2008.02.29
Free cookbook! Silly video!
I must admit that I haven't paid much attention to this Jamie Oliver character, who is the star of "Jamie's Kitchen" on TLC. I do know that he recently killed a chicken on live television in order to make a point about the welfare of chickens in Britain's poultry industry.
I also know that some of the recipes in Oliver's new cookbook, "Jamie's Italy," look pretty darn good. As soon as I cracked the book, I saw one for squashed cannellini beans with garlic, which sounded like a quick, easy and delicious topping for crostini or pita wedges. I'll share that after the jump.
The first person who can tell me the name of Oliver's London restaurant can have this book and enjoy all the beautiful full-color photographs and illustrations, not to mention the recipes.
Before we part ways for the weekend, I'd like to subject you all to a video that was shot and edited by my co-worker, Evelio Contreras. The star is another co-worker, Pete Dybdahl, who promised to score me one of the free breakfast burritos at McDonald's this morning. As you'll see, when the cashier told Pete that he could only get one free burrito because the rules were one per person, Pete thought only of himself.
Oh well, I'm not sure I wanted to eat one anyway.
Squashed Cannellini Beans with Garlic
Oliver suggests that you serve this spread with crostini, or toasted baguette slices rubbed with fresh garlic.
1 3/4 cups good-quality cannellini beans, rinsed and drained.
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little extra
2 cloves fresh garlic, sliced thinly
1 dash red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Pick the leaves off the rosemary and pound them gently in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt. Add the olive oil and stir, then set aside. Fry garlic in a little olive oil until lightly golden. Add beans and continue to simmer gently for 7 minutes.
Season beans well with salt and pepper and a dash of red wine vinegar, then mash them up with the back of a fork until you have a coarse puree.
Smear bean puree over hot crostini and spoon rosemary olive oil over the top.
Source: "Jamie's Italy" by Jamie Oliver
Photo source: Amazon.com.
