Secret Liguria Accommodations
February 2014
Lasagna di Carnevale
Ingredients
- 400 g lasagna, par-cooked
- 250 g Italian ground Sirloin (or Italian sausage)
- 200 g mozzarella, cut into pieces
- 200 g ricotta, cut in pieces
- 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
- 600 ml homemade tomato sauce
- 50 g grated Parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
- Butter
Method
- Slowly stir fry the ground Sirloin or (remove the sausage from its casing, break up into pieces) and fry gently in a drizzling of olive oil. Grease a rectangular ovenproof dish and line with a layer of lasagne. Scatter half the Sirloin or sausage on top, then half the mozzarella, ricotta, and sliced egg, and cover with a third of the tomato sauce. Add a third of the grated cheese. Add another layer of lasagne and repeat process. Finish with a last layer of lasagne, spread over the last of the tomato sauce and dust with the remaining Parmesan. Bake for 45 minutes in a medium (350ºF) oven.
Risotto Con Carciofi
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 1.5 litres of hot vegetable broth
- Generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, minced
- 6 small artichokes, cleaned and thinly sliced
- ½ glass dry white wine
- 350g Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice
- 50g grated Parmesan cheese
- Handful finely chopped parsley
- 30g butter
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the minced onion. Sauté until golden then add the artichoke slices. Pour in the white wine and cook until wine has evaporated. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the rice and cook for a couple of minutes until the rice becomes slightly transparent. Add a ladle of hot vegetable broth (keep the broth on a low heat as you are adding), and stir for about one minute until absorbed. Continue cooking the rice, stirring continuously and adding broth as it absorbs. Cook for about 15 to 17 minutes until the rice is al dente. Check seasoning, remembering you still have to add the cheese.
Move the frying pan off the heat and add half the grated cheese, the parsley and the butter. Beat well to combine. Serve immediately, garnishing each dish with a little of the additional grated Parmesan.
Busolà – Venetian Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 500g 00 flour
- 300g sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 300g butter, softened
- 6 egg yolks
- Grated zest of half a lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F).
Place the flour in a large bowl and mix in the sugar and salt. Create a well in the centre and add the softened butter, egg yolks, vanilla essence and lemon zest. Using your hands, gently work the dry ingredients into the liquid ingredients, slowly incorporating more flour into the centre with your hands. Once you have a smooth, pliable dough (you may have to add a little more flour), divide the dough into 20 pieces of equal size. Shape each piece into S shapes or half moons, place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15-18 minutes until golden in color. Once cool, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.
Maria Rosa’s Frittelle di Carnevale
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- ½ small carton of whipping cream
- 60g butter (melted, cooled)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 package powder or 1tsp liquid vanilla
- 500g flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Oil for frying
- Powdered Sugar
Method
- In a small bowl, mix about half of the flour with the baking powder. In a large bowl, add the eggs, whipping cream, butter, salt, sugar and vanilla and mix. Add the flour mixture to the large bowl and mix until smooth. Add the rest of the flour and work into a smooth dough, with little bubbles. Cover and set in a warm place to rise for one hour.
- Divide the dough into balls the size of a walnut. Flatten the dough by hand or roll out with a rolling pin until very thin (you should be able to see the surface below). Slice or shape into uneven strips. Before frying, place the frittelle on a floured surface.
- In batches, fry the strips until golden. Remove and place on a paper towel to drain, then toss with powdered sugar.
- Crispy and sprinkled with powdered sugar, these frittelle di carnevale are called cenci in the north and chiacchiere in the south of Italy.
DRAFT Positano Accomodations- sr
Secret Garden B&B
B&B:
The villa B&B offers individual private suites within its structure, complete with private bath, kitchenettes in the superior suites,* private terrace and sea view. Each suite has its own layout and is decorated uniquely in Mediterranean style. There is no concierge or main hotel desk, as this is a private villa B&B. The property owner and manager are on site and available to provide information for your stay, including maps, tour books and booklets. Positano has many stairs, but the villa is at street level with minimum stairs for Positano, including 4 flights of stairs throughout. The villa B&B includes standard rooms and superior suites available on request at a supplement. Daily continental breakfast served in your room, daily maid service, mini-bar, in-room safe, hair dryers, Wi-Fi internet in the room and air conditioning included.
Program Prices:
$2,995 per person, based on double occupancy with sea view. All taxes and Italian VAT included.
$685 single supplement.
*Superior Suites: Upgrade to a Superior Suite, starting at $445 per person per program, based on double occupancy. The Superior Suites are available on the penthouse level of the B&B. Each suite has sweeping sea views, expanded space and kitchenette. The suites also have the possibility to connect for groups.
Secret Garden 3-Star
3-Star:
The 3-Star property accommodations includes rooms with a sea view and balcony, ensuite private bath, in-room safe, mini-bar, hair dryers and air conditioning. There is a concierge, daily breakfast served in the common breakfast room and terrace are included, and free internet on the common terrace.
Program Prices:
$2,995 per person, based on double occupancy with sea view. All taxes and Italian VAT included.
$785 Single Supplement at the 3-Star, with double room for single use.
*Superior Rooms: Upgrade to a Superior Room, starting at $150 per person per program, based on double occupancy. The Superior Rooms all have french balconies and sea views.
Secret Garden 3-Star~By The Piazza
3-Star~ By The Piazza:
The 3-Star property accommodations includes rooms with a town and sea view balcony, ensuite private bath, in-room safe, mini-bar, hair dryers and air conditioning. There is a concierge and daily continental breakfast is included in the common breakfast room. Free Wi-Fi internet is available in the common areas. This property is just by the central piazza of Positano and has an elevator.
Program Prices:
$2,995 per person, based on double occupancy. All taxes and Italian VAT included.
$785 Single Supplement at the 3-Star, with double room for single use.
*Superior Rooms: Upgrade to a Superior Room, starting at $150 per person per program, based on double occupancy. The Superior Rooms all have french balcony or terrace offering panoramic or sea view.
*Junior Suites: Upgrade to Junior Suite, starting at $450 per person based on double occupancy. The Junior Suites all have french balcony or terrace offering panoramic or sea view, and feature a Jacuzzi bath or Shower/sauna whirlpool.
Secret Garden 3-Star Deluxe
3-Star Deluxe:
The 3-Star Deluxe property accommodations includes spacious rooms with a town/sea view and balcony, ensuite private bath, in-room safe, mini-bar, hair dryers and air conditioning. There is a concierge and daily breakfast is included. Our 3-Star Deluxe also boasts a Mediterranean restaurant on a terrace overlooking the sea. Free Wi-Fi internet is available.
Program Prices:
$3,295 per person, based on double occupancy. All taxes and Italian VAT included.
$4,195 per person, based on single occupancy, with double room for single use.
*Deluxe Rooms: Upgrade to a Deluxe Room, starting at $100 per person per program, based on double occupancy. The Deluxe Rooms are more spacious and offer more balcony/terrace space with views.
Secret Garden 4-Star By The Piazza
4-Star:
The 4-Star hotel is set looking out over the sea in the center of town. All the rooms are elegant, bright and decorated with Amalfi coast ceramic tiles in azure blues, lemon yellows and the natural cool colors of the Amalfi Coast. Each room has a sea view window or balcony and is fully equipped private bathroom, hairdryer, air conditioning, safe, direct-line telephone, Wi-Fi Internet, mini-bar, and Satellite TV. Every morning International buffet breakfast is included with cappuccino, fresh Italian croissants, pastries, cereal and fresh fruit to satisfy any international palate. The hotel’s beachside sister property also invites guests to take advantage of the swimming pool (in summer months), restaurant & snack bar. The knowledgeable staff are available 24 hours to answer questions, give advice and assistance.
Program Prices:
$3,895 per person, based on double occupancy with sea view. All taxes and Italian VAT included.
$5,040 per person, based on single occupancy with sea view. All taxes and Italian VAT included.
*Superior Room: $550 per person supplement, based on double occupancy for Superior room upgrade with sea view terrace and Jacuzzi.
Please call for Single Supplement for Superior Upgrade with sea view terrace and Jacuzzi.
Secret Garden 4-Star By The Courtyard
4-Star By The Courtyard:
The 4-Star by The Courtyard property is tucked among Positano’s lush greenery yet centrally located, offering an ideal position for exploring the town on foot. This historic building has been carefully renovated to very high standards and each room has its own antique furniture, with details in wood, ceramic wrought iron provided by local craftsmen. All rooms offer every modern convenience including iPod docking station. Communicating rooms available on request. Enjoy a stroll through the property’s Mediterranean gardens where lemon trees, bougainvillea and palm trees provide welcome shade, or enjoy a refreshing dip in the pool. Free Wi-Fi internet is available.
Program Prices:
$3,395 per person, based on double occupancy. All taxes and Italian VAT included.
$4,295 per person, based on single occupancy.
*Superior Rooms: Upgrade to a Superior Room, starting at $1,000 per person per program, based on double occupancy. The Superior Rooms all have terrace with table and chairs and a side view of the sea.
Secret Garden 4-Star Uptown
4-Star Uptown:
The 4-Star Up Town property is located just a short distance from Positano’s main thoroughfare and the beach. All rooms are tastefully and elegantly furnished with terracotta floors and Vietri decorations, with balconies offering views over the village. Breakfasts are served on the Villa’s panoramic terrace, and the pool offers breathtaking views over Li Galli islands and beyond. Modern conveniences include air conditioning, minibar, digital TV & safe. Free Wi-Fi internet is available.
Program Prices:
$3,495 per person, based on double occupancy with sea view. All taxes and Italian VAT included.
$4,395 Single Supplement at the 3-Star, with double room for single use.
*Superior Rooms: Upgrade to a Superior Room, starting at $400 per person per program, based on double occupancy. The Superior Rooms offer beautiful views of Positano and have balcony or terrace with sea view.
Secret Garden 5-Star By The Sea
5-Star By The Sea:
Our exclusive 5-Star By The Sea Property enjoys a privileged location just a few steps from the sea, and features a restaurant, brasserie, bar and a seawater pool. Rooms have every convenience, and are furnished in Mediterranean style, with comfortable beds, and a large bathroom with shower finished in hand-painted ceramic tiles.
All rooms face directly over the sea, with a private outdoor area complete with table and two chairs offering breathtaking views over the beach and sea – perfect for enjoying the unique panorama of Positano. Every morning breakfast is served in a beautiful room framed with bougainvilleas, offering an enchanting view of the sea and the pastel colors of Positano.
A selection of juices, coffees and teas accompany the homemade pastries served each morning. There is an internet point with free Wi-Fi and the knowledgeable staff are available 24 hours to give advice and offer every assistance.
Program Prices:
$4,195 per person, based on double occupancy with sea view. All taxes and Italian VAT included.
$5,795 per person, based on single occupancy with sea view.
*Junior Suite: Upgrade to a Junior Suite, starting at $1,200 per person per program, based on double occupancy. The Junior Suites all have a living & relaxation area, Jacuzzi with hydromassage, and a sea-facing balcony.
Secret Garden 5-Star By The Piazza
5-Star By The Piazza:
Our distinguished 5-Star Property By The Piazza property, located just a few steps from Positano’s main piazza, offers every possible comfort to guests looking for an unforgettably luxurious stay. Each room is unique, decorated with a stylish combination of antique and contemporary furnishings, with bathrooms made of marble and handmade tiles, most offering a whirlpool bathtub. Luxury linens and bath products add a special touch and the evening turn down service includes a special Italian chocolate for each guest. Rooms either offer views over the inner courtyard or have a small or French balcony with views over the village. Enjoy the very best Mediterranean food at the hotel’s gourmet restaurant, soak up the sun by the pool or book a relaxing treatment at the Spa.
Program Prices:
$5,795 per person, based on double occupancy with inner courtyard view. All taxes and Italian VAT included.
Please call for single rates.
*Room Upgrade: Upgrade to a Partial Town View Room, starting at $1,100 per person per program, based on double occupancy. The Partial Town View Rooms all have small or French balcony with views of the surrounding area.
Secret Garden 5-Star Deluxe
5-Star Deluxe:
Our magnificent 5-Star Deluxe property makes the perfect destination for guests who want to treat themselves to an unforgettable touch of luxury. Sculpted into the cliffside, this property blends into the beauty of the surrounding Amalfi Coast gardens while offering unparalleled views of Positano and the coast. Rooms are furnished to the highest possible standard, each with its own unique character, and all rooms have private sea-view balconies. Interior details include beautiful terracotta and majolica floors, luxurious designer fabrics and hand-painted doors and frescoes. Outside, the hotel is screened by bougainvillea, decorative vines and hibiscus. Our 5-Star Deluxe features a private sea access and sun deck, tennis courts, swimming pool, a superb Spa and Fitness Facilities, two gourmet restaurants and a terrace offering breathtaking views over Praiano, Positano and the Faraglioni of Capri. The property is located outside the main pedestrian center of Positano and offers a shuttle service regularly to and from town.
Program Prices:
$6,595 per person, based on double occupancy with sea view. All taxes and Italian VAT included.
Please call for single rates.
*Deluxe Double Room: Upgrade to a Deluxe Double Room, starting at $1,000 per person per program, based on double occupancy. The Deluxe Double Rooms all have a private sea-view terrace.
December 2013
Sweets From Siena
Ricciarelli Cookies
Ingredients
- 200 gr of peeled almonds
- 20 gr of bitter almonds
- 200 gr of sugar
- 1 tsp of orange essence
- 1 egg white
- Flour (as much as is needed)
- The tip of a teaspoon of baking soda
- 50 gr of powdered sugar
Method
- Grind the almonds well, add the orange essence, the baking soda, the sugar and then finally add the egg white and as much flour as you need to obtain a soft dough, consistent but not too tough. Sprinkle the powdered sugar on a table and form a log with the dough, then cut it into small pieces (about 30 grams each), roll it in your hands as if it were a meatball that you then elongate pressing it forward. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the balls spread apart on the sheet. With the rest of the powdered sugar, dust the cookies well: if you have enough time, cover with a clean cloth and leave to rest overnight. Bake them in a 180 degree Celsius oven for 6-7 minutes if you like them soft, otherwise bake them for 10-12 minutes.
Gabriella’s Tiramisù
Ingredients
- 1 Pack Savoiardi cookies (or lady fingers)
- 4 eggs, separated
- 300 grams of sugar, plus 1 tbsp extra
- Handful of hazelnuts, roughly crushed
- Small glass Maraschino liqueur
- 50g Butter
- 500g Mascarpone cheese
Method
- Prepare a simple syrup with 100 grams of sugar and 100 grams of water. Let it cool and add the Maraschino. Spread the cookies in one layer in a large flat dish and wet them with the prepared syrup. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Beat the yolks with the remaining sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the mascarpone cheese and mix well, then fold in the whites that have been whisked until they form soft peaks. Spread the cream on top of the soaked cookies. After having melted the butter with the tablespoon of sugar in a small pan, carmelize the hazelnuts and scatter them on top of the mascarpone cream. Chill and serve.
