Create Your Very Own Little Italy with “Dinner and a Movie” Chef Claud Mann!

With mainstream movies such as ‘No Reservations’ and ‘Ratatouille’ hitting the silver screen this summer, it is clear that Americans’ love affair with food and film has never been greater. With that trend in mind, creator of the original food and film combination — TBS’ Dinner and a Movie – Chef Claud Mann is rolling out the red carpet for some of America’s most beloved Italian-themed films such as Roman Holiday and Moonstruck, pairing them with classic Italian food and wine before heading off to Italy to film new episodes of his well-loved cooking show. After nine years of toiling to find the right blend of action, adventure, comedy and romance to match his creatively-titled culinary creations, Claud would like to share with you five tips on how to create the perfect “Gabbiano Night” at home: dinner and a movie, hearty food, good wine, family and friends around the table, viva Italia style. Claud tells us how to: * Create “Timpano,” a magnificent dish made famous by the classic film “Big Night” (The recipe for the dish — a pastry crust filled with pasta, ragu, meatballs, peas, chicken and mozzarella — will be provided). * Offers up the secret to his famous Moonstruck-inspired “When the Moon Hits Your Eye Like a Cheese Pizza Pie” * Shares his thoughts on the Italian dining experience, and how to create the experience in your home regardless of your nationality. A sampling of his top tips for the perfect Gabbiano Night at home can be found at http://www.gabbiano.com www.gabbiano.com More about Chef Claud Mann: While you may recognize Claud Mann as the chef-host of “Dinner & A Movie” the past 12 years, you may not know that prior to co-creating the show Rolling Stone Magazine called “One of the 100 reasons to watch TV”, He invested more than a decade cooking honest-to-goodness food without the dubious benefit of shameless recipe titles or questionable films. Graduating 1st in his class from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Chef Mann spent 15 years cooking his way up and down the California coast, Mexico, South America and Asia. Selected stops included stints as executive chef at the 5-star Palmilla Hotel in Cabo San Lucas, Ivy’s in San Francisco, The Buckley Lodge in Sonoma, Larry Nicola’s celebrated Nicola in downtown Los Angeles and the odd gig in Buenos Aires and Tokyo. Chef Mann has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, countless morning shows, and even To Tell the Truth, which isn’t really that strange knowing Claud. His original recipes and humor have been appeared in Cooking Light, USA Today, TV Guide, Daily News, Washington Post, Detroit Free Press, The New York Times, Sunset Magazine, Food and Wine, Atlanta Journal Constitution, L.A. Times, etc. Favorite non-profit endeavors include Ventura County’s Food for Thought program (bringing together local farmers and school lunches), Share Our Strength, (as a member of the Calphalon Culinary Team), Project Open Hand, and San Francisco’s infamous Eat the Rich Catering Company, which simply never made a penny. When not at Home on the range top, Mann keeps busy as vice-president of Mechuda Music, an independent record label he co-founded with his wife, vocalist Perla Batalla. They live in Ojai with their 13 year old daughter, Eva and are concurrently releasing Perla’s 6th album, The 3rd edition of The “Dinner and a Movie Cookbook” and founding Temple Spice Co., a new line of superior quality, fair trade, organic spices due out Winter of 2007. More about Arts Fighting Cancer: Castello di Gabbiano, the classic Italian winery located in the heart of Tuscany, and the not-for-profit organization, Arts Fighting Cancer, is working together to produce the outdoor movie-screening series “Gabbiano Nights,” in partnership with TBS’s famed “Dinner and A Movie” chef Claud Mann. For every visit to the http://www.gabbiano.com www.gabbiano.com website, visitors can donate $1 towards cancer relief. Arts Fighting Cancer, AFC, formerly DEFMAN, was founded in 1999 with two goals; to produce cutting edge artistic events which appeal to the masses and raise money for cancer relief. With a generous grant from the Dallas Foundation, AFC has met these goals by recreating the nostalgia of the drive-in through the production of outdoor film screenings in Dallas and Addison, Texas and Santa Monica and Pasadena, California. Featured Recipes: When the Moon’s Hits Your Eye Like a Big Pizza Pie Makes 1 big pizza pie The Cast (in order of appearance): 3/4 cup lukewarm water 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 1 tablespoon honey 1/4 cup yellow corn meal 2 teaspoons salt 8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 2 pounds ripe roma tomatoes, or 1 28-oz can Italian tomatoes, well drained 3/4 pound Mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 1 small handful fresh basil or oregeno, roughly chopped 1 copy “La Boheme” by Giacomo Puccini Act I: Put on your favorite recording of La Boheme (preferably with Montserrat Caballe and Placido Domingo) Combine the yeast, honey, corn meal and half of the water. Whisk together and set aside in a warm spot until the mixture begins to foam, about 20 minutes. (At this point, the seamstress Mimi should be entering, probably coughing) Add the remaining water, salt and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and mix well with a wooden spoon. Mix in one cup of the flour and transfer to a floured working surface. Gradually knead another half-cup of flour to create a soft, elastic dough. (Rodolfo lights Mimi’s candle in more ways than one they have fallen helplessly in love) Act II: Continue kneading 8 to 10 minutes, adding only as much flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Remember: the moister the dough, the crispier the crust. (Christmas Eve in the Latin quarter the flirtatious and scheming Musetta attempts to win back Marcello he easily falls under her spell) Transfer the dough to a bowl oiled with 1 tablespoon olive oil and turn a few times to coat all sides of the dough. