Cook up a Columbus Day extravaganza

Christopher Columbus may have discovered the new world in 1492, but he didn't have much to eat along the way. That doesn't mean you can't celebrate with a Columbus Day culinary feast of your own. The Scotto family — Marion, John, Rosanna, Anthony and Elaina — from the New York restaurant Fresco was invited to appear on "Today" to share their secrets for some festive dishes you can prepare for your family and friends.

Lentil, Chickpea and Baccala Salad With Sherry Vinaigrette
Serves 4

For salad
1 cup cooked lentils
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 small red onion, diced
1/2 cup celery heart and leaves, diced
1 each roasted red and yellow pepper, peeled and diced
1 clove minced garlic
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup pitted, chopped black and green olives
1 pound thick slat cod, cooked, skinned, de-boned and flaked apart in large pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
Lettuce leaves

special feature SOUPS: •  Ahoy! Steal this chef’s super chowder recipe •  A variety of winter soups to warm your soul •  More soup recipes to warm the soul •  A scrumptious mushroom soup recipe STEWS: •  Crockpot cooking for cold winter nights •  A hearty meal that won't bust your waistline ROASTS AND OTHER DISHES: •  A larger-than-life meatloaf, Tuscan-style •  Humble no more: In praise of the pot pie •  Steal this chef’s sizzling pork loin recipe •  Muy bueno! Steal this chef’s paella recipe COMPLETE MEALS: •  Warm up your winter with this modern cuisine •  Winter foods to keep you warm, Italian style •  Classic, hearty French food made easy •  Cook up a fall-into-winter extravaganza •  Kick up the flavor in your winter dinners OTHER RESOURCES: •  More winter warmers in our Recipe Search

Combine cooked lentils and chickpeas in a bowl. Add onion, celery, roasted peppers, garlic, parsley and olives. Mix thoroughly.

Dress flaked salt cod with four tablespoons of sherry vinaigrette and mix gently so as not to break cooked cod into tiny pieces. Dress lentil and chickpea salad with remaining sherry vinaigrette and check seasoning for salt and pepper.

To serve, line large bowl or platter with favorite lettuce leaves; place lentil and chick pea salad on platter or bowl; place salt cod on top of salad; do not mix in. Decorate with sprigs of celery heart or parsley.

For vinaigrette
1/4 cup or 3-1/2 ounces aged sherry vinegar
1 clove minced garlic
1 minced shallot
Juice from 1/2 lemon
11 ounces extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine vinegar, garlic, shallot and lemon juice in a bowl. Whisk in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Beef Pot Pie With Polenta Crust
Serves 6

For filling
2 pounds lean beef chuck, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and pepper to season
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 quart water, vegetable or beef stock
1 medium-size bay leaf
3 medium-size boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
4 medium-size carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas

Pat the cubes of beef dry with paper towels and sprinkle all sides with salt and pepper. Dip them into flour to coat, remove excess flour. In a heavy four quart casserole, heat the oil over high heat and brown beef cubes in the oil, turning them until evenly brown. Transfer meat to separate plate.

In same pan, add onions and sauté for 5 minutes until soft but not brown. Pour in water or stock and bring to a boil over high heat while scraping the browned particles clinging to the sides and bottom of the pan. Add beef cubes and bay leaf. Reduce heat.

Simmer partially covered for one hour, then add potatoes, carrots and peas. Partially cover the pan again and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes longer, or until vegetables are tender. As beef and vegetables simmer, check the pan from time to time. If liquid seems to be cooking away, reduce heat and add a little more water. When all is tender, remove from heat and let cool uncovered to room temperature.

For crust
2 cups flour
2/3 cups medium grind yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon ice water, or more as needed

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt; process just to mix. Add the butter and process in short bursts, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.

Add the whole egg, egg yolk and 1 tablespoon ice water and process for a few short bursts, scraping down the sides until the dough comes together but is still a bit crumbly. If dough seems dry, sprinkle with up to one more tablespoon of water. Do not overprocess or the crust will be tough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and work together into a ball the consistency of Play-Doh. Press down into a round disk and wrap with plastic. Refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.