Gabriella’s Chocolate Cake
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 100 g plus 4 squares of dark chocolate
- 3 eggs
- 50 g sugar
- 30 g flour
- 40 g of butter
- Butter and sugar for molds
- Cocoa powder and icing sugar
Method
- Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Beat one whole egg and 2 egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy; sieve in the flour, mix gently, then fold in the warm chocolate mixture. Meanwhile whisk the egg whites until they are stiff then gently fold into the chocolate mixture. Butter 4 baking tins or disposable aluminum cases with butter and dust with icing sugar. Fill each case just over half way with the cake batter, place a square of chocolate in each serving and leave in the refrigerator for 3 hours. After this, heat the oven to 180 degrees and cook the cakes in a bain marie for 20 – 25 minutes. Turn the cakes out of the tins and onto a serving plate. Serve immediately with a dusting of cocoa and powdered sugar.
Vin Brulé
Ingredients
- One bottle of full-bodied Red Wine
- 1 4” Cinnamon stick
- 8 Cloves, whole
- Peel of 1 untreated Orange
- Peel of half an untreated Lemon
- 6 oz Brown Sugar
- Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
Method
- Place all ingredients in a pan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring constantly so the sugar dissolves. Simmer for a couple of minutes, then take off the heat. Brave souls can now attempt to set the surface of the wine alight to burn off the alcohol, but the wine is also perfectly good without this last step. Strain off spices and peel and serve hot in tall glasses.
- Let cool before cutting.
October 2013
Primi~ First Course
Tagliatelle Con Zafferano ~ Thin Pasta With Saffron
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 400 g Tagliatelle
- 400 g Baby peas
- 30 g Tuscan extra virgin olive oil
- 0.05 g Saffron
- 1 Onion
- Salt
Method
-
On a low heat, fry the peas with the finely chopped onion in extra virgin first cold pressed oil for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, dissolve the saffron in a pan of sea-salted water and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta. Optional, add a half pat of unsalted butter to the peas. Add the pasta to the pan with the peas and onions and mix thoroughly and serve.
Secondi~ Second Course
Coniglio In Umido ~ Stewed Rabbit & Pappardelle Pasta
Number of servings (yield): 6
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil + 1 Tbsp
- 1 Rabbit, cut into pieces (approx. 3- 3 ½ lbs)
- 1 Onion
- 1 Carrot
- 1 Celery stalk
- 1 branch fresh Rosemary
- 1 Bunch fresh Parsley
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1 lb Ground Pork
- 2 Chicken Livers, whole
- 1 glass Red Wine
- 2 lbs Peeled Tomatoes
- 1 lb Tomato Puree
- Pappardelle pasta
Method
- Put the rabbit in cold water for 6 hours. Heat 1 cup olive oil in a large pot and lightly brown the rabbit pieces, stirring to brown evenly.
- Separately, chop the carrot, onion, celery, parsley and rosemary. In a saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil and sauté the chopped vegetables until the onion is transparent. Add the ground beef, pork and whole chicken livers and sauté until browned.
- Add the vegetable-ground meat mixture to the pot with the rabbit and add salt and pepper to taste. Pour in the glass of wine and allow to evaporate over high heat.
- When the wine has evaporated and the meat starts to take on some color, add the peeled tomatoes, tomato puree and cook over low heat for at least 3 hours with the cover slightly open./li>
- Stir once in a while so it doesn’t stick.
- Boil sea-salted water and add Pappardelle pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain pasta and toss with the sauce obtained from the meat. Stir a minute or two and serve.
Peposo All’Imprunetina ~ Impruneta-Style Beef Stew
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb Beef Muscle
- 6 Cloves Garlic
- 3 mature Tomatoes
- Sage, Rosemary, Bay leaves for aroma
- Pepper
- Salt, to taste
- Chianti Red Wine, as needed
Method
- Cut the meat into pieces, not too small, and place in a large shallow pot. Peel the tomatoes and remove the seeds (this helps take out the acidity). Chop the garlic and tomatoes and add to the pot with the meat. Add the aromatic herbs, salt and pepper. Remember the name is Peposo, so be generous with the pepper. It should have at least a teaspoon.
- Cover everything with Chianti wine and cook over low heat for about 6 hours. Add water if needed, if it starts to dry out too much. Stir about every 15 minutes and add wine and pepper as needed.
Dolci~ Dessert
Castagnaccio ~ Chestnut Flour Cake
Number of servings (yield): 8
Ingredients
- 250g or 1/2 a pound chestnut flour
- 2-3 cups or 500-700ml of water
- 1/3 cup or 75g of raisins (pre-soaked in vin santo or white wine)
- 1/4 cup or 50g pine nuts
- 5 walnuts, peeled and ground
- 1 teaspoon of extra virgin first cold pressed olive oil
- 20-30 sprigs of rosemary
Method
- Pass the chestnut flour through a sieve.
- Add water to the flour, while mixing slowly. The batter should be soft and easily falls off the spoon. Normally 2 1/2 cups or 600ml is a good amount of water.
- Add the olive oil, pine nuts, walnuts and raisins then mix well together.
- Grease a baking pan or line with parchment paper and pour in the batter until it’s about 1cm thick (0.4 inches into the baking pan.
- Drop the rosemary springs on top of the batter and leave on top without mixing in.
- Bake at 400 Fahrenheit or 200 Celsius for 30-40 minutes. When the cake is baked, it will form little cracks on the top.
- Let cool before cutting.
September 2013
Antipasto ~ Appetizer
Verdure Grigliate E Marinate ~ Grilled and Marinated Vegetables
Number of servings (yield): 8
Ingredients
- 4 Eggplant, sliced lengthwise
- 2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
- Salt
- Olive oil
- Parsley, fresh chopped
- Garlic, either fresh chopped or garlic in oil
- Black Pepper
- Balsamic Vinegar
Instructions
- Heat grill, BBQ or grill pan.
- Place slices of eggplant and zucchini on the grill and sprinkle with salt.
- Do not oil the grill or the veggies; they should be dry.
- Grill for about 5-10 minutes turning the veggies over gently as they become golden.
- When veggies are golden on both sides, remove from the grill and set aside.
- In a serving plate, layer olive oil, slices of eggplant, fresh chopped parsley, garlic, black pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar.
- No salt is needed as the veggies are already salted from the grill.
- Repeat 1 or 2 more times depending on the depth of your plate.
- In a separate serving plate, layer zucchini the same way as the eggplant.
- Allow both dishes of zucchini and eggplant to absorb the flavors about a half hour before serving.
- Your may also store the vegetables in the fridge up to 1 week, and they become more flavorful each day.
- Serve as an antipasto or as a vegetable side dish.
Primi~ First Course
Pasta Con Rucola, Gamberi E Pomodorini~ Pasta with Arugula, Shrimp & Summer Tomatoes
A Positano favorite, and a healthy Mediterranean dish served with a chilled bottle of Falanghina.
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic
- 4 to 5 tbsp Virgin, First-Pressed Olive Oil
- 1 / 2 pound of fresh medium to large shrimp
- 1 /2 glass of local white wine
- 4 cups of cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1-1/2 cup Arugula
- 2 pinches of Sea Salt
Instructions
- In a frying pan, heat the olive oil until warm and then add garlic. Add shrimp. Add the 1/ 2 glass of white wine and let slow cook. Add tomatoes and continue to stew. At the very end, shut off the flame and add arugula.
- Meanwhile, cook your pasta in boiling salted water until ‘al dente’ to taste. Add the pasta to the sauce over the stove and fold in.
- Garnish each plate with a few leaves or fresh arugula and serve.
Dolci~ Dessert
Semifreddo Alla Pesca E Menta ~ Peach & Mint Ice Cream Cake
Courtesy of Chef Raffaele, Positano
Ingredients
- 3 Eggs
- 300 g of Mascarpone
- 300 g Whipped Cream
- 200 g Sugar
- 300 g Peaches, peeled and remove pit
- 10 Mint Leaves
- 50 g Vodka
Instructions
- Separate egg whites from the yolks. Save egg whites for later use. Whip the yolks with 100 g of sugar. When creamy, add mascarpone and mix for 10 seconds.
- Meanwhile, puree the peach with the mint leaves and vodka until smooth.
- Add peach puree to the mascarpone mixture, then fold in the whipped cream carefully so it does not deflate.
- In a separate bowl whip egg whites with the remaining sugar. Add this to the mascarpone mixture, always folding so the whites do not deflate.
- Place in molds and chill in the freezer for 24 hours. Remove 5 minutes before serving and garnish with a mint leaf.
Melody’s Vine Picks
With this month’s delicious recipes, learn what wines to serve for perfect pairings.
Antipasto ~ Appetizer
Insalata Di Gamberetti E Rughetta~ Shrimp & Arugula Salad
- A forkful of this fresh salad and a sip of this Fiano from Puglia, and you’ll be transported to a breezy old stone Masseria, farmhouse, surrounded by century-old olive trees and misty views of Puglia’s marvelous Adriatic sea off in the distance. Fresh pear, pineapple, toasted hazelnuts & honey aromas, along with a fresh taste yet balanced smoothness make this Fiano a perfect pairing.
Primi~ First Course
Pasta Con Crema Di Piselli ~ Pasta with Cream of Peas
- Pop open a bottle of this sparkling Riesling from Lombardy’s Oltrepo’ Pavese area for a wonderful pairing with the creaminess and aromatic herbs in Chef Clara’s spring pea pasta.
Dolci~ Dessert
Torta di Mele di Primavera ~ Spring Apple Yogurt Cake
Pair With
- Serve this cake slightly warm with a wide-rimmed coppa of sweet Moscato d’Asti. Just the right balance of sweetness to accompany the delicate flavors of this apple cake.
June 2013
Aperitivo ~ Aperitif
The Negroni
Since Milan is noted for its apertivo, cocktail time, we salute the master of the aperitivo, Gaspare Campari. He was the creator of Campari, the famous drink that dates back to 1860. His recipe contains more than 60 natural ingredients including herbs, spices, barks and fruit peels. Even today, the coveted recipe is still kept under lock and key. Originally from Torino, Mr. Campari moved to Milano and set up a chic bar just at the Duomo. Shake up your summer party with a Negroni from Milano and make it a smash!
Number of servings: 1
Ingredients
- 1 oz Gin
- 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
- 1 oz Campari, straight up/rocks
- Orange wedge for garnish
Instructions
- Combine gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari in an ice-filled glass
- Stir gently and garnish with an orange wedge
Antipasto ~ Appetizer
Insalata Di Gamberetti E Rughetta ~ Shrimp & Arugula Salad
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- ½ lb. Shrimp, cleaned
- 1 large bunch Arugula
- Curly Endive or Frisée, chopped
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Juice of 1 Lemon
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Boil the cleaned shrimp for 2-3 minutes, until light pink.
- Clean the arugula, discarding the thick stems, and keeping only the tender leaves.
- On a serving platter, spread a base of the chopped frisée.
- Next, spread the arugula leaves, then the boiled shrimp on top.
- When ready to serve, dress with olive oil, lemon juice and a pinch of salt to taste.
- Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Primi~ First Course
Pasta Con Crema Di Piselli ~ Pasta with Cream of Peas
Traditional Italian pasta with a fresh spring sauce made of peas, creamy cheese with aromatic herbs and tomatoes: my grandmother used to make it with the products of her vegetable garden, it’s one of my favorite vegetarian dishes of this season and it has the colors of the Italian flag! – Courtesy of Chef Clara, Milan. Cooking Classes At Home With Chef Clara ~ 5 Day
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb/400 gr Durum Wheat Short pasta (farfalle, fusilli etc.)
- 2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 ½ cups fresh Tomatoes, chopped
- 4 fresh Basil leaves, for garnish
Cream of Peas:
- 3 tbsp. Butter
- 1 small Onion, minced
- 10 oz Peas, freshly shelled or frozen
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 cup fresh Heavy Cream
- 2 fresh Basil leaves
Herb Cheese:
- 1 cup mixed fresh aromatic Herbs, minced (mint, basil, parsley etc.)
- 7 oz fresh creamy Cheese (ricotta, robiola etc.)
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
For the Cream of Peas:
- In a pan heat the butter, add the minced onion, cook for 10 minutes until soft.
- Add the peas with one cup of hot water, salt and pepper and cook covered over low heat for 20 minutes.
- Then transfer to the bowl of a food processor.
- Pour in the cream and 2 basil leaves and pulse until a smooth sauce consistency is obtained.
For the Herb Cheese and Pasta:
- Clean and mince the aromatic herbs.
- With a fork add herbs into a bowl with the cheese, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix well.
- Peel the fresh tomatoes, take the seeds away, cut the tomatoes into small cubes and let them drain in a colander for 10 minutes with a pinch of salt.
- Drop the pasta into boiling salted water and cook it for around 10 minutes (follow exact timing on the box)
- Drain the pasta in a colander then stir in the pea sauce and serve a portion on each plate.
- Add 1 spoonful of herb cheese over the pasta for each plate.
- Add 1 spoonful of tomato cubes next to the herb cheese.
- Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a basil leaf as a garnish.
Dolci~ Dessert
Torta di Mele di Primavera ~ Spring Apple Yogurt Cake
Very fresh taste, very light, very tasty but not heavy, perfect for the upcoming summer. –Courtesy of Chef Anna, Lombardy. Cooking With Anna On The Lakes Of Lombardy ~ 4 Day
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 Eggs, separated
- 1 1/3 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Plain Yogurt
- 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Apples, cut in cubes
- 1 1/3 tbsps Baking Powder
- Grated lemon zest
- 3 1/2 tbsps. Butter, melted and cool
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cover bottom and sides of cake pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk the yolks with the sugar and beat well.
- Add the yogurt, flour and chopped apples, baking powder, and grated lemons zest.
- Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form then fold gently into the mixture.
- Gently fold in the melted butter.
- Bake for 50- 60 minutes depending on your oven.
- Allow to cool slightly and serve.
March & April 2013
Antipasto ~ Appetizer
Asparagi Con Aceto Balsamico ~ Chargrilled Asparagus With Balsamic Vinegar
This makes a simple appetizer or an elegant side dish.
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 bunch, about 12 Asparagus spears, blanched
- 1 clove Garlic, whole
- Olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
- Balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Once cool, toss the blanched asparagus in a little olive oil with the garlic and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a griddle pan until extremely hot – you should see smoke rising, and grill the asparagus (discarding garlic) for 4 minutes, turning as necessary so it colors on all sides.
- Divide the asparagus between plates and garnish with a few drops of balsamic vinegar.
- Serve immediately.
Primi~ First Course
Spaghetti Cacio E Pepe ~ Cheese & Black Pepper Spaghetti
Courtesy of Chef Eugenio, Rome- Click for more information on Chef Eugenio’s One Day Cooking Classes & Market Tours
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1 bunch Fresh Basil
- 1 glass White Wine
- 12 oz. Spaghetti
- Black Pepper, as desired
- Pecorino Cheese, grated
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, add the olive oil, garlic and basil.
