These Carthusian monks of Monte della Cervara therefore they had a nice cookbook, “Fingers of Neptune“, of which I have already mentioned in my post of Whale Eyes. The author of the book says that, after painstaking research, as the recipe was given to his grandfather without a cover and notes about who had compiled, found that the author was a religious Order of Minims of St. Francis Paola, Father Dellepiane. The exact title of his cookbook, published in Genoa in 1880 and ‘“La Cucina di Magro berakfast without meat, eggs and dairy products, composed for the public convenience for SD of the Minims of St. Francis of Paola.” At that time it was berakfast Skinny prescribed by the Church on Friday, the eve of some religious holidays and throughout the season of Lent. Tradition which in part is observed to this day.
After having been told another piece of the book ….. a second recipe of “narrow skinny“, the meatloaf with carrots, pine nuts and capers!
Ingredients for 4 people: 300 grams of carrots, 1 onion (or 4 small shallots), 30 grams of pine nuts, 20 grams of capers, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, a few tablespoons of bread crumbs, salt.
Blanch the carrots in salted water for about 15 minutes so that they remain a little ‘crisp, drain and cut into small pieces. Crush the pine nuts and soak them in a small amount of cold water (about a cup of coffee); let them soak for about 15 minutes. It will form a thick suspension and white. Finely chop the onion or shallots (I used the latter) and braise them in a large pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. After a few minutes of cooking, add a few tablespoons of warm water and continue cooking until they are wilted. Add the carrots and cut and cooked, about 5 minutes after the suspension of pine nuts.
Mix well “so that the dipped s’incorpori with carrots” and add the capers. Prepare a baking dish greased with olive oil (just brushed) to cook meatloaf: pour the mixture into the baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes or until it forms a light golden crust on the surface.
Very simple, very “thin” ….. and really good!
