In this excerpt from her new book, Stuzzichini, author Stef Ferrari explores the "Art of the Italian Snack," with recipes, stories, and more. Read more about the book here, but not until after you make this no-fuss recipe for a delicious endive with sweet gorgonzola cream, apple, and walnut, or as it's listed in her book, in Italian, Indivia con crema di gorgonzola dolce, mela, and noce.
Endive, another chicory, is not only delicious, but plays double duty as both ingredient and serving vessel. Washed and peeled, its leaves are sturdy enough to support a filling or a dip, and I first enjoyed them this way at Lilia in Brooklyn, where chef Missy Robbins makes a bagna cauda (a garlicky anchovy sauce) that is to die for and presents it with a selection of beautiful produce. Later, when I traveled through Italy, it was easy to see the inspiration as I found endive put to work in so many similarly simple dishes.
This particular stuzzichino is one of my favorite examples of Italian cuisine. There is no lengthy shopping list. No cooking. No manipulation of ingredients beyond a bit of chopping. There is just an understanding that quality ingredients, constructed thoughtfully, will almost always be a success. That means it’s also a blueprint that can be adapted endlessly. You can swap out the Gorgonzola for goat cheese, walnuts for hazelnuts, apples for pears, Balsamic Glaze for honey. Use what’s fresh, what’s on hand, and what inspires you, and you’ll have a restaurant-worthy snack in no time.
Excerpted from STUZZICHINI by Stef Ferrari. Copyright © 2024 by Stef Ferrari. Photographs by Deepi Ahluwalia.
Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved.
Endive With Sweet Gorgonzola Cream
6
servings10
minutes0
minutesIngredients
6 6 endive leaves
1/3 cup 1/3 (35 to 40 g) crumbled Gorgonzola
¼ cup (50 g) chopped apple
2 2 to 2½ tablespoons (about 20 g) walnuts, chopped
Balsamic Glaze (page 83), q.b. (for drizzling)
Directions
- Wash the endive leaves and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Arrange on a platter or serving tray and layer the filling: first cheese, then fruit, then a sprinkle of nuts.
- Drizzle with vinegar and serve.
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