- Heat over medium until the garlic is blonde then pour in the white wine.
- Allow the wine to evaporate without stirring
- Remove the garlic and basil and discard and set the pan with flavored olive oil aside.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente.
- Drain and save a little of the pasta water.
- Pour the drained spaghetti into the flavored olive oil, and add in a generous amount of ground black pepper, the grated Pecorino cheese, and about a half a cup of the pasta water.
- Toss together for a moment or two over high heat to combine then serve hot.
- Variation: For a stronger flavor, you can add the pepper to the garlic and basil at the beginning with the olive oil.
Secondo~ Second Course
Arista Al Forno ~ Roast Loin Of Pork
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 leaves of Sage
- 4 sprigs of Rosemary
- Peel of ¼ Lemon
- Pinch of each- fine Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
- 1 2lb. Pork loin
- 2-3 tbsp. Extra-Virgin olive oil
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 1 glass dry White Wine
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F
- Finely chop the sage, rosemary and lemon peel, mix with the salt and pepper, and rub into the pork roast – you can also make long but shallow incisions on the surface of the meat to rub the herbs into.
- Place the roast in an baking pan with the olive oil (coat the pan and drizzle some on top of roast), and the garlic, and cook for about 1 ½ hours in the oven.
- Turn the roast and pour the wine over it.
- Increase temperature (to about 400°F) until the wine evaporates, approximately ten minutes.
- Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes before slicing and serve with its juices.
Dolci~ Dessert
Zia Domenica’s Lemon Cantucci Cookies
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- 5 cups Flour
- 1 1/2 cups Sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 5 tbsp Butter
- 1-2 small glasses of Limoncello
- Lemon zest
- Almonds (as you like)
- 1 Egg Yolk for glazing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F
- In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients except the almonds and egg yolk with a fork until well blended.
- When the ingredients are well blended, add the almonds.
- Roll the dough into a ball then divide it into 4 smaller balls.
- Make long flat logs and transfer to a parchment paper covered baking sheet.
- Press down gently with the palm of your hand to flatten them.
- Using a brush, coat rolls with the lightly beaten egg yolk.
- Cook for 20-25 minutes until they became golden brown.
- Let them cool down a bit, then on a cutting board, cut them diagonally into .5in thick slices.
- Place each cantuccini or slices back on the baking tray with one of the cut side up and toast.
- Let them cool down completely before serving.
Naples Accommodations
Boutque B&B
This 3-star charming B&B is set in the heart of Naples. It is conveniently located in wonderful Old town with picturesque Neapolitan alleyways and walking distance to the beach. Comfortable rooms, Italian bed linens and private ensuite baths make for a perfect stay. The hotel has an ideal location with close walking distance to Galleria Umberto, famous restaurants, landmarks and shopping. Then hotel serves daily Italian breakfast collaboration with the Nayman Café, included. A professional staff, wifi, daily maid service, and complimentary coffee and tea are available throughout your stay.
4 Star Boutique
5 Star Luxury
Capri Villa-Style Hotel
Capri Villa-Style Hotel:
Your accommodation is set in the heart of Anacapri. Each private room offers an ensuite private bath overlooking the sea and garden. Daily breakfast and maid service, wi-fi and air conditioning add to the modern comforts. Settle in to a true Caprese atmosphere with hues of blue, white and Mediterranean colors, an exotic flower garden and solarium.
Program Prices:
$2,995 per person, based on double occupancy. All taxes and Italian VAT included.
$2,495 price for non-writer companions, including all elements of the program except the Writer’s Studio. While your co-traveler is writing, there are many add-on activities to choose from.
$550 Single Supplement.
January & February 2013
Antipasto ~ Appetizer
Insalata Di Radicchio ~ Warm Radicchio Salad
Number of servings: 2
Ingredients
- 2 cups of small dried cannellini beans
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion
- A handful of parsley
- 2 oz. of pancetta or prosciutto
- 1 small head of radicchio, rinsed
- Sea salt to taste
- 1 fresh lemon
Instructions
- Start by soaking your dried beans overnight in water.
- When the beans are ready, drain and slow cook beans in a pot of water until soft.
- When the beans have finished cooking, drain.
- In a separate pan, sauté the onion in enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan, season with salt and cook until the onion is golden.
- Add the parsley, pancetta or prosciutto.
- Stir and add the beans.
- Add a little water to the pan if it dries out.
- Cut the rinsed radicchio into thin slices and place in a large bowl.
- Add the cooked beans and onion to the bowl.
- Stir.
- Add sea salt and lemon to taste and serve warm.
Secondo~ Second Course
Brasata al Barolo ~ Beef Braised In Barolo
This deliciously satisfying dish hails from the region of Piemonte, especially the area around Asti / Alba where Barolo is produced. You can of course, make this with another similar wine, but making it with Barolo and enjoying it along with a glass of the same is pretty much unbeatable.
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 kg rump roast or topside (in one piece)
- 2 oz pancetta, cut into strips
- 1 carrot, roughly chopped
- 2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- Sprig rosemary or thyme
- 1 large bay leaf
- Few cloves, juniper berries, black peppercorns in muslin bag (optional)
- 1 bottle Barolo
- 3 1/2 tbsps butter
- Splash of brandy
Instructions
- Using a small, sharp knife, cut little slits in the surface of the roast and insert the strips of pancetta.
- Place the meat in a large terracotta pot or casserole along with the chopped vegetables, garlic, herbs and the spices, if using, then pour in the Barolo.
- Cover and leave to marinade in the refrigerator for 24 hours, turning the meat every so often to ensure it marinades evenly.
- Once fully marinated, remove beef from wine and spices and pat dry.
- Melt the butter in a heavy casserole dish, and add the meat.
- Brown the beef on all sides over a medium-high heat then deglaze with a good splash of brandy, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
- Add all the marinade ingredients, bring to the boil then cook for about three hours over a medium heat.
- Once cooked, remove meat from pan and keep warm.
- Discard the herbs and spices then pass the sauce through a food mill, vegetables and all, adjust seasoning and cook over a medium heat until it reaches desired thickness.
- To serve, slice the beef, cover with sauce, and accompany with mashed potatoes or polenta. And, of course, a glass of Barolo.
Dolce ~ Dessert
Tiramisù
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 cups Mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 eggs, separated
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 7 oz. Savoiardi biscuits (ladies’ fingers)
- 3/4 cup coffee or coffee liqueur
- 1/2 cup chopped dark or milk chocolate and some dark cocoa powder for garnish
Instructions
- Beat the mascarpone and the cream together until well mixed.
- In another bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar, until the mixture is thick and pale.
- Gently fold in the mascarpone and cream, working slowly to keep the mixture light and fluffy.
- In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff then fold into the mascarpone mixture, mixing very lightly with a metal spoon.
- Dip the Savaiordi biscuits quickly in the coffee or liqueur and use them to line a rectangular serving dish.
- Spoon the mascarpone mixture over the biscuits, adding a layer of grated chocolate.
- Dip more biscuits into the coffee for the next layer and follow with the mascarpone mixture, topping with the grated chocolate.
- Cover dish with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge to ‘rest’ before eating the next day.
- Remove tiramisù from the fridge half an hour before serving and garnish with a fresh dusting of grated chocolate or cocoa powder.
3-Star By The Piazza Hotel ~ Positano, Italy
3-Star~ By The Piazza:
The 3-Star property accommodations includes rooms with a town and sea view balcony, ensuite private bath, in-room safe, mini-bar, hair dryers and air conditioning. There is a concierge, daily continental breakfast served in the common breakfast room is included, and free Wi-Fi internet in the common area are included. This property is just by the piazza and has an elevator.
Program Prices:
$2,695 per person, based on double occupancy in deluxe room with panoramic or sea view. Includes all taxes and Italian VAT.
$2,195 price for non-writer companions, based on double occupancy in deluxe room with panoramic or sea view, including all elements of the program except the Writer’s Studio. While your co-traveler is writing, there are many add-on activities to choose from.
$200 Single Supplement for petite room with garden view (no sea view). Only three of these rooms are available. Early booking is advised to secure these rooms.
$695 Single Supplement for deluxe room with panoramic or sea view.
December 2012
Recipes From Our Traveling Christmas Kitchen
Hop on the Cooking Vacations sled as we travel from the North to the South around the boot for a Christmas dinner that will dazzle your table!
Antipasto a Venezia ~ Appetizer in Venice
Raddicchio Rosso di Treviso al Forno ~ Roasted Radicchio Treviso-style
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ lb Radicchio Rosso
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Wash and cut radicchio in half or quarters.
- Pat dry and layer in an ovenproof dish.
- Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Set oven to broil and cook radicchio in upper half of the oven.
- Turn radicchio frequently or until it is tender yet slightly crispy on all sides.
- Serve hot.
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Primo in Toscana~ First Course in Tuscany
Pasta in Brodo ~ Pasta in Broth
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 large Onion, cut in quarters
- 1 medium Carrot, cut in 3 in. pieces
- 1 stick of Celery, cut in 3 in. pieces
- Salt
- 2 lbs. quality Beef cuts such as chuck, shoulder, rump and round, cut in medium sized pieces
- Fresh small Pasta, such as tortellini or cappelletti
Instructions
- In a large pot, add the vegetables and salt and fill to more than half with water.
- Cover and cook over medium heat, bringing the water to a boil.
- Once the water begins to boil, lower heat and add the beef cuts.
- Cook partially covered for about an hour.
- Remove meat pieces from the broth (this can be served alongside the broth, sliced thinly).
- Pour the broth through a strainer removing all the vegetables.
- In a separate pan, bring the broth or brodo back to a boil.
- Add your fresh pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until pasta floats to the surface of the broth.
- Ladle equal portions of pasta into bowls.
- Ladle the hot broth on top of the pasta, top with grated Parmesan.
Cooking time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Secondo nel Lazio ~ Second Course in Lazio
Agnello al Forno ~ Baked Lamb
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- 3 lb. Lamb, cut in pieces
- Salt
- Herbs, chopped (parsley, sage, thyme, marjoram, rosemary)
- 2-3 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup White Wine
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Place the pieces of lamb in a baking pan, add salt, chopped herbs, garlic, white wine, and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
- Allow to marinade for 1 hour.
- Bake covered with aluminum foil for about 1hr and 15-30 minutes depending on oven.
- Towards the end of the cooking time remove the foil and finish cooking until brown.
- Allow the lamb to rest before cutting.
- Serve warm!
Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Dolce in Campania~ Dessert in Campania
Struffoli ~ Christmas Fried Dough In Honey
Number of servings: 8
Ingredients
- 6 Eggs
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 4 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tbsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 lb Butter, room temperature
- 4 Vanilla Beans
- Vegetable Oil, enough to fill large pot halfway
- 12 oz. Honey
- 1 Candy Sprinkles, small jar
Instructions
- Whisk the eggs and pour them through a strainer to ensure they are mixed properly.
- Add sugar to eggs and mix immediately to prevent the sugar from burning the eggs.
- In a separate bowl add the flour and baking powder.
- Flake butter into the flour mixture.
- Split vanilla beans and scrape out the seeds and add them to the sugar/egg mixture.
- Pour into a mixer bowl and using a dough hook blend while slowly adding the flour.
- Let dough rest in a cool dry place.
- Roll out the dough into long 1/2-inch coils and cut 1/2-inch nuggets from the coils.
- Place them onto a baking pan.
- Put vegetable oil into a large pot and bring to 350° F or 180° C.
- Fry small quantities of the nuggets in the oil and when golden brown, place onto a baking pan lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- When all dough is fried, let it cool to room temperature.
- In a saucepan, heat the honey (not to a boil) and add small quantities of the fried dough to the pan.
- Stir lightly with a large slotted spoon.
- Remove from saucepan and place onto a serving plate and decorate with candy sprinkles.
Vin Brulé ~ Mulled Wine
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- One bottle of full-bodied Red Wine
- 1 4” Cinnamon stick
- 8 Cloves, whole
- Peel of 1 untreated Orange
- Peel of half an untreated Lemon
- 6 oz Brown Sugar
- Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a pan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring constantly so the sugar dissolves.
- Simmer for a couple of minutes, then take off the heat.
- Brave souls can now attempt to set the surface of the wine alight to burn off the alcohol, but the wine it also perfectly good without this last step.
- Strain off spices and peel and serve hot in tall glasses.
November 2012
Antipasti ~ Appetizers
Pappa Al Pomodoro ~ Tomato Bread Soup
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Garlic cloves, to taste
- 500 g or 1 lb of ripe Tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 lt or 4 ½ cups of clear Vegetable Broth (celery, carrot, onion, parsley, pinch of salt and pepper to taste)
- 300 g or 11 oz of dry homemade bread, diced into cubes
- Basil leaves, handful
- Sea Salt, to taste
- Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, blond the garlic in the extra virgin olive on low heat.
- Add the peeled and chopped tomatoes and a few basil leaves and let stew for 15 minutes.
- Slowly add the broth and then the diced bread to the mix.
- Cook for another 10 minutes.
- Turn off heat.
- Let stand for an hour.
- After an hour, stir the soup; the bread will have absorbed most of the liquid.
- Traditionally soup is served as is but for a smoother texture puree with a hand blender.
- Serve warm adding a few chopped basil leaves and a swirl of extra virgin olive oil on top.
- Pepper and salt to taste.
Primi~ First Courses
Tagliatelle Ai Funghi Porcini ~ Fresh Pasta With Porcini Mushroom Sauce
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- For the Pasta:
- 2 cups Unbleached Plain Flour
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 4 large Eggs (size 1)
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- For the sauce:
- 250g mushroom stalks (porcini or wild mushrooms), minced
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
- A sprig of nipitella or thyme, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- First, prepare the pasta.
- Combine the flour and salt directly on a large pastry board or work surface.
- Make a well in the center of the flour. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the oil and pour the mixture into the well.
- Gradually draw in the flour from the inside wall of the well with a fork, beating in the same direction. Use your free hand to protect the outside wall of flour until the wet mixture is well integrated with the flour.
- When the mixture becomes too stiff to work with a fork, use your hands to form it into a soft ball.
- With a pastry scraper, sweep up the flour left on the board and add it to the dough, discarding any dried-out pieces.
- Add enough of the flour to form a firm but very pliable dough.
- Using the heels of your hands, flatten the dough ball and knead it from the middle outwards, folding it in half after working it each time.
- Knead both sides, keeping a round shape; do not let it rest.
- Cover the dough with an inverted bowl or slightly damp tea towel.
- Leave it to rest for 15 minutes to 3 hours.
- When not handling the dough, keep it covered at all times.
- The pasta can then be flattened by rolling it through a pasta machine or rolled with a rolling pin into sheets before forming into the desired shape.
- For “Tagliatelle”, roll the sheet of pasta into a cylinder and cut slices as thick as you wish.
