Calabrian Mojito Food

CALABRIAN CHILI POPCORN

Steps:

• Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the oil and the popcorn kernels and cover the pan. Cook, shaking occasionally, until the kernels have popped and the popping has slowed to 1 or 2 every second or so. Pour the popcorn into a large bowl. To the hot pan, add the butter and swirl until melted. Add the chili paste and stir to combine. Drizzle the mixture over the popcorn and toss well to coat. Season with the salt and serve.

CALABRIAN CRACKED OLIVES

Steps:

• Place Sicilian green olives in a resealable plastic bag, hit with mallet or hammer to crack the olives. Add olive oil, chili powder, parsley, garlic and vinegar. Mix well and serve.

CALABRIAN MOJITO

Steps:

• For the infused rum: Place the chile flakes in the bottle of rum, seal and allow to steep for 24 hours, inverting the bottle every so often to agitate the chiles. Strain out the chile flakes and store the rum in an airtight bottle.
• For the mojito: In a cocktail shaker or mixing glass, lightly bruise the mint leaves with a muddler. Add the lime juice and sugar, and stir to dissolve. Add 1 cup of the infused rum and a few ice cubes; stir to combine (about 30 stirs). Top off with club soda and stir 3 times. Divide the cocktail among 4 glasses. Garnish with a mint sprig and serve with a straw.

VODKA MOJITO

Steps:

• In a pitcher, combine the Simple Syrup, vodka, lime juice, and club soda. Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish with mint sprigs.
• In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine the sugar, water, and mint leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool for 20 minutes. Strain before using, pressing on the mint leaves to extract as much syrup as possible.

CALABRIAN CHILE PASTA

Steps:

• In a 10-inch high-sided saute pan, bring 1 inch of water (about 4 cups) to a boil over high heat. Add the penne and the salt. Cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, about 9 minutes; there should be a little water left in the pan.
• Sprinkle the pecorino over the pasta; toss to coat. Add the tomatoes, chile paste, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil, and toss.