Our new collaboration with Fattoria Lavacchio and it's wonderful restaurant Mulino a Vento (the Windmill) will enable Cafe Capriccio to become an even greater proponent of la cucina Toscana, Tuscan cuisine.  To celebrate this collaboration, and the marvelous foods of Tuscany,  we will be featuring on our web site Tuscan recipes for the classic dishes we will  now be serving regularly at Cafe Capriccio.  Over time we hope to create a treasured resource of ingredients and techniques for preparing authentic Tuscan meals.   Plan to join us in Tuscany when you can, and in the mean time stop in to our restaurant for an authentic
taste of classic Tuscan cooking.  
- Jim Rua

Please click HERE for the Tuscan Recipes from Cafe Capriccio's Tuscan Kitchen

Please click Here for Pasta Ricpes

DINNERWHERE? Magazine

CHEF'S UNDER 40 Cover Story, July 2009
FRANCO RUA Featured Menu, Cafe Capriccio

Insalata di Finocchio ed Arancie
Fennel and Orange Salad
Spaghetti alla San Teodoro
Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Gorgonzola Cheese
Agnello Vallelungese
Lamb Roasted with Potatoes and Herbs
Torta Caprese
Flourless Chocolate-Almond Cake from Capri

Insalata di Finocchio ed Arancie
Fennel and Orange Salad
Serves 4
3 oranges, navel or Valencia
2 medium fennel bulbs with fronds
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup good olives (optional)
anchovy filets to taste (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Remove the rind and bitter white pith from the oranges and cut them into segments, reserving the juice. Cut the stalks from the fennel, reserving some of the fronds for garnish, and remove any tough outer layers. Slice the fennel in half lengthwise, remove most of the firm core, and cut into thin strips. Combine the sliced fennel, the orange segments, and the sliced onion in a serving bowl. Mix the olive oil with the reserved orange juice in a small bowl. Salt and pepper to taste, and pour over the salad. Gently toss to combine. Allow to sit covered at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Garnish with the fennel fronds and top with olives and anchovies, if desired.

Spaghetti alla San Teodoro
Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Gorgonzola Cheese
Serves 4
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 medium garlic cloves, sliced
2 pounds ripe summer tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped, or 4 cups canned whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, lightly crushed
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried wild Italian oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound spaghetti
10 ounces Gorgonzola cheese or any good blue cheese, crumbled
1 cup fresh baby arugula (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Meanwhile heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for about a minute. Just before the garlic starts to turn golden, add the tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the tomatoes, until slightly reduced and a deep red. Cook the spaghetti in generously salted water until just al dente. Drain and add to the simmering tomato sauce along with half the gorgonzola. Toss until well coated. Transfer to warm serving bowls and top with the remaining gorgonzola and fresh arugula, if using. Serve immediately.

Agnello Vallelungese
Lamb Roasted with Potatoes and Herbs
Serves 4
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2½ pounds boneless lamb shoulder or leg cut into 2-inch pieces and trimmed of most fat
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
½ cup Pecorino Romano, grated
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
fresh parsley to garnish

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Heat the olive oil in a flameproof baking pan over moderately high heat until hot. Season the lamb with salt and pepper, and brown well on all sides for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the potatoes, onion, garlic, rosemary, pecorino cheese, and red pepper flakes if using, and stir for 1 more minute. Cover and place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Torta Caprese
Flourless Chocolate-Almond Cake from Capri
Serves 8
1¾ ounces bittersweet chocolate
½ cup Myers dark rum
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup sugar
3 eggs, separated
½ cup ground almonds
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoons baking powder
powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Melt the chocolate with the rum in a double boiler, and allow to cool slightly. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on low speed until light. With the mixer running, add the egg yolks, one at a time, until incorporated. Add the almonds. Slowly add the slightly cooled chocolate mixture, the cornstarch, and the baking powder, and continue to mix until the batter is smooth. In a small bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and gently fold into the batter. Butter and lightly flour a 10-inch pie tin. Pour in the batter. Place the pie tin on a sheet pan and bake for 40 to 60 minutes. Do not open the oven for the first 40 minutes. The cake is done when the center feels slightly firm. Allow to cool on a rack and carefully unmold the cake onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Other Capriccio Recipies!
Chefs James and Franco Rua

Paella Valenciana
(Serves Six)

Many people have asked about the paella recipe at Cafe Capriccio. Paella is, of course, a generic dish of infinite variation. I would frequently prepare a dozen or more paellas during a particular evening and marvel at how each was different from the others, and for reasons I could not always understand. According to Spanish legend, if you ask a man from Andalucia for his paella recipe, he will be obliged to provide at least three recipes: his own, his wife's and his mother's.

I am now convinced there is magic at work in the preparation of this bounteous feast. The cook should be warned, therefore, that while he or she can set the course, the final destination revealing the exotic tastes,
textures and colors of this most celebratory dish is determined by forces in the universe over which cooks have scant control. The name paella derives from the pan, called paellera, and does not refer to any ingredient. As best I can determine, the only requirements for authentic paella are the pan, rice, olive oil, and saffron. The remainder is determined by the cook. The paellera has a circular configuration, about two inches deep, with two handles. It is made of metal which rusts easily so it must be dried completely after washing. You may also find pans with the same general appearance but made from more fashionable materials, sometimes brightly colored. These are just fine for cooking paella, but no pan is more efficient than a cast iron frying pan because of its heat distribution properties and capacity to retain heat for extended time after cooking is completed. Paella looks great in whatever you cook it, and nothing tastes
better.

The paella described here is based on the Valencia model which includes shellfish and meat and begins with a potent base of flavor called sofrito. This recipe has evolved over the years, but the technique for preparation has remained constant. Paella requires considerable effort, so I thought we should prepare it for six.

Ingredients: (Not including the sofrito)
Rice -- four cups. I recommend long grain rice, because it provides the best texture, can be cooked in volume without sticking together, and can be held at table longer than short grain rice. Short grain rice tends to become mushy and quickly looses its individual character. Uncle Ben's is the rice for me
Chicken -- drumsticks and thighs are my choice; the breast is too dry, two pieces per person. The chicken should be baked in the oven before the cooking procedure is begun for the paella itself. All other ingredients are cooked with the rice. Rabbit can be used in place of chicken, or you can combine chicken and rabbit
Chorizo -- Spanish cured sausage -- three links sliced about one quarter inch thick
Mussels in their shells -- four per person
Clams in their shells -- four per person
Shrimp -- shelled and devained -- three per person, size under fifteen to the pound or larger
Lobster -- two whole lobsters one and one half to two pounds each. Cut the lobsters in half lengthwise, then separate the claws. This will give you eight segments, one for each person plus two to compete for
Artichoke hearts -- I have recently discovered that artichokes available in small jars or cans are excellent additions to paella. If you use marinated artichokes, the marinate is an excellent addition to your paella.
Pimentos -- one can -- sliced thin
Peas -- one frozen package; fresh are better, naturally
Chicken stock -- eight cups
Lemon slices for garnish, plus one lemon to squeeze over the finished paella

Ingredients for sofrito:
One large Spanish onion -- chopped
One red pepper and one green pepper -- chopped
Four strips bacon -- cut into one half inch pieces
Olive oil -- three tablespoons
Garlic -- four cloves -- chopped
Tomatoes -- three ounces -- crushed
Coriander seeds -- one teaspoon -- crushed