- Toss with a little extra flour to keep from sticking and set aside while you prepare the sauce.
- Prepare the Porcini mushroom sauce.
- Sauté the garlic and thyme, and when the garlic turns golden (do not let it brown) stir in
- the mushrooms.
- Cook over high heat until they give off their moisture, then reduce the heat and simmer.
- Stir in the tomato paste after about ten minutes, correct seasoning, and continue simmering until the sauce is done (the liquid will be much reduced and the mushroom bits will be very tender).
- Should it dry out while simmering, sprinkle it with dry white wine or broth.
- Meanwhile, cook the Tagliatelle in boiling salted water until al dente.
- Drain the pasta and add to the pan with the sauce. Toss together for a moment or two to combine, then serve hot.
- Notes: This sauce is wonderful over any kind of pasta or polenta (you may want to forgo grated Parmigiano here), and is also excellent as an antipasto, spread on crostini, which are thin, 1-1/2 inch diameter slices of very lightly toasted bread. This sauce can also be made with dried porcini: steep the porcini, about a packed half cup, in boiling water for 20 minutes or until they’ve expanded. Drain them, reserving the liquid, and mince them. High heat will not be necessary in this case; merely simmer them with the remaining ingredients, adding the water they steeped in after filtering it, because it may contain sand.
Secondi ~ Second Courses
Peposo ~ Chianti Wine-Braised Beef
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 2 lbs of lean Chianina beef, medium dices
- 5 cloves of Garlic
- Bundle of Sage and Rosemary sprigs
- Salt, to taste
- 20 grains of Black Pepper
- 1 lt. Chianti wine
- Tuscan bread, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 140° C/280° F.
- In a large oven-safe ceramic pot with cover, place the diced beef.
- Add unpeeled garlic cloves, herb bundle, salt and pepper.
- Cover with the wine and cook over moderate heat in oven until the meat is extremely soft, approximately 4 hours.
- The dish can also be cooked over the stove top on low heat.
- Toast the slices of bread in the oven or on the grill, pour the Peposo and serve immediately.
Dolci ~ Desserts
Torta di Mele ~ Apple Cake
Number of servings (yield): 8
Ingredients
- 1 cup Almonds, peeled and ground
- Lemon rind, grated
- 1/2 cup Sugar + 6 tbsp Sugar
- 6-8 medium Apples
- 10 ½ tbsp Butter
- 3 Eggs
- 1 1/3 cup Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170° C/340° F.
- In a small bowl mix the ground almonds with the grated lemon peel and the ½ cup of sugar.
- Peel the apples and cut them into quarters and then into thin slices.
- Melt the butter.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the 6 tablespoons of sugar; add the melted butter, the flour and the baking powder, and beat well.
- Pour the mixture into a cake tin lined with parchment paper.
- Press the sliced apples vertically into the mixture, pushing them right down into the pan (so they are covered). Sprinkle the mixture with the sugar, almond and lemon mix.
- Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 1 hour.
October 2012
Antipasti ~ Appetizers
Porcini Croccanti in Zuppa di Borlotti al Rosmarino ~ Crispy Porcini Mushroom and Rosemary Soup with Borlotti Beans
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- For the soffritto:
- 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Garlic clove
- About 5 sprigs of Parsley
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- Salt, to taste
- For the soup:
- 9 cups Water
- 10 oz. Fresh Borlotti Beans (dried can be substituted if fresh in unavailable)
- 1 ½ cup Potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 small Carrot
- 1 Celery Stalk
- ¼ medium Onion
- 1 fresh Rosemary sprig, about 10cm
- For the porcini crisps:
- 9 oz. fresh Porcini mushrooms
- Flour, for coating
- Olive oil, for frying
Instructions
- In a large pan, heat olive oil and add the garlic clove, parsley and tomato paste with a sprinkle of salt
- Sauté for a few minutes, until cooked thoroughly, then turn heat off
- In a separate pot, add the water, beans, potatoes, carrot, celery stalk, and onion
- Once the soup comes to a boil, lower the heat and allow to simmer for a minimum of 2 hours
- In the meantime, cut the procini mushrooms in slices of about ½ cm thick
- Coat in flour and in a pan with hot oil, fry procini slices until crispy
- Towards the end of the soup’s cooking time add the soffritto mixture and rosemary sprig to the soup
- Mix well and allow to continue simmering for 10 minutes
- Transfer the soup to a food mill or processor and puree the soup until smooth
- Serve soup hot in individual bowls placing a few “floating” porcini crisps with an addition swirl of extra virgin olive oil and fresh rosemary bundle for garnish
Borlengo Con Ragu’ Bianco, Parmigiano e Tartufo Scorzone ~ Borlengo (thin flatbread) with Pork Ragú, Parmesan Cheese, and Black Scorzone Truffles
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- For the borlengo:
- 1 ½ cups Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 ½ cup Water
- For the ragú:
- 3 ½ tbsp. Butter
- ¼ cup Celery, finely diced
- ¼ cup Carrots, finely diced
- ¼ cup White Onion, finely diced
- ¼ lb. Culatello – pork, upper thigh
- 1 Sage leaf
- 2 tbsp Salt
- ¼ cup White Wine
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- 3 oz Scorzone or other Black Truffle variety
Instructions
- For the borlengo:
- In a bowl, whisk the flour, salt, beaten egg, and oil
- While still whisking add the water a little at a time. Continue mixing for 10 minutes and then let dough rest for half hour
- It should be a thick but liquidy batter
- Heat a 24cm diameter pan, pour a few drops of oil in the center of the pan and with a paper towel spread it evenly on the bottom and sides
- Spoon just enough batter and to turn the pan immediately to coat a thin veil over the entire surface
- Flip the borlengo over after a few seconds
- Repeat until you’ve used all the batter, should make about 18 borlenghi.
- For the ragù:
- In a pan, warm the butter and sauté the celery, carrot, and onion
- As the soffritto cooks, dice the Culatello and add it to the pan with the sage leaf. Sautee on high heat until the moisture from the pork is evaporated
- Add the salt and wine and continue on high heat until the wine evaporates as well
- Serve the borlengo in three layers; lay one borlengo and then spoon the ragù, sprinkle Parmesan cheese and thin slices of the truffle
- Repeat three more times for each serving
Primi~ First Courses
Ravioli di Ricotta al Parmigiano, Scalogno e Balsamico ~ Ricotta Ravioli with Parmesan Cheese, Shallots, and Balsamic Reduction
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- For the pasta:
- 5 cup Flour
- 5 Eggs
- For the filling :
- 1 cup Sheep’s milk Ricotta
- 1 cup Cow’s milk Ricotta
- 1/3 cup of cooked Swiss Chard, squeeze to drain well and coarsely cut
- 1/3 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese (preferably aged 24 months)
- Nutmeg and Salt, to taste
- For the sauce :
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 1 large Scallion, diced finely
- 12 tbsp of medium thickness and acidity balsamic vinegar, or refined traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, which is not too sweet but with a modest amount of acidity. Otherwise the dish would not have enough freshness
- Salt, to taste
- 1/3 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese (aged 24 months)
- 1/3 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese (aged 4 years)
Instructions
- For the pasta:
- Mound the flour on a wooden board forming a hole in the middle
- Break the eggs into the hole, beat the eggs while adding the flour from the sides
- Mix all together until the dough is smooth
- Wrap the dough in plastic and set aside to rest for at least one hour.
- For the filling:
- Mix all the ingredients together until well incorporated
- Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until reasonably thin and then with a knife cut into squares of about 5 cm per side
- Spoon a small amount of filling on the center of each square
- Fold one side of the square over, forming a triangle
- For the sauce:
- Heat the butter in a large pan and sauté the scallion. When caramelized remove the pan from the heat and add the Balsamic vinegar, pinch of salt and thin slices of the 24 month old cheese
- Cook the ravioli in a large boil pot of water
- Once cooked, drain and transfer to the pan with balsamic sauce
- Put the pan back on the high heat and mix well so flavors blend well with the pasta
- Serve on hot plates and garnish with thin slices of the 24-month Parmigiano cheese
Secondi ~ Second Courses
Polenta Fluida All’olio Extra Vergine di Oliva, Parmigiano e Tartufo Bianco ~ Soft Stone Ground Polenta with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Parmesan and White Truffle
Number of servings: 8
Ingredients
- 12 ½ cup Water
- 2 tbsp Salt
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp of Polenta flour
- ¾ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- ½ cup + 2 ½ tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1.7 oz. Fresh White Truffle
Instructions
- Bring the water and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Slowly pour in the polenta, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
- Stir continuously for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Cook over a very low flame for another 40 minutes. Remember to stir often to prevent the polenta from sticking to the pan.
- When polenta is cooked, divide among ten plates, topping each serving with the Parmesan, olive oil and fresh white truffle.
- Serve hot.
Vitella Brasata al Vino Rosso con Purè e Cipolla Croccante ~ Braised Veal in Red Wine with Mashed Potatoes and Crispy Onions
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- braised veal:
- Six 1/2lb 14-16 month Veal Cheeks
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Kitchen twine
- Flour, as needed
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 1 Celery stalk, large dices
- 1 Carrot, large dices
- 1 medium Onion, large dices
- 1 Garlic clove
- 1 small Rosemary sprig
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 Sage leaves
- 1 bottle of Barbera wine or a full-bodied young red
- mashed potatoes:
- ½ lb. Potatoes
- 3 tbsp Butter
- ½ cup fresh Milk
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- Salt
- onions crisps:
- 2 medium Red Onions
- ½ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Flour, as needed
Instructions
- Season the veal with salt and pepper.
- Roll and securing tie with kitchen twine.
- Dust each cheek with a little flour.
- In a pan, melt butter and brown the meat well.
- Once cooked add all the vegetables and herbs. Continue to cook for another 10 minutes and then add the red wine.
- Cover the pan and cook on a low heat for about 3 hours.
- Sieve the pan juices and set aside.
- For the potatoes:
- Place the potatoes in a saucepan with cold water and cook until reasonably soft; add salt, peel, and chop into small pieces and place in a pre-heated oven at about 100°C or 210°F for 10 minutes.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter with the milk.
- Mash the potatoes and add them to butter-milk mixture, add the Parmesan cheese and salt.
- Whisk until you have the desire consistency.
- For the onions:
- Slice onions into circles and place into a bowl of water.
- Drain and drench with flour and fry in hot oil.
- Remove the veal from the pan and discard the string.
- Place on a serving plate and decorate with piped mashed potatoes, pour the veal drippings on the veal and potatoes.
- Place the fried onions on the veal and serve.
Dolci ~ Desserts
Tegola di Cioccolato e Maltritato di Caffè con la sua Riduzione ~ Layered Dark Chocolate and Coffee Cake with Coffee Reduction
Number of servings: 8
Ingredients
- For the filling:
- 3 Eggs
- ½ cup Sugar
- ½ cup Single Cream (about 35% fat)
- 7 oz. Dark Chocolate 70%, chopped into pieces
- 1/3 cup Coffee Beans, coarsely chopped or smashed with a meat pounder
- Plain Sponge Cake, 2 slices of 3cm thick
- ½ cup Milk
- 4 tsp Espresso Coffee
- ¼ Brown Sugar
- For the coffee sugar wafers:
- 1 cup Sugar
- 4 tsp Water
- 3 ½ tbsp Coffee beans
- For the coffee reduction:
- 1/3 cup Espresso Coffee
- 4 tbsp Sugar
Instructions
- One day in advance:
- Separate the egg yolk from the white.
- Whisk the egg whites to soft peak and keep in the fridge until ready to use.
- In a bowl, beat the yolks with the sugar until the mixture is frothy.
- Add the cream and continue to mix.
- Melt the chocolate in “bain marie,” when the chocolate has melted add the yolk mixture and mix over the boiling water until fully incorporated and begins to thicken.
- Add 2/3 of the ground coffee beans.
- Cool slightly and fold in the egg whites.
- Line loaf pan with plastic wrap and press a layer of the sponge cake.
- In a small bowl mix the milk and 4 tsp of espresso coffee.
- With a brush lightly soak the cake with the coffee-milk mixture.
- Pour the chocolate-egg custard into the pan and cover with the second layer of sponge cake.
- Place in the fridge overnight.
- The following day:
- In a saucepan heat 1 cup of sugar and water and when light brown add the remaining smashed coffee beans.
- Pour on a sheet of parchment paper in 15cm diameter wafers.
- Allow to cool and harden.
- For the coffee reduction:
- Reduce 1/3 cup of espresso coffee on low heat and add 4 tbsp of sugar.
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator and unmold on a serving platter.
- Remove the plastic wrap and cut into slices.
- Layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle with brown sugar.
- Places slices under the broiler until sugar caramelizes.
- Place a wafer in the middle of the serving plate. Transfer a slice on the wafer and garnish with the coffee reduction and additional coffee beans.
September 2012
Antipasti ~ Appetizers
Pizzette di San Gennaro ~ St. Gennaro Mini Pizzas
Celebrating the feast day of San Gennaro, one of Italy’s most famous Saint’s days, these little Pizzas in honor of the saint are tasty little bites. This is a recipe that Neapolitanos eat on the feast of St. Januarius or San Gennaro on September 19. Buona Festa!
Number of servings: 8
Ingredients
- Dough
- pinch of Sugar
- 1/2 cup Water, lukewarm
- 1 tspn Dry Yeast
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tspn Salt
- 2 cups Flour
- Topping
- 3 large Tomatoes (or 5 small)
- 4 Anchovies (optional)
- 1/4 cup Green Olives
- 1 tspn Oregano, fresh
- freshly Ground Pepper
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the pinch of sugar with the water, sprinkle the yeast on top and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Add the olive oil and salt.
- Pour the yeast mixture in a large bowl with the flour.
- Work the ingredients into a smooth dough.
- Let the dough rise for about 1 hour in a warm spot.
- Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Roll out the dough thinly and cut out circles about 3 inches (8 cm) in diameter.
- Brush each circle with oil and place on an oiled baking sheet.
- Slice the tomatoes and arrange on the circles with the anchovy fillet and the green olives.
- Sprinkle with the fresh oregano and some freshly ground pepper and brush with oil. (Dried oregano may be used if fresh is not available.)
- Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Primi~ First Courses
Pasta con Fagioli e Moscardini ~ Pasta with Beans and Octopus
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ medium Onion, diced
- handful of Parsley, finely chopped
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 1 Carrot, diced
- 1/2 Celery stalk, diced
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- 1 lb. of Musky (or Moschatus) Octopus, cleaned, washed, cut into rings and small pieces
- ½ cup White Wine
- 2 ½ cups Tomatoes, diced into small pieces
- 14 oz. Cannellini Beans, cooked
- Fresh Maltagliati pasta or other small flat-shaped pasta like lasagna
Instructions
- Heat a large pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil; add onion, parsley, garlic, carrots, and celery and sauté with a bit of salt and pepper.