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free place until the dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes to an hour. (The mysteriously wealthy Alcindoro returns from his ill-fated shoe hunt to find that Musetta has ditched him, leaving only the unpaid check) Act III: Peel the tomatoes, slice lengthwise and squeeze out as much juice as possible. Cut each half into thin strips; saute in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes and set aside. If using canned tomatoes, make certain to squeeze out excess juice before sauteing. (The poet Rodolpho is already unreasonably jealous and Mimi just doesn’t seem to be getting over that nasty cough) Preheat oven to 475F. Whether using a pizza stone, ceramic tile or baking sheet, make sure that it is in the oven while preheating. Toss the grated mozzarella with the remaining olive oil and set aside. (Mimi bids a tearful farewell to Rodolpho, Musetta and Marcello break up over Musetta’s flirting Rodolpha and the fragile Mimi decide to give it another go) Act IV: Punch down the dough, form into a ball and flatten on a floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out until the dough is anywhere from 10 to 14 inches in diameter. A smaller diameter will produce a thicker, more bread-like crust; a larger diameter will yield thinner, more crispy crust. (Although Rodolpho and Marcello are heartbroken and miss Mimi and Musetta beyond words, they still manage to force down an impromptu feast with Colline and Schaunard) Transfer the dough onto a baker’s peel or pizza paddle sprinkled generously with corn meal; Spread the tomato mixture evenly across the top of the pizza; slide into the hot oven bake for 10 minutes. (Mimi really is not taking care of herself Musetta sells her earrings for medicine Colline sings a moving farewell to his favorite trench coat) Remove the pizza from the oven just long enough to top w
ith the mozzarella and parmesan; return to the oven and bake another 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil or oregano and serve at once. (Mimi and Rodolpho recall all the good times Mimi slips away Rodolpho’s anguished cries fill the air) “Big Night”- Primo’s Timpano Serves 8-12 You Will Need: 1 recipe pastry dough (recipe below, can be made one day ahead) 1-1/2 pounds ziti or penne Ragu (recipe below, can be made one day ahead) 8 ounces Genoa salami 8 ounces Provolone or Mozzarella cheese 6 hard boiled eggs (recipe below) 3 large eggs, beaten 1/2 cup fresh ricotta Meatballs (recipe below) Sauted chicken livers (optional, recipe below) 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 375F and adjust oven rack to lower third of the oven 2. On a clean, lightly floured work surface, roll the larger of the two dough discs into a circle approximately 16″ in diameter and about 1/16″ thick (about the thickness of a quarter). Carefully fold the dough into quarters; place the point in the center of the prepared spring form pan. Unfold gently, while tenderly tucking and pressing the dough to fit around the bottom and against the sides of the pan. Use scissors or a paring knife to trim all but an inch of the overhang. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and refrigerate until filling. 3. Roll out the smaller disc to an equal thickness as the first piece (1/16th of an inch) and, using the spring form pan as a cutting guide, trim to a diameter of 10′. Place dough circle on a floured cookie sheet, cover and refrigerate. 4. Bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and cook the ziti or penne about half the normal cooking time indicated on package. Rinse well with cold water to stop the cooking, drain and quickly toss with olive oil to keep from sticking. Mix with 1-1/2 cups of the ragu and set aside 5. Cut salami and provolone into 1/2″ cubes and set aside. 6. Peel hard boiled eggs, cut into quarters lengthwise and set aside. 7. Combine the beaten eggs with the ricotta and set aside. 8. Remove the pastry-lined spring form pan and dough circle from refrigerator and prepare to layer in the filling ingredients. For best results, have all ingredients at room temperature. a) Evenly pile one third of the sauced ziti over the bottom of the pan b) Scatter one half of the boiled egg quarters over the ziti c) Followed by: half of the meatballs d) Followed by: half of the salami and provolone e) Followed by: all of the (optional) chicken livers f) Followed by: half of the grated Romano or Reggiano g) Followed by: half of the beaten egg mixture and half of the ragu h) Take a deep breath; add another layer of ziti and then continue layering the remaining ingredients, finishing with the final third of the ziti i) Place the dough circle over the top, crimping or folding the seam all the way around the perimeter to seal completely. 9. