Riso, Piselli e Fegatini in Brodo
Rice, peas, and chicken liver soup

The Italian word for liver is fegato, with the accent falling on the first syllable. In gastronomic usage, it usually refers to calf's liver. When you say fegatelli, you are talking about pork livers, so delicious when wrapped in caul and bay leaves and grilled over charcoal. Wherever you see the word fegatini, it means chicken livers, as in this light and delectable soup where small young peas play their sweet counterpoint to the more piquant flavors of the livers. It is most important not to overcook the livers, either when sautéing them or finishing them in the soup. They must remain pink within and tender throughout.

For 4 persons

5 cups rich homemade broth
1/2 cup shelled fresh, young peas
1/3 cup rice, preferably Italian Arborio rice
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon onion chopped very fine
3 chicken livers, rinsed, trimmed, and cut into
l/3-inch pieces
Salt
Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano (Parmesan) for the table

1. Bring the broth to a boil in a soup pot. Add the peas and rice, stir, cover the pot, and turn the heat down to very low.

2. Put the butter and onion in a small sauté pan. Cook the onion over medium-low heat until it is tender and translucent, but not browned.

3. Add the chicken livers and salt and turn up the heat. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for about 1 1/2 minutes, or just until the livers have lost their raw red color. Turn off the heat and set aside.

4. When the rice is done-it should be tender, but firm to the bite, about 15 to 20 minutes' cooking time-put in the chicken livers. Let the broth bubble briskly for a few seconds. Taste and correct for salt. Serve promptly with grated cheese on the side.

Stufato di Agnello alla Marchigiana
Slow-cooked lamb cubes, marches style,
with tomatoes and white wine

There is much good lamb raised on the sea-facing slopes of the region where this recipe originates, the Marches on the central Adriatic. The lamb cubes should be cut with some bones in. They are cooked with garlic, rosemary, and white wine, the last possibly the Marches' own Verdicchio. The long, slow cooking makes the meat very tender and loosens it from the bones that, by that time, will have contributed their valuable portion of flavor.

For 4 persons

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 pounds lamb shoulder, bone in, cut into
2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves,
or 1 teaspoon dried leaves, chopped
Salt
Black pepper in a grinder
1/2 cup Verdicchio or other dry white wine
1 cup canned Italian peeled plum tomatoes,
with their juice

1. Put the oil in a medium-size sauté pan and turn on the heat to high. When the oil is very hot, put in as many pieces of lamb as will fit without crowding. Brown the meat well on all sides, transfer it with a slotted spoon or spatula to a platter, and put in more pieces. Proceed in this manner until all the meat has been browned and removed from the pan.

2. Turn down the heat to medium and put in the garlic. When the garlic becomes colored a pale gold, add the rosemary. Stir once or twice, then return the meat to the pan. Turn the lamb pieces over 2 or 3 times and season with salt and several grindings of pepper. Turn them over again and add the wine. When the wine has bubbled away for a minute or two, add the tomatoes. Stir the meat and tomatoes, cover the pan, and turn down the heat to low.

3. Cook for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring from time to time. When the lamb feels tender when pricked with a fork, it is done. It should be cooked through and through and come easily off the bone. There should be no runny liquid left in the pan, but only dense, lovely, dark cooking juices. Should you find that the juices are still too thin and liquid, transfer the meat to a warm platter, raise the heat to high, and reduce the sauce while scraping loose any cooking residues from the bottom of the pan. Pour immediately over the lamb and serve at once. Just before serving, I like to remove any of the bones that come away easily.

Ahead-of-time note:
the entire dish may be prepared several hours to a day in advance and reheated gently just before serving.

Braised Artichokes and Peas

For 4 to 6 persons

2 large globe artichokes or 3 to 4 medium size
l/2 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped onion
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic chopped very fine
2 pounds fresh unshelled peas or 1 ten-ounce package frozen peas, thawed
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill

1. Trim the artichokes of all their tough parts. As you work, rub the cut artichoke with the lemon to keep it from turning black.

2. Cut each trimmed artichoke lengthwise into 4 equal sections. Remove the soft, curling leaves with prickly tips at the base, and cut away the fuzzy "choke" beneath them. Detach the stems, but do not discard them, because they can be as good to eat as the heart if they are properly trimmed. Pare away their dark greenrind to expose the pale and tender core, then split them in half lengthwise, or if very thick, into 4 parts. Cut the artichoke sections lengthwise into wedges about 1 inch thick at their broadest point, and squeeze lemon juice over all the cut parts to protect them against discoloration.

3. Choose a heavy-bottomed or enameled cast-iron pot just large enough to accommodate all the ingredients, put in the chopped onion and olive oil, turn on the heat to medium high, cook and stir the onion until it becomes colored a very pale gold, then add the garlic. Cook the garlic until it becomes colored a light gold, then put in the artichoke wedges, 1/3 cup water, adjust heat to cook at a steady simmer, and cover the pot tightly.

4. If using fresh peas Shell them, and prepare some of the pods for cooking by stripping away their inner membrane. It's not necessary to use all or even most of the pods, but do as many as you have patience for. (The pods make a notable contribution to the sweetness of the peas and of the whole dish, but using them is an optional procedure that you can omit, if you prefer.)

5. When the artichokes have cooked for about 10 minutes, add the shelled peas and the optional pods, the chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and, if the liquid in the pot has become insufficient, 1/4 cup water. Turn the peas over thoroughly to coat them well. Cover tightly again, and continue cooking until the artichokes feel very tender at their thickest point when prodded with a fork. Taste and correct for salt. Also taste the peas to make sure they are fully cooked. While the artichokes and peas are cooking, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of water if you find that there is not enough liquid. If using fyozen pers add the thawed peas as the last step, when the artichokes are already tender or nearly so, turning them thoroughly, and letting them cook with the artichokes for 5 minutes.

6. When both vegetables are fully cooked, should you find that the juice in the pot are watery, uncover, raise the heat to high, and quickly boil then away.

Ahead-of-time note:
The dish can be prepared any time in advance on the same day it will be served. Do not refrigerate or its flavor will be altered. Reheat gently in a covered pot, with 1 tablespoon water, if necessary.

The Chimney Sweep's Gelato

When custard gelato is dusted with powdered espresso and bathed with whisky, it is not just another clever way of dressing up ice cream: It is a combination of unexpected textures and aromas that quicken each other and thrill the palate.
The deep, doubly roasted taste of espresso coffee is essential. You can use it straight out of the can, but it is finer when ground to a powder in a highspeed blender. If you are rushed and have no time to make the gelato, you can substitute very good quality vanilla ice cream.

For 8 persons

premium-quality vanilla ice cream for 8 portions
l/2 cup ground espresso coffee
Scotch or Bourbon, about 1 tablespoon per person

Scoop the gelato or vanilla ice cream into 8 individual bowls, sprinkle 1 teaspoon ground espresso coffee over each portion, and pour into each bowl enough whisky to pool at the bottom, about 1 tablespoon. Serve at once.