- After a few minutes, as soon as the ingredients begin caramelizing, add the octopus and white wine cooking for a few minutes until most of the wine has evaporated.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and mix with the octopus for 2-3 minutes, then add the beans and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Cook the pasta (maltagliati) in a large pot of boiling salted water.
- As soon as the pasta floats to the surface remove and slightly drain, but not too much.
- Add the pasta to the pan with the beans and octopus, and cook together for a few minutes.
- Transfer to a clay bowl (terracotta) and finish it off with 2 leaves of fresh basil.
Secondi ~ Second Courses
Filetti di Baccala’ Fitti ~ Fried Cod Fillets
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 10 oz. Baccalà (salted cod) in pieces, bones and skin removed and previously soaked to remove salt
- 1 cup Flour, plus additional for coating
- 3 ¼ tsp Dry Yeast
- Sparkling Water or Beer, as needed
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, for frying
Instructions
- With a paper towel pat dry the fillets of cod.
- In a bowl add the flour and yeast.
- Pour sparkling water or beer a little at a time until thick, stir with a whisk until smooth and no lumps remain.
- Let it rest covered for at least an hour (preferably longer), it is ready when a layer of bubbles forms on the surface.
- Fill a large pan with enough olive oil to reach half way up the pan.
- Heat it over medium-high.
- Cut the fillet into strips about 3 cm wide and about 10 cm long.
- First coat each strip with flour and dip them in the batter (a few at a time) and then drop them in the hot oil.
- Let them fry until golden, drain with a slotted spoon and place in a tray with absorbent paper.
- Transfer the fillets in a shallow dish and serve hot.
Zucchine Gratinate al Forno ~ Zucchini Au Gratin
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 4 small Zucchini
- Salt, as needed
- 3 tbsp Breadcrumbs, plus additional as needed
- 1 tbsp Parmesan Cheese
- 1 Egg
- handful of fresh Parsley, Oregano, and Basil, chopped finely
- 1 Garlic clove, minced
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as needed
- 10 Cherry Tomatoes, chopped into quarters
Instructions
- Preheat oven 180 ° C or 350° F
- Wash the zucchini, remove ends and cut into thin julienne strips.
- Place them in a platter and sprinkle with salt and leave for 1 hour.
- Rinse to remove the salt and squeeze zucchini gently to extract water.
- In a bowl add breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, egg, herbs, and garlic.
- Drizzle oil until the mixture is creamy, sprinkle with salt.
- Add the zucchini strips and tomatoes, mix thoroughly.
- Prepare a baking dish with a sheet of parchment paper.
- Layer the breaded zucchini tomato mixture, patting down in an even level.
- Cook for about 15 minutes in the oven or until top is golden.
Dolci ~ Desserts
Cheescake di Ricotta e Cioccolata ~ Ricotta and Chocolate Italian Cheesecake
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cup Chocolate Biscotti, crushed
- 10 ½ tbsp Butter, softened
- 1 cup Ricotta
- 3 tbsp Sugar
- ¼ cup Dark Chocolate, chopped into small pieces
- ½ cup of Dark Chocolate, melted and cooled
- 2 tbsp Ground Hazelnuts
- 1 cup Heavy Cream, whipped to stiff peaks
Instructions
- In a bowl thoroughly mix the biscotti and butter.
- In a serving dish lined with plastic wrap add an even layer of the biscotti butter mixture, pressing gently. Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
- For the second layer, in a bowl, mix ricotta, sugar, chocolate pieces, ground hazelnuts.
- Layer it over the biscotti crust.
- In a separate bowl fold the melted dark chocolate into the whipped cream.
- Layer over the ricotta mixture.
- Refrigerate for 3-4 hours
August 2012
Antipasti ~ Appetizers
Oven-Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 500g ripe Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- 1 tsp Sugar to taste
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- Few sprigs fresh Herbs (thyme, oregano, basil)
- 1 clove Garlic, slivered if you like
- Olive Oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/ 350°F.
- Place tomatoes on a rimmed baking tray cut side up, sprinkle with the salt and sugar, tuck the herbs and garlic among the tomatoes then drizzle with a little olive oil.
- Roast for about 45 minutes, or until tomatoes begin to caramelize around the edges.
- You can either, eat them immediately, or let them cool, stack into a glass Bell jar, add garlic, thyme and fill with olive oil.
Roasted Stuffed Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 6 large sun ripe Tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cup of 93% lean chopped Sirloin
- 1 hearty handful of Parsley
- Olive oil
- Sea salt, to taste
- Ground Black Pepper, to taste
- 1 handful of Black Olives pitted
- ¼ cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Take 3 large sun ripe tomatoes. Cut in half and core out the insides putting the pulp aside in a bowl.
- Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
- Lay out the tomatoes on the cookie sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes.
- Take the bowl of tomato pulp and add the chopped sirloin, chopped parsley, sprinkle a couple of light swirls of olive oil, a couple pinches of sea salt and cracked black pepper, black chopped olives, Parmesan cheese, sea salt and pepper.
- Mix well.
- Remove the tomato halves and spoon in the mix. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Primi~ First Courses
Italian Summer Cous Cous
Ingredients
- 1 Carrot
- 1 Green squash
- 1 Onion
- 1 Red pepper
- 1 Clove of Garlic
- 1 tsp of Capers (set in water prior to remove the salt)
- Parsley
- Sea salt
- Extra Virgin first cold pressed olive oil
Instructions
- Wash all the vegetables and chop into small pieces. Chop a healthy handful of parsley and put it aside. Boil 2 cups of water, when it reaches boiling, add one cup of cous cous, stir well and turn off heat and cover.
- Meanwhile, warm up a bit of olive oil, just coating the pan, with a clove of garlic.
- Add the chopped vegetables, a ¼ cup of water if veggies seem dry, and let simmer.
- You can eventually remove the garlic.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- As soon as the cous cous is ready add it to the pan of the vegetables and stir, mixing it well and so the vegetables are gently tossed.
- Add the parsley, toss it around and serve.
Secondi ~ Second Courses
Grilled Shrimp On Lemon Leaves
Ingredients
- 10 big pink Shrimp you can peel, but if you want better flavor keep the tails and skin on.
- Sea Salt
- Extra virgin first cold pressed Olive Oil
Instructions
- Wash the shrimp well, and devein.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then lay the lemon leaves down and put the shrimp on top.
- Drizzle with olive oil and little sea salt.
- Lay a piece of aluminum foil over the shrimp lightly without tightening it to the pan.
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or on a grill.
Dolci ~ Desserts
Rose Prosecco & Pink Rose Petal Pops
Ingredients
- 1 cup White Grape Juice, preferably organic
- 1 cup cold Pink Berlucchi Prosecco
- 1/3 cup Rose Water
- 1 1/2 tsp freshly squeeze Lemon Juice
- about 30 pink Rosebud Petals, organic and rinsed
Instructions
- Mix the white grape juice, rose Prosecco, rose water and lemon juice, and either serve in a flute glass or fill ice pop molds about a third full.
- Drop 2 or 3 rose petals in each and freeze until set, about 30 minutes.
- Fill the molds another third of the way full and drop 2 or 3 more petals in.
- Insert sticks, and let freeze until set.
- Salute!
July 2012
Antipasti ~ Appetizers
Marie Lucia’s Fiori di Zucchine Fritti ~ Fried Zucchini Flowers
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 12 zucchini flowers (clean and de-stem the center)
- 1 ½ cup of flour
- 1 ¾ cup sparkling water
- Sea salt, to taste
- Fresh black ground pepper, to taste
- Garlic powder, to taste
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 liter of canola oil, for frying
Instructions
- Clean the flowers and de-stem the inside.
- In a bowl, mix the flour and sparkling water until the mixture is the consistency of a loose pancake batter. Add the sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder and baking powder mix very well.
- Dip each flower into the batter and gently deep fry in hot canola oil until they float to the top and are golden brown.
- After frying place on brown paper, sprinkle with sea salt and mangia!
Brioche Salata~ Savory Brioche
Ingredients
- For the Dough:
- 3 ¼ cup Flour ‘00’
- 4 Fresh Eggs
- 7 tbsp Butter
- 5 ¼ tbsp Brewer’s Yeast
- ½ cup Milk
- A pinch of Salt
- For the Filling:
- ½ cup Baked Smoked Ham, diced
- ½ cup Salami, diced
- ½ cup Fontina cheese, diced
Instructions
- Place the flour on the pastry board, preferably wooden, and create a hole in the center.
- Break the eggs and butter in to the hole along with the brewers’ yeast, the milk and the salt.
- Mix together until you have a uniform dough.
- When the mix is well combined put the baked smoked ham, salami and the Fontina cheese inside and mix with your hands.
- Pour the mixture into a bunt pan, lined with butter and flour, and place in the oven for 45 minutes at 180°C (350°F).
Primi~ First Courses
Pasta Al Fresco
Number of servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 bulbs of fresh fennel, depending on size
- 200 g (7 oz) of De Cecco Penne Rigate Kamut
- Sea Salt
- Extra virgin first-cold-pressed lemon olive oil
- Extra virgin first-cold-pressed olive oil
- 3 chili peppers
Instructions
- Clean the fennel and slice into thin pieces about ¼ inch thick.
- Line a piece of foil in a pizza pan and drizzle with extra virgin first-cold-pressed olive oil.
- Spread the fennel on the foil, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Let it roast in an oven at 325°F for 20 minutes or more until golden brown.
- When baked golden, remove from oven.
- Boil a big pot of water with a pinch of salt.
- Toss in the pasta and boil until al dente. Simultaneously heat up a little lemon olive oil with three small chili peppers, add the cooked fennel. Take two generous ladles of pasta water and add to the fennel.
- Drain pasta and add to the pan of fennel.
- Toss ingredients until the pasta and fennel are mixed.
- Serve immediately.
Pasta Con Vongole, Fiori di Zucca e Zucchine ~ Pasta With Clams, Zucchini & Zucchini Flowers
Number of servings: 2
Ingredients
- 3 zucchini (4 or more if they are the very small thin ones)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 chili peppers
- Extra virgin first-cold-pressed olive oil
- Sea salt
- 6 squash flowers, take off the thorns that grow around the outside; and remove the stamens from the male flowers (the center part full of pollen) and pistils from the female ones.
- 200 g (7 oz) Linguine pasta
- 2 cups (or more if you like more clams) of vongole
Instructions
- Take your zucchini, wash well, and slice into thin ¼ disks.
- In a sauté pan, warm up the olive oil, two to three cloves of pressed garlic, 2 chili peppers and salt to taste.
- Slowly stir up the ingredients, keeping the heat very low.
- When the garlic is blond, remove it and add the zucchini.
- Add a half cup of water to the pan and cover.
- Meanwhile fill a giant pan with water, salt to taste and let the water boil.
- Keep an eye on the zucchini and add water if the pan gets too dry.
- When the squash are soft and cooked, add the vongole and cover.
- Continue to cook on medium heat until the clams open.
- When the pasta is almost cooked, al dente, add the torn squash flowers to the sauté pan and cover. Take a ladle (or two if on the dry side) of pasta water and add it also to the sauté pan.
- When the clams open you can turn heat off.
- Drain the pasta and add to the sauté pan.
- Stir and serve.
- *A note on Fiori di Zucca, Squash Flowers: The female flower grows golden blossoms attached right to the actual zucchini, squash. The male flowers grow onto the plant and they do not grow any fruit at all. Male flowers tend to be bigger and both are edible. The female have pistils and the male flowers have stamens, both are located in the center of the flower and should be removed before cooking.
Secondi ~ Second Courses
Tonno Scottato ~ Seared Tuna
Number of servings: 2
Ingredients
- Two lean slices of fresh tuna
- Extra virgin first-cold pressed olive oil
- Sea salt
- Arugula
- Lemon
- Sea Salt
- Aged Balsamic Vinegar
Instructions
- Wash three handfuls of Arugula and dry well.
- Place in the center of a plate and pile high.
- Take a sauté pan and drizzle enough extra virgin first cold pressed olive oil to lightly coat the pan, and heat over medium.
- Add the tuna slices and let cook for a couple minutes on each side until you see the very outer layer only turn pink.
- Salt to taste.
- Remove and let cool a couple minutes.
- Place the tuna from bottom to top on the bed of Arugula keeping its pyramid shape.
- Drizzle with olive oil and aged Balsamic vinegar.
Dolci ~ Desserts
Ciliegie Sotto Spirito ~ Black Cherries in Liquor
Makes one jar
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound of organic dark cherries
- 1/3 cup of sugar, I use the dark turbinado sugar
- 2 cups of 100% grain alcohol or vodka can be used
- 1/2 cup of rum
- Zest of 1 lemon or orange. Peel the fruit like a potato without getting any white pith.
Instructions
- Choose dark, firm, unblemished cherries. Remove the stems and rinse them with cold water. Dry well. Place cherries in a large, airtight glass jar fitted with a secure rubber gasket cover.
- Add the orange zest and sugar, then cover with spirito and rum. Close the jar tight and shake. Keep the jar in a cool dry place and shake it around every day. After about 6 to 8 weeks, separate the fruit from the juice.
- Prepare a simple syrup by dissolving 1 cup of sugar with 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water, to taste (or to taste) in a medium saucepan. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat and allow to cool. After the syrup is cool, place in the fridge for an hour or o until very cold, and add the fruit back into the juice.
- Leave aside for 2 months.
- Aside from eating the ‘drunken’ cherries, you can use the cherry-alcohol over ice cream, fruit salad, pound cake, as a bath for sponge cakes, a cherry or fruit tiramisu’.
Vino Con Pesche Bianche E Gialle ~ White Wine With White & Yellow Peaches
Number of servings: 4
Instructions
- Yellow and white peaches have made their way onto the summer scene in Italy.
- And if you like fresh peaches served simple, cut them into thin slices and add to a glass pitcher.
- Pour a cold bottle of Falanghina, the choice on the Amalfi Coast (let sit a few hours so the peaches soak in the wine, while Venetians sip a sweet blend of pureed peaches and Prosecco for their classic Bellini!
Positano Accommodations
Secret Garden – 4 Star Villa Suites
4 Star Villa Suites:
The Villa Suites offer individual private suites set between the Mediterranean Sea and a flowering Positano garden complete with private bath, kitchenettes (available in select suites), a private terrace and sea view. Each suite is designed and decorated with Mediterranean style and colors, and is furnished with comfortable modern bedding and Italian linens. Decor is minimalistic with Amalfi Coast colors of cerulean blue and pure white. Elegant, private and super luxurious are just a few words that describe the 4 Star Villa Suites. Check in and enjoy daily maid service, in-room safe, hair dryers, Wi-Fi internet and air conditioning. This is a private villa without a common kitchen and breakfast is not included. An English-speaking concierge is on site to assist you during your stay. Set in the heart of Positano, the exclusive Villa Suites is steps away from the beach, restaurants, shops and enotecas.
Program Prices:
Please call for pricing as rates vary depending on your activities in a B&B, 3, 4 or 5 star or villa suite accommodation from garden to sea view.
