Bell Pepper

Although used with onions and bell peppers here, this pickling brine works wonderfully well for any type of vegetable you want en escabeche, a common preparation in Mexico. In late summer in New Mexico, as the days begin to shorten and nights get cooler, home cooks will often pickle the remaining abundance of their kitchen gardens to enjoy throughout the winter.

Bell peppers are roasted largely to remove the skins, which makes the vegetables supple and almost silky and perfect for marinating in a fragrant mix of oil, garlic, and basil. (This works for orange and yellow peppers, too, but not for green, because the skin is too thin.) Many recipes call for cutting the peppers into pieces lengthwise and roasting under the broiler, but it can be difficult to make the pieces flat enough to blacken evenly. It’s easier to roast them right on the stove, over a gas burner, turning with tongs as each side blackens. Serve the marinated pieces as part of an antipasto with bread, cheese, olives, and cured meats, or toss them into pastas or over a pizza.

I put this on the Mozzarella Bar menu following a visit to Chez Panisse Café, after which I became obsessed with ricotta toast. At the café, they served a garlic crostini with mounds of fresh, fluffy ricotta piled on top, and I just loved it at first sight. I was so excited about that toast that I had to find a way to work it into my repertoire at the Mozzarella Bar. I had been wanting to find a way to work peperonata—stewed peppers—onto the menu, since mozzarella and roasted peppers are a classic combination, but I just hadn’t known how I wanted to serve it. The ricotta toast, or crostoni, offered the perfect solution. While I drifted a bit from tradition, I feel I did that pairing justice. We serve the crostoni with the peperonata on the side, so guests can assemble the combination one bite at a time, with the toast in one hand and a forkful of peperonata in the other. I like being a two-fisted eater, and I just assume other people do too. Because the peperonata makes such a large amount, this is a great antipasto for a crowd. We gave you directions for serving this dish family style, but you could also spoon the peperonata onto individual serving dishes and give one to each guest.

Peperonata is a classic Italian contorno, or side dish, of stewed sweet peppers. This version, which we serve with ricotta-topped crostini at the Osteria and to dress the Buricotta with Peperonata and Oregano (page 152) in the Pizzeria, is unusual and especially delicious because after the peppers are stewed, they are baked—an idea I got from Gino Angelini, a wonderful Italian chef in Los Angeles. Baking the peppers further caramelizes them, making them even richer and sweeter than you ever imagined a vegetable could be.

Romesco is a Catalan condiment traditionally made of fried bread and dried peppers, and served with seafood. We make our Romesco using roasted red peppers because we love their charred, sweet flavor. We serve it with mozzarella because we love the way it contrasts with the mild flavor of the cheese—and because we are a mozzarella restaurant! If you happen to have Garlic Confit, use it in this recipe; but if not, your Romesco will still be delicious without it.

When the Pizzeria first opened we hosted a book signing for Lidia Bastianich’s book Lidia’s Italy, and we served Lidia’s peppers as an antipasto. I found myself nibbling on them all evening. Shortly after, I spotted tiny, bright-colored peppers in a grocery store. They were so pretty, with red, yellow, and orange colors mixed in one bag. Motivated by those peppers, I decided to put a version of Lidia’s peppers on the Pizzeria menu. For the stuffing, we start by poaching tuna in olive oil, but you could use quality olive oil–packed tuna. If you don’t want to make 48 peppers, save the excess tuna stuffing and serve it on a salad of arugula dressed with lemon vinaigrette.

This colorful relish is delicious with grilled chicken or shrimp. It also pairs well with the piquant flavors of quesadillas and crab cakes.

Romesco sauce, from the Catalonian region of Spain, is traditionally served with shellfish. We serve our version with roasted potatoes. It’s even better the next day, when the flavors have had a chance to blend: Refrigerate it overnight in a covered container, and bring to room temperature before serving.

Ratatouille is very versatile. It works equally well as a main course or side dish, and can be served hot, cold, or at room temperature. You can refrigerate it, covered, up to 3 days.

Filled with tangy feta and a handful of sweet tiny tomatoes, red bell peppers take on a Mediterranean twist. You can also try other varieties of small tomatoes such as grape, currant, or even yellow pear in the filling.

We used small potatoes for this recipe. If your potatoes are larger, adjust the cooking time.

You can substitute Chinese broccoli with broccolini or dark, leafy greens such as kale, turnip, or mustard greens. Before marinating the tofu, press it as described in step 1 to remove excess moisture.

These can be made up to 1 day ahead or frozen up to 1 month ahead. Bring to room temperature before baking.

This sauce was created by chef Pierre Schaedelin.

You can cook the ribs a day ahead and store them, wrapped in plastic, in the refrigerator; bring them to room temperature before grilling.

This recipe was developed by Christopher Israel, formerly the chef and a co-owner at one of Bruce Carey’s restaurants.

You can substitute any variety of ripe tomato for the heirlooms called for here.