp. of the seasoned tomato water. It gives the salad much more flavor.

 

[Harry Cobean]

I agree, Harry. The Romans and then the Byzantines took their cooking techniques everywhere their armies went and just substituted local ingredients, such as cabbage leaves for grape leaves. Mexicans use day-old tortillas to make chilaquiles (leftover tortillas fried and served with eggs, salsa and cheese) and tortilla soup.

Cooks Illustrated has a version of the panzanella salad that I really like. I'm not partial to soggy bread, either. Their recipe calls for salting the tomatoes, putting them in a sieve over a bowl, and letting the liquid drain for a half-hour or so. This concentrates the flavor of the tomatoes. Then they use the tomato liquid instead of water to moisten the bread cubes. I don't soak them, as the typical recipe says; I just toss them with a few tbsp. of the seasoned tomato water. It gives the salad much more flavor.

thanks gg now that sounds like it may work for me,makes complete sense to intensify the tomato flavour with salt AND use the liquid.....hadn't seen a decent panzanella recipe until you posted this one!
lets not forget the humble breadcrumb for binding minced(ground)meat either gg...i believe quite a few countries do that too.............

 

[Cerise]

Photo Courtesy: Madrid Capital Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute.

*** Panzanella Photo to follow shortly.

Nice photo - from another source.

Back to Panzanella. Not a big fan of soggy bread in a salad (w/ tomato juice or otherwise). I do prefer the bread toasted/grilled or on a skewer; but then it's really not a panzanella - it's a salad w/ croutons.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Cerise,

Yes, in my view, the skewer salad with croutons has our interest, and I really appreciate your suggestion. This shall look gorgeous for my younger daughter´s birthday 21st.

I am thinking about fresh fennel bulb for it as an addition, as it is one of our fave salad veggies. I have to take a serious look for the Market List.



Thanks again,
Margi.