There’s a genre of culinary preparations that you probably will never find a cookbook devoted to: dishes with unappetizing names. I’m not talking about tongue or liver or snails or other foods that, depending on your cultural orientation, you may find delicious or repulsive. I’m talking about dishes named in such a way that they can cause the diner to lose his or her appetite. “S.O.S.” — the military nickname for chipped beef on toast, which I will translate for a family audience as “stuff on a shingle” — comes to mind. So does British nursery food like Toad-in-the-Hole (sausage in Yorkshire pudding) and Spotted Dog (a steamed pudding). In Italy, a meringue cookie baked around All Souls Day is called Ossi di Morto (“bones of the dead”) and then, of course, there’s the infamous Pasta Puttanesca — or “pasta with sauce of the prostitute.” Or how about the Spanish dish called Ropa Vieja, or “old clothes.”

Ropa Vieja is so named because the shredded beef in it resembles nothing so much as tattered rags. But instead of a tough, chewy mouthful, one samples a delectable, long-cooked stew similar to a pot roast. The recipe here comes from the new “O, The Oprah Magazine Cookbook” (Hyperion, 2008). This cookbook, by the editors of O, The Oprah Magazine (with an introduction by Oprah herself), contains many dishes with thoroughly appetizing names. But it was the Old Clothes that caught my eye and, when I tried it, my taste buds.

The puttanesca recipe from my files is one that has evolved over time. If the name embarrasses you, just tell your guests you are serving spicy pasta sauce. Or give them Toad-in-the-Hole.



ROPA VIEJA

2 (1-1/2 pounds each) flank steaks, trimmed of excess fat and each cut crosswise into 3 pieces

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

7 tablespoons canola or other vegetable oil

3 large onions, 1 peeled and quartered, and 2 peeled and thinly sliced

1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced

4 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 (14-1/2 ounce) can whole tomatoes with juices

1/2 cup sliced Spanish olives

Season the flank steak with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

In a heavy-bottomed 5- or 6-quart pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the sliced steak to the pot in a single layer and cook until well browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with 2 more tablespoons of the oil and the remaining steak. When the last of the steak is cooked, put it on the platter with the first batch.

In the same pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the quartered onion, half of the green pepper and half of the yellow pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the 4 cups broth, bay leaves, peppercorns, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the cooked steak and any juices that have accumulated. The steak should be just covered with broth; pour in more if needed. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, until the meat is fork-tender, 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 hours. Remove pot from heat and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Transfer steak to a plate. Strain the cooking liquid through a sieve set over a bowl. Discard the solids. Let the liquid stand for 5 minutes, then skim off and discard the fat. Set the liquid aside. Shred the steak.

In the same pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add thinly sliced onions, remaining green and yellow pepper, red bell pepper, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions and peppers soften, 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste until vegetables are coated. Crush the canned tomatoes, saving any juices, and stir them in with the juices from the can. Add 2-1/2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

Return the shredded steak to the stew and cook until heated through, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Stir in the olives. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, if needed. If not serving immediately, cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days; flavor will only improve with standing. Serve hot with black beans and white rice, boiled potatoes or fried plantains.

Yield: 8 servings

Recipe from “O, The Oprah Magazine Cookbook” (Hyperion, 2008)



PASTA PUTTANESCA

1/4 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 (2-ounce) can oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained and chopped

1/2 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes, or to taste

1 (28-ounce) can whole or crushed tomatoes, with juice

1/4 cup drained capers

3/4 cup pitted and chopped Kalamata or Gaeta olives

dried or fresh oregano to taste

chopped fresh parsley, to taste (optional)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature (optional)

1 pound cooked spaghetti or linguine

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add garlic. Cook briefly, stirring, until softened but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add anchovies and hot pepper, and cook a few minutes more. The anchovies will sort of turn to mush. Add tomatoes, capers and olives. (If using whole canned tomatoes, chop them up a bit as you stir.) Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring.

Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, add the oregano, and cook for about 45 minutes, over low heat, with the pot mostly covered. Add the parsley for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Swirl in the butter, if using, until melted.

Serve over cooked pasta.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings



TOAD-IN-THE-HOLE

For the batter:

2 eggs

2 egg whites, if desired

1 cup milk, preferably whole milk

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 dozen brown-and-serve sausage links, thawed

Prepare batter: In a large bowl, whisk all of the batter ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 425 F.

Meanwhile, in an ovenproof skillet, heat the oil on the stovetop and cook the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Cut the sausage into bite-sized pieces, add it to the skillet, and cook through according to package directions. Using a slotted spoon, remove the onions and sausage from the pan, and increase heat to high for about 2 minutes. Working quickly, return the onions and sausage to the skillet, pour in the batter, and place the skillet in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 F and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until quite browned and crispy. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

 

Marialisa Calta is the author of “Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family” (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.