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until golden brown, covering the top with a piece of aluminum foil if the pastry begins to over-brown. Cool for at least 20 minutes and then release the spring form clip and make certain the sides are not sticking – if they are; slide a knife carefully around the edges. Swiftly invert the pan onto a serving platter, say a few prayers and remove with a flourish. 10. Cut into wedges and don’t serve until Louis Prima shows up For the pastry: 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 eggs 2 egg yolks 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 1/3 cup ice water, as needed 1. Grease a 10′ spring form pan liberally with olive oil and set aside 2. On a wooden pastry board or clean countertop, mound the flour and hollowing out the middle to make a well or crater in the center. Crack the eggs and egg yolks into the well and add the salt and olive oil. Use a dinner fork to first beat the eggs, and then to incorporate the flour from the inside edges, being careful not to breach the sides. 3. As the well enlarges and the mixture thickens, push flour up from the sides to keep the mixture contained in the center. Once the mixture takes on the consistency of paste, Use palms and finger tips to hand knead the remaining flour a little at a time to form a cohesive mass, adding the ice water as needed to make a moist, pliable dough. Flatten the dough into 2 discs, one roughly 3 times larger than the other. Dust each disc with flour, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 10-15 minutes before rolling out. For the Ragu: 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, finely diced 3 stalks celery, finely diced 3 carrots, finely diced 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 pound ground chuck, ground pork or a combination of the two 3/4 cup dry white wine 3/4 cup whole milk 6 tbsp tomato paste 12 oz canned Italian plum tomatoes, with their juice Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste 1. Melt butter and olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and a small pinch of salt; cook without browning until fragrant and translucent, about 10 minutes. 2. Mix ground meats together and add to the sauteed vegetables. Lightly season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Increase heat to medium high and cook, stirring often for 10-15 minutes until well browned, with the meat chunks small and uniform in size. 3. Reduce heat to medium, add the milk and cook until it has boiled away, about 10 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes, then add the tomato paste and the canned tomatoes; mix well and cook 10 minutes continuing to stir frequently. Reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered for 2 hours; adjust seasoning if needed during the last 20 minutes of cooking. For the Meatballs: 3 slices white sandwich bread 1/2 cup milk 3/4 pound ground veal 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 1 egg 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley Grated zest of 1 lemon Pinch fresh grated nutmeg Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste All-purpose flour, for dredging 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, for frying 1. Tear the bread into small chunks, place in a small mixing bowl; cover with the milk and soak 5 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine soaked bread chunks, ground veal, grated cheese, egg, minced garlic, chopped parsley, lemon zest and nutmeg. Salt and pepper to taste and then mix thoroughly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Don’t over-work the mixture. 2. Using clean hands, form into little, cherry tomato sized balls; dust with flour and shake off excess. 3. In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high, heat olive oil until it begins to shimmer. Cook meatballs, turning often, about 15 minutes or until evenly golden brown on all sides. For the Chicken Livers (optional) 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 lb. duck or chicken livers, trimmed of fat and membrane and patted dry 2 shallots, finely diced 2 Tablespoons brandy Juice of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1. Heat olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium high and saute the livers a minute or so on each side, leaving the interior slightly rare. 2. Remove pan from heat, add cognac and ignite; shaking the pan to burn off the alcohol. Add the lemon juice, and thyme; season to taste with salt and black pepper. When cool, slice and set aside. For the hard boiled eggs Place the eggs in a medium saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by 1-2 inches. Bring to a vigorous boil, and then remove from heat; cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Plunge into an ice bath and chill 5 minutes – (This avoids the greenish ring around the yolk). Easiest Roasted Tomato Sauce You will need: 2 lbs fresh, very ripe plum tomatoes, washed and halved 1 yellow onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed 1/3 cup dry white wine 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, marjoram or oregano sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, white wine and herbs in a roasting pan and toss together. 3. Roast for an hour; stir a couple of times during cooking if you want. 4. Transfer the roasted tomato mixture to a food processor or blender and blend briefly for chunky sauce, or longer for a smooth one. Season to taste with salt and pepper. https://videos.whiteblox.com/gnb/secure/player.aspx?sid=34969