Robin Maxwell, author of Signora da Vinci, emailed me this
morning on the olive & grape compote recipe and she asked: “Without the oil (you use only a
splast) and balsamic vinegar to create a "juice" to simmer in, does
it come out dry, or do the grapes produce a juice? Lately, I've been suggesting using even more oil and vinegar
than is stated in the recipe, and also cooking it longer. One of my readers who tried the recipe
used a potato masher to mash the compote after cooking, so that the grapes and
olives don't fall off the bread.”
My
grapes were juicy and tart so I didn’t really need the vinegar and I used a
clay pot to roast the compote so things stayed juicy, but I’m going to revise the
original post and recipe to include Ms. Maxwell’s comments because this is the
kind of recipe that evolves over time as everyone puts their own spin on it.
Ms.
Maxwell also told me about her upcoming book, O. Juliet, so if you are a fan of
historical novels, Florence, romance, Romeo, iambic pentameter, then you should
take a look at her new blog. I’m
trying to talk her into coming to Montone where the spirit of our own Braccio
Fortebraccio could be the next inspiration for a project.