SHOW & RECIPE FOR NOV. 24

MOTHER OF MEXICAN CUISINE
For 35 years, Carmen (Titita) Ramirez Degollado has been cooking the food of her native Veracruz in her restaurant in Mexico City. Recently, during the Star Chefs International Congress in New York City, we caught up with Carmen and expressed to her our love of Mexican cooking. Of course, when we say that, we generally mean the Tex-Mex wonders we find here in Houston. So in the course of our interview from New York, we explore the many-splendored differences between Mexico City, Veracruz and the borderlands that have given our world so much flavor.

NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S HAM AND CHEESE
You might think you know all you need to know about prosciutto di Parma and the same city’s globally famous cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano, but that’s hardly what Fabio Trabocchi would say. The chef, who recently uprooted his career from the Washington, D.C. area to the Big Apple, is also the author of a cookbook celebrating the cuisine of his own native region, Le Marche. Not as well-known as Tuscany or Umbria in the north or Calabria or Sicily in the south, Le Marche has inspired a cooking demo of the most intriguing ham and cheese dish we’ve ever tasted. Fabio is here to tell us all about it.

MEANWHILE, A CHEF FROM TEXAS
Of course, to close out a show from New York City, we had to find someone wonderful from Texas. And thato we did – longtime New Southwestern pioneer Stephan Pyles. Along with Houston’s own Robert del Grande of Café Annie and Dean Fearing of the Mansion on Turtle Creek, Stephan provided a seriousness and credibility that a cuisine based on chicken fried steak and a handful of chile peppers had long lacked. We touch base with Stephan about the state of Texas fine dining – and about his current project in Dallas, a place called… Stephan Pyles.

This Week’s Delicious Mischief Recipe…
SALAD GREENS WITH PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA
AND WARM BALSAMIC DRESSING

Few of us are capable (or interested) enough to make Chef Fabio Trabochhi’s version of ham and cheese, a kind of cheese ice cream with ground prosciutto sprinkled on top like nuts. Here’s a much simpler to prepare and enjoy these two classic products from Parma.

6 cups mixed salad greens, torn in bite-size pieces
3 ounces thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma cut in wide strips (about 1 cup), divided
3/4 cup lightly packed Parmigiano Reggiano shavings (about 1-1/2 ounces), divided
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, divided
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion, divided
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, torn
1/2 cup bottled balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing

In a large bowl, toss the greens with half the Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano, pine nuts, red onion and all of the basil. Pour the balsamic dressing into a microwavable cup and heat just until warm, about 30 seconds; pour over salad and toss gently. Divide salad among four plates. Garnish with remaining Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano, pine nuts and onion rings. Serves 4.