Braised Wild Boar Shank With Honey and Dried Fruits
Serves 6
1 cup combined gold raisins, apricots and figs
1/2 cup dry sherry
6 each wild boar shanks or pork shanks
4 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium size onion, diced
1 teaspoon dry thyme
1 teaspoon dry rosemary
1 bay leaf
3 cups dry red wine
3 canned whole tomatoes, cut into chunks
1/3 cup honey

Soak dried fruits in sherry for three hours. Place shanks in a bowl and marinate with garlic, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and red wine. Let marinate at room temperature for at least three hours, turning them occasionally. After three hours, drain and reserve the marinade.

In a large, heavy sauce pot, heat olive oil over high heat and brown shanks two at a time until browned evenly. Remove shanks and set aside. Add the onion to the hot sauce pan and sauté five minutes. Add dried fruits with sherry vinegar and scrape all browned meat particles on bottom of pan. When complete, add reserved marinade and stir to mix thoroughly.

Return browned shanks to pan, add chopped tomatoes and honey, simmer covered for 2-1/2 hours or until shanks are tender. After shanks are tender, remove and set aside. Cover to keep warm. Reduce final sauce by simmering over medium-high heat, until sauce is desired consistency. Finish sauce by stirring in 2 tablespoons of butter. Return shanks to sauce and serve.

Wild King Salmon Risotto With Asparagus and Wild Mushrooms
2-1/2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
2-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
4 shallots
1-1/2 cups Arborio risotto rice
1 quart vegetable or chicken broth
1 pound wild mushrooms (chanterelle, lobster, porcini), sliced
1/2 bunch asparagus, sliced on the bias
12 ounces wild salmon fillet, skinned, de-boned and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/3 cup dry white wine

Heat olive oil and half of the butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Add shallots and cook for 5 minutes. Add rice and stir until well-coated with oil. Reduce heat to low.

Add 1 cup of hot stock and stir briefly. Allow risotto to cook until the stock is absorbed by the rice before adding another cup. Continue to add stock and cook in this way, stirring frequently, until rice is almost cooked, about 15 to 20 minutes.

In medium-size sauté pan, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat to high temperature, then add mushrooms and asparagus and saute for 5 minutes. Add diced salmon, asparagus and mushrooms to the risotto. The heat from the rice is sufficient to cook the fish. Gently stir in remaining butter, salt and pepper, parsley and white wine. Serve immediately in shallow bowls.

Walnut Tart
For crust
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter or shortening
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Mix together dry ingredients. Cut butter into dry ingredients. Add beaten egg and mix well. Add milk one tablespoon at a time until mixture holds together. Use a rolling pin to roll dough out to approximately 1-1/4 times the size of a tart pan with removable bottom. Place dough in pan and finish edges.

For filling
2 eggs
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 cup walnuts

Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, melted butter, cinnamon, vanilla and orange peel. Mix thoroughly. Place nuts in the crust and pour egg mixture over the nuts until it reaches the edges of the tart pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until the center is set and the tart is a nice golden brown. Let cool completely before removing from pan.

Recipes provided by the Scotto family of New York's Fresco restaurant. Copyright 2004. All rights reserved.

MORE FROM FOOD & WINE

Food & Wine Section Front

Yes, please! Rigatoni with 5 cheeses Patsy's chicken marsala with zucchini stuffing Mushrooms gone wild! In risotto, that is 20 secrets your waiter will never tell you TODAY's Holiday Hand-Me-Down Recipes contest Gobble it up: The Scottos' Thanksgiving leftovers Don’t let a dull menu derail your holiday party   Kid chef cooks holiday treats Turkey prep 101, from brining to cheesecloth Tyler Florence's roasted turkey with sage, thyme Food & Wine Section Front   Add Food & Wine headlines to your news reader: