Kitchen Call

Yesterday was a glorious day to spend in Boston’s Italian neighborhood, known locally as The North End. Sunshine and a breeze off the harbor made it perfect for walking the cobblestone sidewalks, checking out pastry shops and vegetable markets.  On amiably crowded sidewalks blue soccer jerseys (for Italia) mingled with matching tour polos (for the Freedom Trail) and flip-flops.

I was meeting a group at Gennaro’s 5 North Square, just a few steps from Paul Revere’s house, but more beautifully, overlooking the cobblestoned square.  The new executive chef here is Marisa Iocco, veteran of nationally known eateries Galleria Italiana, Bricco, Umbria, and La Bettola.  She’s launching a new concept Mangiamerica, breathing new life into old-fashioned Italian-American favorites, like eggplant parmigiana and red clam sauce.  She doesn’t so much turn them on their head, but gives them a new life, like gently veal meatballs with a marsala dipping sauce and heavenly mushroom aracini.  Who knew?

As this was our first stop, we made it last, chatting with the chef and dining room manager, bartender and a waitress setting tables in her first day on the job.  We judiciously took appetizer-size tastes, the better to leave room for dessert.  Again, small tastes, but the chocolate bread pudding, decidedly more American than Italian, was “killer.”

After that, we needed to walk.  We wandered out of the square and onto the main drag, Hanover Street, home to Mike’s Pastry Shop, famous for a Clinton sighting, and Modern Pastry where people will wait an hour for a cannoli.  Once someone asked me if they were worth it.  Yes!

On side streets, peeked into the new dress shops giving the area a fashion-forward reputation.  And stopped into hole-in-the-wall bakeries – not pastry shops – to pick up warm foccacia and ciabatta.  One with a centuries old oven, and another with all the modern bells and whistles, provide bread for the neighborhood’s many restaurant tables.  At the hardware store on Salem Street, we found an olive oil cruet so beautiful it needs a permanent place on the kitchen counter. We stopped for briny fresh scallops and cod fillets at the fish market.  And at the Abruzzese Meat Market for perfect cut-while-you-watch veal cutlets.

As we headed home, we could see the crowded coffee shops, windows and doors thrown an invitation to people without seats to gather on the sidewalks to watch the big game.  It was almost time for dinner.  We had fish and veal to cook.  And bread to sop up the juices.

MARISA IOCCO’S COD IN BIANCO

Makes 4 servings

2 pounds frsh cod, cut into 4 pieces

1/3 cup semolina flour

2 potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds, blanched

1/2 cup cured black olives

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 cups vegetable stock

8 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 lemon, peel on, cut into slices

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
• Coat cod lightly in flour.  Gently drop it into the skillet; cook until lightly golden on each side.
• Add the garlic and cook until lightly golden, about 2 minutes.  Add the wine, allowing it to evaporate and reduce slightly.
• Add the potatoes and stock to the skillet, allowing it to simmer for several minutes until the mixture thickens slightly.
• Toss in the olives and lemon slices.  Remove the skillet from the heat and let it rest for a few minutes before serving warm with crusty bread for dunking.