There's a Mole in Our Midst

For years now, Markipedia has insisted that someone in our inner circle is a mole, leaking out details - to the media, to other chefs, to the world - about what I have been up to in the kitchen.

I call it KitchiLeaks.

There was the year I brought home a dusty bottle of pomegranate molasses from a Middle Eastern grocery store in Washington, DC. None of my friends had heard of it. Everyone loved it and thought I was a genius for finding it. A week later, Saveur came out with the Saveur 100 list and, wouldn't you know it, pomegranate molasses was at the top of their list. Who told them?

As soon as Mugolio Pinecone Bud Syrup debuted on ChefShop.com, I bought some and, yet again, it showed up as "the new thing" in Oprah magazine. Et tu, Oprah?

And pretty much anything Martha did, I had just done in my own kitchen… and maybe just a little bit better.

Don't even get me started on Bon Appétit, or the New York Times.

At first I thought Mark was just being a supportive and dutiful spouse… but then I became suspicious when it happened repeatedly.

Most recently, it is with my recipe for corzetti. I actually have several Italian friends who have never heard of this distinctive regional pasta form, yet I have been thinking about them for 15 years. I was on the cutting edge… or so I thought.

When I arrived home from Italy last month, proud to bring a thrillingly obscure corzetti stamp with me, I made the pasta the very next day. Two days later, the mail brought the Pasta Issue of Saveur.

And you guessed it; one of the first articles was about a Ligurian wood carver who makes corzetti stamps! Seriously, how annoying is that?

Actually, it wasn't annoying at all, because he was able to confirm what sauces are traditional with corzetti. Pesto, he said, was the most traditional. And a sugo bianco. This confirmed what I had read online after my many cookbooks failed to turn up any info: pesto and meat sauce.

A little further research brought me to a marjoram pesto, in addition to pesto alla Genovese, and another sauce of anchovies, capers, pine nuts, and marjoram.

The information I got from the Saveur article was helpful in confirming the type of meat sauce served with corzetti. The sources that said simply “meat sauce” but didn't differentiate between the red vs. white sauce. White sauce - or sugo bianco - makes much more sense.

Today, I am giving you three recipes to enjoy with your corzetti. First, a pesto of marjoram, walnuts, pine nuts, and cheese. Second, the anchovy and caper sauce. Finally, the ragù bianco from Il Cucchiaio d’Argento, a wonderful resource for traditional Italian cuisine.

Of these three sauces, you may ask, do we have a favorite? We don't - each satisfies our mood swing du jour. We like all three, and we think you will, too. The first two, if you are a fan of marjoram will delight you, as so few dishes feature this fragrant, floral, sweet herb. The ragù is perfect for traditionalists, and seems as though it might have many additional applications - for a recipe that has only the simplest of ingredients, it truly produces a luscious ragù!

Please let me know what you think of the sauces if you try them. Remember to dress the corzetti sparingly so as not to cover the design completely.

In the end, I really do know there isn't a mole in my inner circle; for one thing, magazines and television shows are planned way too far in advance. New trends are just in the air. I do like thinking, though, that I am somehow right up there with the cool kids. At least in things culinary.

~ David

Pesto di Maggiorana
From A Little Kitchen in Genoa

1/4 cup pine nuts 
1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 ounce tender marjoram leaves
pinch salt
3/4 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano
olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened


In a mortar and pestle, mash the nuts, marjoram, and cheese together with a pinch of salt into a very thick paste. This will be a bit coarse; if you want it finer, use a spice grinder or food processor. Add the oil, one tablespoon at a time, until a good pesto consistency is reached. Then stir in the butter.

Makes about 1/2 cup.
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Salsa di Acciughe, Capperi, Pinoli, e Maggiorana
Adapted from the recipe by James Benson

4 tablespoons European butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed if salted
6 anchovies, chopped
freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons fresh marjoram leaves, plus extra
zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Pecorino Romano, for shaving

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the pasta into boiling salted water and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook the butter and until it begins to turn brown. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and mix well. Add the shallot and cook until translucent. Add capers and anchovies and continue to sweat. Add a drop of the pasta water to slow the cooking. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Drain pasta and add to the sauce, tossing to coat. Add the 3 tablespoons marjoram leaves, lemon zest, and a little pasta water. Finish with the remaining olive oil.

Divide pasta and sauce among 6 pasta bowls. Top with some additional marjoram, pine nuts, and a shaving of Pecorino.
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Ragù Bianco
From Il Cucchiaio d’Argento

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 ounces pancetta, diced
7 ounces ground pork
7 ounces ground veal
scant 1/2 cup white wine
scant cup chicken stock
2-3 tablespoons cream
salt


Heat the olive oil and butter together in shallow pan. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and pancetta and cook over low heat for 5 minutes until softened. Increase the heat to high, add meat and mix well. Cook, stirring frequently, until browned. Add the wine and cook until it is evaporated. Season to taste with salt, then add a ladleful of stock. Lower the heat and cook (simmer) for 1 1/2 hours, adding more stock as the sauce dries out. Finally, stir in the cream to give it a more mellow flavor.

Serves 4-6.


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