Secret Garden – 3 Star Deluxe
3-Star Deluxe
The 3-Star property accommodations includes rooms with a sea view and balcony, ensuite private bath, in-room safe, mini-bar, hair dryers and air conditioning. There is a concierge, daily breakfast served in the common breakfast room and terrace are included, and free internet on the common terrace.
Program Prices:
Please call for pricing as rates vary depending on your cooking classes and activities in a B&B, 3, 4 or 5 star or villa suite accommodation from garden to sea view.
Secret Garden – 3 Star By The Piazza
3-Star~ By The Piazza:
Ideally situated in the center of town steps to the Piazza, this family-owned and managed hotel offers beautiful views over the village and Port of Positano. Each bedroom is decorated with Mediterranean tiles cool blues, white and greens and attractively decorated with linens and and has a private bathroom, hairdryer, safe, refrigerator and air conditioning. Breakfast is served in the breakfast room each morning, and daily maid service is provided for your convenience. There is also a caffè bar and a Wi-Fi hotspot for guests’ use.
Program Prices:
Please call for pricing as rates vary depending on your cooking classes and activities in a B&B, 3, 4 or 5 star or villa suite accommodation from garden to sea view.
[/imgMenu]
4-Star Deluxe:
Situated in a historical palazzo dating back to the 1600’s, our 4-star boutique accommodations blends old world charm with modern comforts. Each bedroom is bright, decorated in attractive Mediterranean hues of blue and white, cool tile floors and has a private ensuite bathroom, hairdryer, safe, refrigerator and air conditioning – just steps from restaurants and shopping. Sweeping views from rooms and from the terrace reserved for all guests. Breakfast is served in the breakfast room each morning, and daily maid service is provided for your convenience. There is also a Wi-Fi hotspot for guests’ use.
Program Prices:
Please call for pricing as rates vary depending on your cooking classes and activities in a B&B, 3, 4 or 5 star or villa suite accommodation from garden to sea view.
Secret Garden – 4 Star By The Piazza
4-Star:
The 4-Star hotel is set looking out over the sea in the center of town. All the rooms are elegant, bright and decorated with Amalfi coast ceramic tiles in azure blues, lemon yellows and the natural cool colors of the Amalfi Coast. Each room has a sea view window or balcony and is fully equipped private bathroom, hairdryer, air conditioning, safe, direct-line telephone, Wi-Fi Internet, mini-bar, and Satellite TV. Every morning International buffet breakfast is included with cappuccino, fresh Italian croissants, pastries, cereal and fresh fruit to satisfy any international palate. The hotel’s beach-side sister property also invites guests to take advantage of its restaurant & snack bar. The knowledgeable staff are available 24 hours to answer questions, give advice and assistance.
Program Prices:
Please call for pricing as rates vary depending on your cooking classes and activities in a B&B, 3, 4 or 5 star or villa suite accommodation from garden to sea view.
Secret Garden – 4 Star With Swimming Pool
4-Star With Pool:
The 4-Star With Pool hotel is set in a beautiful part of town looking out over the sea. All the rooms are elegant, light and decorated with Amalfi coast ceramic tiles in azure blues and whites. The hotel terraces offer an unforgettable view over the bay and the town, with lemon trees and bougainvillea adding a magical touch of color. The infinity pool, set in the cliffs above the sea, is a place of utter tranquility and seemingly gives straight onto the Tyrrhenian sea below. There is also a small wellness area with a Turkish bath and gym equipment for guests’ use. The knowledgeable staff are available 24 hours to answer questions, give advice and assistance.
Program Prices:
Please call for pricing as rates vary depending on your cooking classes and activities in a B&B, 3, 4 or 5 star or villa suite accommodation from garden to sea view.
Secret Garden – 5 Star By The Sea
5-Star By The Sea
Our exclusive 5-Star By The Sea Property enjoys a privileged location just a few steps from the sea, and features a restaurant, brasserie, bar and a seawater pool. Rooms have every convenience, and are furnished in Mediterranean style, with comfortable beds, and a large bathroom with shower finished in hand-painted ceramic tiles.
All rooms face directly over the beach or sea, with a private outdoor area complete with table and two chairs offering breathtaking views over the beach and sea – perfect for enjoying the unique panorama of Positano. Every morning breakfast is served in a beautiful room framed with bougainvilleas, offering an enchanting view of the sea and the pastel colors of Positano.
A selection of juices, coffees and teas accompany the homemade pastries served each morning. There is an internet point with free Wi-Fi and the knowledgeable staff are available 24 hours to give advice and offer every assistance.
Program Prices:
Please call for pricing as rates vary depending on your cooking classes and activities in a B&B, 3, 4 or 5 star or villa suite accommodation from garden to sea view.
Secret Garden – 5 Star By The Piazza
5-Star By The Piazza:
Our distinguished 5-Star Property By The Piazza property, located just a few steps from Positano’s main piazza, offers every possible comfort to guests looking for an unforgettably luxurious stay. Each room is unique, decorated with a stylish combination of antique and contemporary furnishings, with bathrooms made of marble and handmade tiles, most offering a whirlpool bathtub. Luxury linens and bath products add a special touch and the evening turn down service includes a special Italian chocolate for each guest. Rooms offer views over the inner courtyard or you can upgrade to room with small or French balcony with views over the village. Enjoy the very best Mediterranean food at the hotel’s gourmet restaurant, soak up the sun by the pool or book a relaxing treatment at the Spa.
Program Prices:
Please call for pricing as rates vary depending on your cooking classes and activities in a B&B, 3, 4 or 5 star or villa suite accommodation from garden to sea view.
June In Italy
Fresh Recipes, Kitchen Ideas, Food News & Fun Things To Do In Sunny Italy
My first visit of the season to Capri always takes my breath away! And Friday night was no different. The occasion,- a very special invitation to Capri Palace Hotel & Spa for the inauguration of their wine dinner series at the 5 star deluxe property in Anacapri.
Executive Chef Andrea Migliaccio at the 2 Michelin Star Ristorante L’ Olivo welcomed Chef Paolo Barrale del Ristorante Marenna, for the L’Olivo DiVino-Grandi etichette e chef a confronto a La Dolce Vite, the summer series of wine dinners at the Capri Palace & Spa.
The evening started at 7:30pm in the property’s wine cellar, La Dolce Vita, with Antonio Capaldo president of Feudi di San Gregorio. He explained the story of the property, the wines being showcased, then corks popped and spumanti white and brut rose DUBL were passed. Mignon stuzzichini, small bites of shrimp on a skewer laid over fresh pea salad, raw scallops served in tables spoons topped with sea urchins and crunchy sea salt along with filo dough tubes stuffed with eggplant were served accompanying the first tasting of wine.
The menu intertwined the two Chef’s interpretations on classics with a twist. The first course, a fresh spring salad, was prepared by Chef Migliaccio. Palamita marinata e lingua di vitello salmistrata, fave, piselli cipollotti, pancetta e caviale,-local marinated fish laid on a salad of fresh fava beans, peas and onion bed layered with thinly sliced pieces of veal served on an elongated transparent plate was served with Feudi di San Gregorio’s Companaro 2010.
Chef Barrale’s risotto followed blending riso, manteca, colatura di alici e the affumicato, a white risotto with fish oil and smoked black tea powder, served with Sirica 2008.
The main course included, Braciola di bufala con involtino di scarola e calzoncini fritti, thinly sliced buffalo rolled with escarole and pine nuts served with an Italian dumpling, prepared by Chef Migliaccio paired with Taurasi Riserva Piano di Montevergine 2004.
A pre dessert included a semi-frozen rose fruit juice with a layer of ice that held up one strawberry that was topped with cream.
Chef Barrale prepared caffe e nocciola a semifreddo or half frozen ice cream stuffed in an meringue tube shell paired with a Privilegio 2012, a sweet rose colored dessert wine.
A delicate dessert tray ended the dinner filled with mignon cannoli, chocolate truffles, macarons, brioche. And lastly an elegant carozza, carriage of exotic plants, including mint, sage, basil was hand cut by the tea maker and each guest was able to select their own herbs. The guests dined on until after midnight in great company!
A special thanks to Chef Andrea Migliaccio and Marita Rivas of the Capri Palace Hotel & Spa! Grazie Mille for an extraordinary evening!
When you are in Anacapri, treat yourself to an unbelievable experience,
The Capri Palace & Spa, www.capripalace.com
Lauren
Table Talk
There’s so much to love about Italy in spring – the days becoming longer, gray skies turning blue, the chatter of busy birds, roses and rosebuds everywhere and an explosion of perfumes and colors that signals the imminent arrival of a new season. As well as encouraging us to get out and about – there are countless delicious food festivals and sagras to be visited – the clement weather also marks the start of the year’s eating out. We’ve been bundled away at home since last year, enjoying cozy dinners with friends in our big family room, but now it’s time to start enjoying lunch al fresco on the terrace, the grill fired up and under pergolas of bougainvillea surrounded by our antique rose garden. Food tends to taste better when it’s eaten outdoors with view to hand, and it doesn’t take much effort to pull together a few sandwiches or a pasta salad to enjoy as picnic food.
Spring signals travel, and what better time to come to Italy. We have new cooking programs, market tours and food lover’s walks, check them out at https://www.cooking-vacations.com/italian-programs/ And of course the tried and true regions from Venice, Tuscany, Umbria, Rome onto the Amalfi Coast and Sicily and Sardinia stir up thoughts of learning to cook like a vero Italiano.
Artichokes at the Testaccio Market, spring green beans from Florentine gardens with the already abundant cherry tomatoes topping bruschetta, pasta and pizza in the southern part of the Boot! So life is looking good: as long as we’re lucky enough to be able to travel the length and breadth of this wonderful country in search of great views and delicious local dishes, we count ourselves blessed indeed.
Slow Food Notes
Just as Italians are attached to the seasons of the year, they are attached to the seasons of the table, and spring brings a veritable cornucopia of new vegetables, from zucchini and tomatoes to fresh peas, artichokes and new potatoes.
As folks here prefer to eat produce while it’s in season, each month means cooking what is fresh, and inventing new recipes to use the abundance of garden produce. The first cherry tomatoes appear in super-quick tomato sauces, salads, atop garlic-rubbed bruschette and even tossed quickly in sizzling olive oil with fat black olives and a few fennel seeds as an unusual side dish.
Baby zucchini are irresistible and cook up in a flash as a dressing for pasta with the addition of a few clams or tiny shrimp, as a filling for frittata with a handful of grated Parmesan cheese or to make a delicious risotto with a bunch of mint from the garden.
And don’t forget the fruit that comes and goes in a heartbeat. Cherries for example. It’s difficult not to gorge on cherries, juicy black-red ones, pale rose-colored ones and the creamy white cherries with just a hint of pink near the stem. Load your basket and eat up as the last ones will be slow stewed into jam.
Preserved cherries, cherry liqueur and even dry ones go tossed into cakes throughout the year.
Our herb garden, with oregano and marjoram are beginning to flower along with the sage and chives, the thyme is full and bushy and the lemon thyme releases a delicious perfume every time it’s trampled underfoot.
We’ve been having fun with the new herb, melissa, or lemon balm as it’s commonly known, its intriguing lemon fragrance a great addition to homemade sweets – especially creams and custards, and the self-seeded arugula has already been the basis of many a last minute salad and garnish. It seems like it’s been ages since we’ve been able to walk around the vegetable garden and decide what we wanted for dinner, and we couldn’t be happier that it’s that time of year again. This month we provide some great seasonal recipes to be enjoyed indoors or out with family and friends: simple, healthy and unmistakably Italian…
Cooking Vacations Property Of The Month
The Chianti Masterpiece™
Join Pino and Chef Anna in the kitchen for our deliciously tempting Tuscan cooking & wine program in Chianti, Tuscany. Gently sweeping hills adorned with pristine vineyards and grey-green olive groves, pretty country churches and imposing stone castles provide the backdrop for your cooking school vacation.
Enjoy some of the recipes from their kitchen this month and for your next trip to Italy, choose from a full week stay, 4-day or even just a day!
Tuscan Cooking Tour & Dario Cecchini Visit~8 Day
Tuscan Cooking Tour All Inclusive~4 Day
Tuscan Cooking Class~1 Day
Recipes From Our Kitchen
Antipasti ~ Appetizers
Spring Salad & Lemon Balm
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- 50g fresh peas (already shelled)
- 100g fava beans (already shelled)
- 1 small, crisp lettuce, rinsed and dried
- 50g baby spinach, rinsed and dried
- 4 fat radishes, very finely sliced
- 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
- 6 leaves each of lemon balm and mint, torn
- Small bunch chives, chopped
- 2 rashers streaky bacon, grilled, cooled and crumbled
- 1 teaspoon French mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Plunge the fava beans and peas in lightly salted boiling water and cook for 4 or 5 minutes.
- Remove from pan, refresh with cold water and drain. (Remove outer shell from fava beans if they are older and tougher.)
- Chop lettuce into pieces, add the radishes, spring onion and herbs, then the peas and beans.
- To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the mustard, vinegar and olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour over the salad and mix well before dividing between four plates.
- Garnish with crumbled bacon.
Chargrilled Zucchini
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini
- Handful of flat-leaf parsley, minced
- Handful of mint, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Flaked chili pepper
- White wine vinegar
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- These zucchini are best prepared on a barbecue, but a ridged grill pan would also work well. And of course, if you add some eggplant or squash, you get a fabulously colored side dish that keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator.
- Slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips and cook over a very hot grill for about 3 or 4 minutes each side.
- Try not to move them until you want to turn them over or you won’t get the attractive chargrill stripes.
- As they come off the grill, arrange zucchini slices in layers on a small serving dish, sprinkling over a little vinegar, oil, garlic, chili flakes, parsley, mint, salt and pepper over every layer.
- You can either serve immediately or keep in the refrigerator until you need them.
Primi~ First Courses
Gli Gnudi (Ravioli Nudi) ~ ‘Naked’ Ravioli
Courtesy of The Chianti Masterpiece program
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 600 g Fresh Spinach
- 600 g Ricotta, day old
- 6 Eggs
- 150 g of Parmesan, grated, plus extra when serving
- 100 g Rice Flour
- 10 Sage leaves
- 80 g Butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Flour, enough to coat before baking
Instructions
- It is best to use day-old Ricotta that has been chilling in the fridge; it will have released some of the excess moisture.
- Wash and cook the spinach in a pan with a little salted water.
- Drain and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile in a bowl mix the ricotta, eggs, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
- Squeeze the spinach, chop well and add to the mix.
- Thoroughly mix the ingredients.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Form balls with the mixture into large ping-pong size and roll them in flour.
- Drop them into the boiling water and cook until they float to the top.
- In a large pan melt the butter with the sage.
- Transfer the gnudi to the pan and coat with the butter, adding salt if necessary.
- Serve hot with a heavy sprinkle of Parmesan.
