Does this broccoli look Italian to you? It doesn’t to me either.
To Amy Vanderbilt, however, this is Broccoli Italian Style.
This recipe is from Amy Vanderbilt’s Complete Cookbook. Copyright 1961, New York.
Ms. Vanderbilt’s cookbook is not something that would naturally grab a vintage collector’s eye. It’s from 1961, not a terribly interesting time for cookbooks, in my opinion, and it has no colored pictures. It doesn’t really have much personality at all, really.
Except for one thing.
There’s a little note on the title page that says, “Drawings by Andrew Warhol.”
For those of you readers who don’t know, Andy Warhol was a successful commercial illustrator in the 1940s and 1950s. This book would have been near the end of his freelance career. Unfortunately, the illustrations aren’t of the fun, funky sort that typify his work.
These look like Andy phoned it in.
Oh, Andy. We’ve all been there. It’s the dreaded Assignment That Never Ends. You think you’ll have fun doing a cookbook gig, but then the come back and tell you the work’s all wrong, that it wouldn’t appeal to their clientele. So you end up doing something like this, just hoping they don’t put off paying you in the end.
I forgive you, Andy. Really, I do.
Now… on to the Italian Broccoli!
DH executed this one, as I was busy with the Oven-Fried Chicken.
BROCCOLI ITALIAN STYLE
1 1/2 lbs. broccoli
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and mashed
1/3 minced, peeled onion
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon saltWash broccoli. Look over carefully. Trim stalks. Remove all large, coarse leaves. Cut stalks and flowerets into large pieces.
Heat oil in large skillet. Add garlic, onion, and chili powder. Stir and heat until onion is soft. Remove garlic and discard. Add broccoli, water, and salt. Cover skillet. Cook 12 to 15 minutes or until just tender. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.
I think the garlic and olive oil are what make this Italian, but I’m not sure. DH, however, had a thing or two to say about discarding a clove of garlic. We consider such behavior to be unacceptable. Not that it mattered. We use the minced garlic in a jar. That’s not coming out of a pan without the rest of the food any time soon.
Also, 12-15 minutes is too long to cook this broccoli. We shut the stove off at 5 minutes and let it sit and steam for the rest of the time.
The verdict? Awesome. It has lots of flavor, but still tastes like broccoli. The chili powder is just enough kick to make the green stuff interesting again. It probably didn’t need the full 1/4 cup of olive oil, but it wasn’t too oily.
Amy Vanderbilt’s Cookbook is definitely worthy of obsession!
