Chillin’ and grillin’ with Mrs. G

The colorful, versatile and easy-to-make sauces…are as delicious with grilled meats, chicken and shrimp as they are with veggies

By: Pat Tanner
   The busy intersection of Route 1 and Franklin Corner Road in Lawrence may seem an unlikely spot to kick off the outdoor grilling season. Yet it made an ideal setting for a Saturday afternoon cookout to the 200 people who came through the open-air tent on the grounds of Mrs. G’s TV & Appliances on the picture-perfect first weekend of May.
   They came to watch grill masters at work, cooking up everything from hot dogs and hamburgers to pork and beef tenderloin, shrimp, and summer vegetables with Italian dipping sauces. They came to eat the results, free of charge, while learning about state-of-the-art features of today’s gas grills from such high-end manufacturers as Viking, Wolf, Lynx and Weber. Finally, they came to ogle over the classic cars on display, courtesy of IDM Motor Cars, not to mention the shiny red new Lotus from Sport & Specialist Cars of Princeton.
   Special guest chef was Brian Yarvin of Edison, who served as veggie-meister of the day.
   Mr. Yarvin, a photographer, is author of last year’s "Farms and Foods of the Garden State" (Hippocrene Books). A trio of Italian-style dipping sauces he brought to accompany grilled potatoes, summer squash and other vegetables, and to spoon over grilled Italian bread for bruschetta, was a big hit. The sauces are featured in "Cucina Piemontese," just published by Hippocrene, which Mr. Yarvin co-wrote with his wife, Maria Grazia Asselle, who is from Torino, the capital of Italy’s Piemonte region.
   The colorful, versatile and easy-to-make sauces, below, are as delicious with grilled meats, chicken and shrimp as they are with veggies.
   Bagna Cauda (literally "hot bath" in Italian) is a traditional Piemontese winter dish. Typically, this boldly flavored oil is presented in a heatproof bowl and used to dip vegetables, fondue style. As Mr. Yarvin demonstrated, it works just fine slathered on grilled veggies.
   Chimichurri, the irresistible Argentinean green sauce, makes an appearance in the Piemontese book as salsa verde.
   Finally, I can’t refrain from including the recipe for sweet-and-sour cipolline onions, a personal favorite that enhances any grilled meal.
   For those among us who want to consume these sauces with grilled steak, the good folks who make Weber grills have produced a cookbook for which all the proceeds go to four charities that support U.S. Marines and their families. Last year they held a series of grilling competitions on Marine Corps installations around the country to produce "Command of the Grill: A Salute to Steak." It is available at www.commandofthegrill.com.
SUMMER RED SAUCE
"Cucina Piemontese"
by Maria Grazia Asselle & Brian Yarvin
   1 tablespoon olive oil
   1 medium onion, chopped (½ cup)
   2 cloves garlic, chopped
   1 sprig fresh rosemary
   1 bay leaf
   1 sprig fresh sage
   6 leaves fresh basil
   1 cup canned peeled, crushed tomatoes
   2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded
   Salt & pepper to taste

  1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic. Tie the rosemary, bay leaf, sage and basil together with string and add the bundle to the pan; cook, stirring, for 3 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and peppers and cook for 20 minutes more.
  2. Pass the mixture through a food mill or puree briefly in a food processor. Return the sauce to the pan and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve warm.

   Makes 2 cups.


BAGNA CAUDA
(Olive Oil & Anchovy Sauce)
Adapted from "Cucina Piemontese"
by Maria Grazia Asselle & Brian Yarvin
   2 cups whole milk
   2 heads garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
   1½ cups olive oil
   6 anchovies, chopped
1. Bring the milk to a boil in a small pan. Lower the heat, add the garlic and simmer for 1 hour. Remove the garlic from the milk and smash the cloves into a rough paste with a fork. Combine the garlic, oil and anchovies in a saucepan over low heat and stir with a whisk until the anchovies dissolve and the liquid becomes almost creamlike.
   Makes 1½ cups.
CHIMICHURRI
(Garlic & Parsley Sauce)
"Farms and Foods of the Garden State"
by Brian Yarvin
   1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
   1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
   ¼ cup white wine vinegar
   6 garlic cloves
   4 anchovy fillets
   ½ small red onion
   2 small dried red chile peppers
   3 fresh basil leaves
   1 tablespoon capers

  1. In a blender or food processor combine the oil, parsley, vinegar, garlic and anchovies on high until they form a smooth paste. Add the onion, peppers and basil and blend until they are finely chopped and well distributed in the liquid. Add the capers and process just for a few seconds to mix them in.
  2. Pour the sauce into a resealable container and place in the refrigerator. Give the sauce a stir every hour or so for the first few hours. It can be served after 4 hours and will keep for several days stored in the refrigerator.

   Makes 2 cups.
CIPOLLINE IN AGRA DOLCE
(Sweet & Sour Onions)
"Cucina Piemontese"
by Maria Grazia Asselle & Brian Yarvin
   1 pound cipolline onions
   1 cup red wine vinegar
   ½ cup olive oil
   3 tablespoons sugar
   ½ teaspoon salt

  1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and blanch the cipolline for 3 minutes. Drain, cool and remove the skins.
  2. In a saucepan, bring the vinegar to a boil and add the oil, sugar, salt and onions.

   Lower the heat and simmer until the onions are fork tender and the sauce is reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold.
   Serves 4.