Ragú Di Carne Chianina ~ Chianina Beef Ragout
Courtesy of The Chianti Masterpiece program
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 ½ kg Ground Beef (Chianina, if possible)
- 200 g Celery
- 200 g Carrots
- 200 g Onions
- 500ml Chianti Red Wine
- 200ml Extra-virgin Olive Oil
- 100 g Tomato Concentrate
Instructions
- Dice the celery, carrot and onion.
- In a pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the celery, carrot, and onion for 2-3 minutes or until translucent.
- Then add the ground beef, continuously stirring until well browned.
- Add the wine, cover the pot and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Then remove the top and let the sauce reduce.
- Add the tomato concentrate diluted with a glass of water.
- Continue simmering the ragu for another 20 minutes on low heat.
- Salt and pepper to taste, turn off heat, cover and let ragu rest for 30 minutes prior to serving.
- This ragú goes well with all types of pastas!
Secondi ~ Second Courses
Alici In Tortiera ~ Baked Fresh Anchovies
Choose the largest fresh anchovies you can for this recipe as it makes cleaning them so much easier. This dish makes a good starter, or you could double up the quantities and serve as a main course.
Number of servings : 4
Ingredients
- 500g fresh anchovies, cleaned and boned
- Salt
- 1 clove of garlic
- Handful parsley, finely chopped
- Few sprigs fresh mint, finely chopped
- The zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1/2 the lemon (save the other half for another use)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Two generous handfuls of homemade breadcrumbs
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the garlic, parsley, mint, the lemon juice, the lemon zest, the breadcrumbs, a good pinch of salt and as much olive oil as you need to bind the ingredients. (Just enough that the breadcrumbs start to clump together.)
- Meanwhile, choose an ovenproof dish that will allow you to create about three layers of anchovies laid flat.
- Lightly oil the dish and arrange your first layer of anchovies, skin side down.
- Season with a little salt, scatter over a third of the breadcrumb mixture, and repeat this process another two times.
- Drizzle the last layer of breadcrumbs with a little more olive oil and cook in an oven at 375°F for 5 – 10 minutes, or until the topping turns dark golden brown.
- Serve immediately.
Filetto Di Vitellone Alla Chiantigiana ~ Beef Fillets with Chianti Wine Sauce & Rosemary Potatoes
Courtesy of The Chianti Masterpiece program
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- For the Beef Fillets:
- 4 beef fillet medallions of 200 g each
- 100 g of Corn Flour
- 100 g of Butter
- 4 Sage leaves
- 1 fresh spring of rosemary
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1⁄2 L Red Chianti Classico Wine
- 1 Garlic clove
- For the Rosemary Potatoes:
- 600 g of Potatoes
- 1 spring of Rosemary
- 1 spring of Sage
- 1 Garlic clove
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Extra-virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
- For the beef fillets:
- In a wide plate add the corn flour and season with salt and pepper.
- Drench the fillets in the flour mixture.
- In a pan melt the butter being sure to not let it burn.
- Add the sage, rosemary spring, and the whole garlic clove.
- Then add the fillets allowing them to cook gently until they brown on both sides.
- Drain the fat from the pan and pour in the wine. Cook until the sauce become creamy.
- Salt and pepper to taste and serve hot with the potatoes.
- For the potatoes: Preheat oven to 180° C or 350° F.
- Finely chop the sage, rosemary, and garlic.
- Peel and slice the potatoes into wedges.
- Wash the wedges and drain well.
- Season with the chopped herbs, garlic, salt, pepper, and coat with olive oil.
- Cook in the oven for 25 minutes.
Dolci ~ Desserts
Balsamic Strawberries
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 kg strawberries, hulled and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fine sugar
- Handful shredded basil or lemon balm
Instructions
- Half an hour before you want to eat them, toss the strawberries in a bowl with the balsamic vinegar and the sugar. (Don’t leave them any longer as they’ll become mushy.)
- Serve in a small bowl, or over a slice of lightly toasted brioche and garnish with the shredded basil or lemon balm.
Tiramisù Alle Fragole ~ Strawberry Tiramisù
Courtesy of The Chianti Masterpiece program
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- For the Strawberries:
- 400 g Strawberries
- 50 g Sugar
- 100 ml Sweet Wine (Vin Santo, Marsala, Asti, Recioto)
- For the Cream:
- 4 Eggs
- 100 g Sugar
- 250 g Mascarpone cheese
- 150 g Ladyfingers (preferably Savoiardi brand)
Instructions
- For the Strawberries:
- Wash and slice the strawberries, allow them to dry well.
- Transfer the strawberries to a bowl and add the sugar and sweet wine and leave it to macerate for at least 3 hours.
- For the Cream:
- Separate the eggs.
- First whip the yolks with half the sugar (50g) until thick and frothy.
- Then scoop in the mascarpone and mix until combined.
- Whip the egg whites with the rest of the sugar (50g) until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the egg whites into the yolk-mascarpone mixture.
- Let it rest in the refrigerator.
- Drain the strawberries and reserve the liquid for soaking the ladyfingers.
- Prepare the tiramisu in individual cups.
- Begin with a dollop of the mascarpone cream then place a layer of the ladyfingers dipped in the strawberry syrup.
- Next add a layer of the sliced strawberries following a layer of cream.
- Repeat in this order until the glass is full, creating one, two, or even three layers.
- Top with the remaining mascarpone cream. Decorate the top with any remaining sliced strawberries.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Melody’s Vine Picks
With this month’s delicious recipes, learn what wines to serve for perfect pairings.
Spring Salad & Lemon Balm
Pair With: Alois Caiati 2005 750ml
A lovely crisp white wine to pair with this refreshing spring salad, from Campania’s Pallagrello Bianco grape.
Chargrilled Zucchini
Pair With: Taburno Aglianico Rosato 2009 750ml
Rosé wines are on our table as we start dining outside this spring. Served chilled, this Rosé from the Aglianico grape is a perfect complement for grilled spring & summer vegetables.
Alici In Tortiera
Pair With: De Conciliis Falanghina 2008 750ml
Pair this classic Neapolitan recipe with Campania’s famous Falanghina. A dry, yet still fruity white with hints of salt that make it a wonderful complement to the local fresh alici, anchovies.
Balsamic Strawberries
Pair With: Amaretto Di Saronno
Veering from a traditional sweet wine, enjoy the sweet & tartness of the berries with this bitter-almond flavored after-dinner liqueur made from apricot pits. Neat or on the rocks, your choice!
Filetto Di Vitellone Alla Chiantigiana
Pair With: Villa Mangiacane Chianti Classico Riserva 2006 750ml
What better wine than a Chianti for this classic Tuscan recipe? A nice blend of ripe fruits, oak and spice to go along with your herby fillets.
Gli Gnudi ~ ‘Naked’ Ravioli
Pair With: Frecciarossa Riesling Gli Orti 2008 750ml
These delicate dumplings are wonderful with an aromatic peachy and flowery dry Riesling when served in the classic butter and sage. If you opt to serve them with the Ragout, reach for the red instead.
Ragout Di Carne Chianina~ Chianina Beef Ragu
Pair With: Villa Sant’Anna Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2003 750ml
This vineyard is operated solely by women and their care shows through. Making mostly Chianti Classico, this section of the vineyard produces the prized Vino Nobile.
Tiramisù alle Fragole
Pair With: Ca’ dei Mandorli Brachetto d’Acqui Donne Dei Boschi 2010 500ml
Try this sweet red bubbly from Piedmont that brings aromas of rose and wild strawberries. A great pairing for this fruity-twist on the classic Tiramisu.
Italy On A Plate
By Germaine Stafford
Germaine continues her roundup of what’s happening in the culinary world in Italy and gives you her chef of the month, book recommendation, and a list of seasonal foods for June.
What’s in Season?
Lamb
Sea Bream
Sardines
Salmon
Mullet
Crab
New potatoes
Peas
Arugula
Mint
Gooseberries
Cherries
Zucchini
Peppers
Elderflowers
Restaurant Of The Month
Sa Mandra, Alghero, Sardinia
It’s that time of year again when all you can think about is getting away, taking a break. It’s not quite summer, but the thought of it being just round the corner makes you impatient for its arrival and a short island break definitely makes the wait more bearable. The wonderful island of Sardinia is this month’s destination and we’ve chosen a working agriturismo for some old fashioned Sardinian soul food. The Azienda Agrituristica Sa Mandra, located in the beautiful countryside between Alghero and Porto Ferro, is run by husband and wife team, Rita and Mario, and their children Maria Grazia, Michele e Giuseppe. The family started out on this adventure over twenty years ago, and are now well known for their dedication to local history and culture, including of course, gastronomic traditions.
In the dining room, the atmosphere is rustic but welcoming, with the huge central fireplace hinting at the delicious roast meat dishes to come. The agriturismo has a fixed menu, ably explained by courteous staff, which takes you on a delicious journey through the area’s best-loved specialties. Starting with generous baskets of bread – both pane carasau and pane guttiau– a series of antipasti appears: salsiccia and cheese, prosciutto from Monte Spada, peppers in sweet and sour sauce, ricotta served with local honey, creamy goats’ cheese with thyme and platters of cold cuts. Pasta dishes include the small hand rolled and toasted pasta called fregola served with a seasonal sauce – mushroom and wild boar, a slow cooked ragù – ravioli with seven herbs, or stuffed pasta with cheese and potatoes. Then comes the meat course where you can opt for roast lamb with potatoes and wild fennel, boiled mutton, or the excellent roast suckling pig, porchetto allo spiedo, that tastes of the myrtle or juniper branches it was roasted over. Almonds, sugar and honey are common ingredients in desserts, be they cakes, cookies or tarts, and you can’t possibly leave without a shot of mirto or filuferru, the two typical end of meal liqueurs. Wine is available by the carafe or the bottle and there are also alternative gluten-free and vegetarian menus.
Further Information:
Azienda Agrituristica Sa Mandra
11 str. Aeroporto Civile, n. 21
07041 Alghero (ss) Sardinia
Tel: +39 079 999150
www.aziendasamandra.it
Book Of The Month
The Tuscan Sun Cookbook
by Frances Mayes and Edward Mayes
For many years now, Frances Mayes has been a popular ambassador for Tuscan living, her tale of finding and restoring a home near the town of Cortona both a best selling book and popular film. And as you might imagine from someone as passionate about her adopted culture as she is, part of the author’s love affair with Italy is reserved for the country’s unique appreciation of food, and her latest volume treats us to a taste of Casa Mayes. Some cookbooks fall into the strict, didactic ‘this is how it should be done’ category, while others manage to impart a magical sense of place, enchanting you with stories of life evolving round a dinner table in the presence of friends, family or friends who have become family, with food as the bonding element that brings people together. The Tuscan Sun Cookbook clearly belongs to the second group and is a reminder of the elemental pleasures to be had in preparing and sharing food, where the stress is on creating simple but delicious dishes that don’t overly tax cooks, leaving them relaxed and free enough to enjoy the nourishing creative process and the company of friends.
This liberating, stress free approach is easy to see in the antipasti section where Mayes adopts the Tuscan custom of serving attractive platters of cold cuts, cheeses and vegetables, but with careful attention given to color and texture – thus delicious mixes of bite size balls of buffalo mozzarella, roasted peppers, halved figs, oversize capers, crostini with roasted cherry tomatoes, goat cheese and herbs or smashed roasted garlic, or simple breadsticks wrapped in prosciutto. Pasta dishes include spaghetti with lemon and crab, potato ravioli with zucchini, speck and pecorino, lasagna with ragù, and the delicious sounding baked pasta with sausage and four cheeses. Tuscany’s wonderful meat and game appear in a variety of guises as main dishes, from Tuscan style short ribs, tenderloin with balsamic vinegar, and quail braised with juniper berries and pancetta to ossobuco, roasted veal shank and honey-glazed pork tenderloin with fennel. As side dishes Mayes works her winning way with vegetables, creating roasted fennel, baked peppers with ricotta and basil, artichokes with potatoes and fava beans, and eggplant involtini. If you still have space for dessert, a little rustic bread pudding with apple, peaches with almond cream, hazelnut gelato or chocolate cake with pear and vanilla sauce should do the trick. All in all, a gorgeously photographed, heartwarming tribute to the Tuscan table.
June 2012
Antipasti ~ Appetizers
Spring Salad & Lemon Balm
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- 50g fresh peas (already shelled)
- 100g fava beans (already shelled)
- 1 small, crisp lettuce, rinsed and dried
- 50g baby spinach, rinsed and dried
- 4 fat radishes, very finely sliced
- 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
- 6 leaves each of lemon balm and mint, torn
- Small bunch chives, chopped
- 2 rashers streaky bacon, grilled, cooled and crumbled
- 1 teaspoon French mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Plunge the fava beans and peas in lightly salted boiling water and cook for 4 or 5 minutes.
- Remove from pan, refresh with cold water and drain. (Remove outer shell from fava beans if they are older and tougher.)
- Chop lettuce into pieces, add the radishes, spring onion and herbs, then the peas and beans.
- To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the mustard, vinegar and olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour over the salad and mix well before dividing between four plates.
- Garnish with crumbled bacon.
Chargrilled Zucchini
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini
- Handful of flat-leaf parsley, minced
- Handful of mint, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Flaked chili pepper
- White wine vinegar
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- These zucchini are best prepared on a barbecue, but a ridged grill pan would also work well. And of course, if you add some eggplant or squash, you get a fabulously colored side dish that keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator.
- Slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips and cook over a very hot grill for about 3 or 4 minutes each side.
- Try not to move them until you want to turn them over or you won’t get the attractive chargrill stripes.
- As they come off the grill, arrange zucchini slices in layers on a small serving dish, sprinkling over a little vinegar, oil, garlic, chili flakes, parsley, mint, salt and pepper over every layer.
- You can either serve immediately or keep in the refrigerator until you need them.
Primi~ First Courses
Gli Gnudi (Ravioli Nudi) ~ ‘Naked’ Ravioli
Courtesy of The Chianti Masterpiece program
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 600 g Fresh Spinach
- 600 g Ricotta, day old
- 6 Eggs
- 150 g of Parmesan, grated, plus extra when serving
- 100 g Rice Flour
- 10 Sage leaves
- 80 g Butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Flour, enough to coat before baking
Instructions
- It is best to use day-old Ricotta that has been chilling in the fridge; it will have released some of the excess moisture.
- Wash and cook the spinach in a pan with a little salted water.
- Drain and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile in a bowl mix the ricotta, eggs, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
- Squeeze the spinach, chop well and add to the mix.
- Thoroughly mix the ingredients.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Form balls with the mixture into large ping-pong size and roll them in flour.
- Drop them into the boiling water and cook until they float to the top.
- In a large pan melt the butter with the sage.
- Transfer the gnudi to the pan and coat with the butter, adding salt if necessary.
- Serve hot with a heavy sprinkle of Parmesan.
