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2.03.2012

Warm Salad of Radicchio & White Beans, #33 on Gourmet's List of 50 Women Game Changers: Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer

 Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer are #33 on Gourmet's List of 50 Women Game Changers.  Gourmet calls them food royalty.  Hirsheimer co-founded Saveur and Hamilton ran the test kitchen at Saveur.  Mary of One Perfect Bite has organized a group of bloggers to cook and post their way through the list. 
Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer are also known for their collection of Canal House Cookbooks.  I must admit I knew nothing about these two women until I learned of Gourmet's 50 Women Game Changer.  I chose to make a dish from their most recent book, Volume No 7 because as soon as I opened the book I was hooked.  I first read a review of the book on Amazon and knew I needed to get my hands on this book.  It's a beautiful  book with thick paper, gorgeous photos and it reads like a novel...just like the reviewer said.
I chose the recipe that I did because of the way they described their very special bottle of acet balsamico tradizionale.  My bottle does not nearly have the price tag, but it is quite good. 
Many of the recipes are very simple.  Like the warm salad of radiccho and white beans.  For this recipe you use 1/2 cup of good olive oil, add 1 or two thinly sliced garlic cloves, 4 chopped anchovy filets.  You heat over medium until it becomes fragrant, about a minute.  Then add the leaves of the quartered and rinsed radicchio and cook for a few minutes.  Add 2 cups of cooked white beans and a spoonful of the liquid.  Season with salt and pepper, stirring gently until the beans are warm and the radicchio is wilted, 3 to 5 minutes.  Serve with a drizzle more of good olive oil and a few drops of aged balsamic vinegar to each serving.  When I first tried it I forgot to add the balsamic...once I added a few drops to my serving...it was pretty amazing.  For more recipes from these women check out these blogs:

9 comments:

  1. Looks delicious...
    What a great combination of ingredients!

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  2. Can your food photography get any better? Ok...just thinking that we would love to have you here for dinner but now I am intimidated.....must happen a lot to you.

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  3. Annie this looks incredible---I've had that experience with balsamic vinegar before, it really does change everything. This is one of the few game changers that has made me need the cookbook.
    P.S. The other day I mistakenly poured balsamic vinegar on my Ina's perfect roast chicken instead of olive oil and it turned out great!

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  4. I love the beautiful simplicity of their recipes. This sounds like something I'd really enjoy...comfort salad!

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  5. HI Annie! This salad looks amazing and who doesn't love a warm salad. This salad would pair perfectly with a roast chicken.
    I love cookbooks that have lots of photos as it helps to see what the finished product will look like before you attempt to make it. I think that is why I love reading cooking blogs because you always see the finished product. Your first photo is staged so well that I can almost see myself grabbing a glass of wine and helping myself to a plate of your salad. Beautiful!!!!

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  6. What a wonderfully appealing salad. Your post does these two women proud. I love the recipe you've chosen and your photos are absolutely wonderful. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  7. Your photos are gorgeous as always!! Looks like an amazing recipe as well.
    I hope you are having a relaxing weekend with your family!
    xo
    Ashlyn

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  8. This looks so delicious! You know, this is the third time in as many days that their cookbooks have come to my attention. Someone trying to tell me something? ;) And who can resist Vol 7 - La Dolce Vita!

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