Ragú Di Carne Chianina ~ Chianina Beef Ragout
Courtesy of The Chianti Masterpiece program
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 ½ kg Ground Beef (Chianina, if possible)
- 200 g Celery
- 200 g Carrots
- 200 g Onions
- 500ml Chianti Red Wine
- 200ml Extra-virgin Olive Oil
- 100 g Tomato Concentrate
Instructions
- Dice the celery, carrot and onion.
- In a pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the celery, carrot, and onion for 2-3 minutes or until translucent.
- Then add the ground beef, continuously stirring until well browned.
- Add the wine, cover the pot and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Then remove the top and let the sauce reduce.
- Add the tomato concentrate diluted with a glass of water.
- Continue simmering the ragu for another 20 minutes on low heat.
- Salt and pepper to taste, turn off heat, cover and let ragu rest for 30 minutes prior to serving.
- This ragú goes well with all types of pastas!
Secondi ~ Second Courses
Alici In Tortiera ~ Baked Fresh Anchovies
Choose the largest fresh anchovies you can for this recipe as it makes cleaning them so much easier. This dish makes a good starter, or you could double up the quantities and serve as a main course.
Number of servings : 4
Ingredients
- 500g fresh anchovies, cleaned and boned
- Salt
- 1 clove of garlic
- Handful parsley, finely chopped
- Few sprigs fresh mint, finely chopped
- The zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1/2 the lemon (save the other half for another use)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Two generous handfuls of homemade breadcrumbs
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the garlic, parsley, mint, the lemon juice, the lemon zest, the breadcrumbs, a good pinch of salt and as much olive oil as you need to bind the ingredients. (Just enough that the breadcrumbs start to clump together.)
- Meanwhile, choose an ovenproof dish that will allow you to create about three layers of anchovies laid flat.
- Lightly oil the dish and arrange your first layer of anchovies, skin side down.
- Season with a little salt, scatter over a third of the breadcrumb mixture, and repeat this process another two times.
- Drizzle the last layer of breadcrumbs with a little more olive oil and cook in an oven at 375°F for 5 – 10 minutes, or until the topping turns dark golden brown.
- Serve immediately.
Filetto Di Vitellone Alla Chiantigiana ~ Beef Fillets with Chianti Wine Sauce & Rosemary Potatoes
Courtesy of The Chianti Masterpiece program
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- For the Beef Fillets:
- 4 beef fillet medallions of 200 g each
- 100 g of Corn Flour
- 100 g of Butter
- 4 Sage leaves
- 1 fresh spring of rosemary
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1⁄2 L Red Chianti Classico Wine
- 1 Garlic clove
- For the Rosemary Potatoes:
- 600 g of Potatoes
- 1 spring of Rosemary
- 1 spring of Sage
- 1 Garlic clove
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Extra-virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
- For the beef fillets:
- In a wide plate add the corn flour and season with salt and pepper.
- Drench the fillets in the flour mixture.
- In a pan melt the butter being sure to not let it burn.
- Add the sage, rosemary spring, and the whole garlic clove.
- Then add the fillets allowing them to cook gently until they brown on both sides.
- Drain the fat from the pan and pour in the wine. Cook until the sauce become creamy.
- Salt and pepper to taste and serve hot with the potatoes.
- For the potatoes: Preheat oven to 180° C or 350° F.
- Finely chop the sage, rosemary, and garlic.
- Peel and slice the potatoes into wedges.
- Wash the wedges and drain well.
- Season with the chopped herbs, garlic, salt, pepper, and coat with olive oil.
- Cook in the oven for 25 minutes.
Dolci ~ Desserts
Balsamic Strawberries
Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 kg strawberries, hulled and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fine sugar
- Handful shredded basil or lemon balm
Instructions
- Half an hour before you want to eat them, toss the strawberries in a bowl with the balsamic vinegar and the sugar. (Don’t leave them any longer as they’ll become mushy.)
- Serve in a small bowl, or over a slice of lightly toasted brioche and garnish with the shredded basil or lemon balm.
Tiramisù Alle Fragole ~ Strawberry Tiramisù
Courtesy of The Chianti Masterpiece program
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- For the Strawberries:
- 400 g Strawberries
- 50 g Sugar
- 100 ml Sweet Wine (Vin Santo, Marsala, Asti, Recioto)
- For the Cream:
- 4 Eggs
- 100 g Sugar
- 250 g Mascarpone cheese
- 150 g Ladyfingers (preferably Savoiardi brand)
Instructions
- For the Strawberries:
- Wash and slice the strawberries, allow them to dry well.
- Transfer the strawberries to a bowl and add the sugar and sweet wine and leave it to macerate for at least 3 hours.
- For the Cream:
- Separate the eggs.
- First whip the yolks with half the sugar (50g) until thick and frothy.
- Then scoop in the mascarpone and mix until combined.
- Whip the egg whites with the rest of the sugar (50g) until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the egg whites into the yolk-mascarpone mixture.
- Let it rest in the refrigerator.
- Drain the strawberries and reserve the liquid for soaking the ladyfingers.
- Prepare the tiramisu in individual cups.
- Begin with a dollop of the mascarpone cream then place a layer of the ladyfingers dipped in the strawberry syrup.
- Next add a layer of the sliced strawberries following a layer of cream.
- Repeat in this order until the glass is full, creating one, two, or even three layers.
- Top with the remaining mascarpone cream. Decorate the top with any remaining sliced strawberries.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
April 2012
Wild Garlic Pesto
It’s the leaves of wild garlic (ramps) that you eat, not the bulb. If you manage to find wild garlic in the nearby countryside, well and good. If not, lots of farmers’ markets now carry it.
Ingredients
- 50g wild garlic leaves
- 1 shallot, roughly chopped
- 50g grated Parmesan
- 50g pine nuts, almonds or walnuts
- Generous pinch of salt
- 150ml extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse and dry the wild garlic leaves, discarding any thicker stems.
- Throw into a food processor with the shallot, Parmesan, pine nuts and salt and give a quick whiz. Slowly add the oil and process until you have the desired consistency.
- If you don’t intend to use immediately, spoon the pesto into small jars, pressing gently to remove any air pockets, and top with olive oil to seal.
- These jars will keep well in the fridge for short periods, but can also be frozen.
- Use this delicious pesto to dress pasta, add a highlight to risottos or spread on bruschettas.
Nettle Soup
Gather only the top few sprouts of the stinging nettles, and use gloves of course, while you gather and prepare them.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 25g butter
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- Large bunch of stinging nettles, leaves removed from thick stems and rinsed
- 1 liter of good quality chicken stock
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- Fresh cream for garnish is desired
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a pan, add the onion and cook over a medium heat until softened.
- Add the potatoes and toss for a few minutes then add the stock.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the nettle leaves. Season with salt and pepper, cook for another 5 – 10 minutes then purée with an immersion blender.
- Adjust seasoning and add a little freshly grated nutmeg.
- Serve as is, or with a swirl of fresh cream.
Artichoke Risotto
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 6 small globe artichokes
- Juice 1 lemon.
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 50g butter
- 400g Carnaroli rice
- Splash dry white wine
- 1.5 – 2 liters boiling vegetable stock
- 50g grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
Instructions
- Prepare a large bowl with cold water and the lemon juice.
- Trim the artichokes, removing the tough outer leaves and the top third of the spikes.
- Cut into two, remove the hairy choke and slice vertically very thinly with a sharp knife.
- Place slices immediately in the lemon water to prevent them discoloring.
- In a large frying pan, heat the butter and sauté the chopped onion until it is has softened.
- Drain the artichokes and add to the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook gently for 8 – 10 minutes with the addition of a little vegetable stock. Stir in the rice and sauté until rice starts to become translucent.
- Add the white wine, and when it has evaporated, begin adding the boiling stock a little at a time, stirring continuously.
- As the rice absorbs the liquid, add more and continue in this way until rice is cooked, about 15 – 20 minutes depending on the quality of the rice.
- Off the heat, check the seasoning, stir in the grated Parmesan and lemon zest and serve immediately.
Mushroom and Ricotta Ravioli with Aromatic Oil and Pecorino Cheese
Courtesy of our Sardinia & The Costa Smeralda
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 350 g. Fresh Egg Pasta
For the filling:
- 200 g Mushrooms
- 30 g Onions, chopped
- ½ Garlic clove
- 150 g Ricotta, preferably of sheep
- 1 Egg
- 20 g Pecorino, grated
- Parsley, chopped
- Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
For the garnish:
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Herbs (garlic, mint, sage, rosemary, thyme)
- Pecorino cheese, grated
Instructions
- Wash the mushrooms and dice them.
- Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté the mushrooms, chopped onion, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Take off the heat and stir in the ricotta and the egg, Pecorino, and parsley.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Roll out the fresh pasta and cut squares of approximately 5cm by 5cm.
- Spoon some filling in the center of each square. Close each individual square by pulling the four corners up around the filling and pinching them shut together.
- In this way, they should look like little sacks made of pasta.
- Cook the pasta in abundantly salted water until they rise to the surface.
- Remove from heat, drain, and toss for minute in a heated frying pan with oil and the chopped herbs.
Fresh Pasta with Wild Asparagus
Courtesy of our Sardinia & The Costa Smeralda
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
For the pasta:
- 300 g Flour
- 3 Whole Eggs and 2 Egg Yolks
- 10 g Salt
- 1 tbs Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
For the sauce:
- 100 g Wild Asparagus
- 3 stalks of Wild Garlic,
- 40 g Aged Ricotta
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, as needed
- Salt & Pepper, as needed
Instructions
- Lay out the ingredients for the dough on a flat surface.
- You can start mixing with a fork and then continue with your hands.
- Once you have obtained a nice, smooth dough, set it aside for 10 minutes.
- Roll out the dough and cut in strips to form tagliatelle noodles.
- Wash and cut each asparagus stalk in half.
- Heat the olive oil in a pan and then add the asparagus stalks.
- Add a little of the cooking water from the pasta and let cook until the asparagus is tender.
- Finely chop the wild garlic and add it to the asparagus.
- Once the pasta is al dente, drain and add it to the pan with the asparagus.
- Mix together well and then transfer to a serving platter.
- Top with the salted ricotta cut in very thin slices.
Beef Sirloin with Cannonau Wine Sauce
Courtesy of our Sardinia & The Costa Smeralda
Number of servings (yield): 2
Ingredients
- 2 Melina Beef Sirloin Steaks of 150 g
- 1 Onion
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 500 ml Cannonau Red Wine
- 30 g Sesame Seeds
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- Small Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180° C or 350° F.
- Slice the onion thinly and sauté in a pan with olive oil.
- When caramelized, remove from heat and set aside.
- Pour the Cannonau in a saucepan and let it reduce over low heat until thickened.
- Pour a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil in a non-stick pan.
- Once the oil has heated add the Melina sirloin steaks and brown them on each side for 2-3 minute. Finish cooking in the oven for another 5 minutes. Then roll the sirloin in the sesame seeds.
- Arrange it on the center of the plate, then garnish with the caramelized onions and thinly sliced small pepper and pour the Cannonau next to the sirloin and serve.
Nonna Philomena’s Egg Biscotti
Ingredients
- 6 cups Flour, sifted
- 6 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ cup Canola or Vegetable Oil
- 3/4 cup Milk
- Zest of one Lemon
- 4 Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and oil.
- Then form a well in the center of the mix and add the milk, lemon zest, and eggs.
- Mix well with a fork until fully incorporated.
- Transfer mixture to a floured surface and knead. Shape the dough in small balls or crescents and placed on a greased baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-15 min.
- For glaze topping: Coat the biscotti with a simple frosting of 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 ½ tsp of milk or water, ½ tsp of vanilla extract and additional natural food coloring.
- Combine all the ingredients and cover each cookie once chilled.
April 2012 Newsletter
Fresh Recipes, New Kitchen Ideas, Food News & Fun Things To Do In Sunny Italy
April, the month that ushers in spring is named after the goddess Eostre, -bringing everything fresh, beginnings, spring and rebirth! Even though the rain in Italy has been readily present and we have not seen the sun for quite sometime, it is watering the way for the flowers and veggies to come in May. This rainy season has certainly lived up to its old reputation, and bringing bushels of green fava, peas and precious artichokes. So our kitchen has been busy making pasta with fava, risotto with peas, and stuffed artichokes of every kind.
Although we appreciate the rains of April, we were very thankful that Mother Nature was on our side and stopped the drops on April 12, because dear Melody at Cooking Vacations celebrated her wedding day with Nando. It was a sunny day that celebrated happy wedding blessings for the couple. We wish them long love, health and a happy life together. Tanti Auguri to Melody & Nando!!!
Lauren
Table Talk
There’s a lot to celebrate in April – there was Good Friday with its processions and enactments of the Passion, Easter Day (not just the religious aspect, think pastiera, lasagna, colomba!), Pasquetta – the Easter Monday picnic in the countryside, longer days, busy birds making nests, spring veggies, strawberries, the first of the year’s rhubarb and so much more. April sees Rome’s Birthday on the 21st, Liberation Day on the 25th, which also happens to be the Festival of San Marco, celebrated of course in Venice, and from the 14 – 22nd of April, the Ministry of Culture organizes the Settimana della Cultura where national museums and archeological sites offer free admission, often putting on view exhibits and sites normally closed to the public – a fabulous way to soak up as much as possible of Italy’s incredible culture. Sagras and food festivals abound, featuring seasonal produce like asparagus, artichokes, peas and fava beans. It’s also a great month for walks and excursions, with many Italians foraging for wild vegetables and herbs then having fun creating delicious dishes from their pickings. One unlikely sounding ‘herb’ is the stinging nettle, somewhat of a wonder food, from which you can whip up some nettle pesto, green sauce, nettle frittata, nettle tea, nettle soup and use like spinach either to color homemade pasta or use as a pasta filling with ricotta. But there’s also wild garlic, wild asparagus, borage, purslane, burdock, bee balm and wild mustard. So, make the best of sunny days and transform whatever free food there is to be had in your area into unusual but tasty lunches and dinners…
Food Notes
We’ve renamed April as the month of weeds. They are everywhere and growing fast. Or are they? Well, it might look like that, but to the discerning eye, these aren’t weeds, but wild salad. The trick is recognizing what’s what. Down at the vineyard, our friend Gaetano wanders round, plucking handfuls of this and that from the ancient stone walls and steps, his basket gradually filling with dandelion, tender thistle, arugula, purslane, tiny first fronds of fennel and handfuls of other herbs whose names are known only in local dialect. Back home we rinse everything then soak the purslane in vinegar (because Gaetano’s grandmother who died forty years ago said you should), add a quick splash of dressing and eat. It’s one of the most delicious salads you could hope to eat, but it does take some chewing.
Back in the vegetable garden, April is a super-busy month. If you didn’t get the potatoes planted in March you have to do it now (when the moon is waning of course), and we normally plant onions at the same time. It’s the month of asparagus, baby spinach, watercress, new born fava beans and artichokes.
Perhaps because of their rather intimidating appearance, not everyone has tried cooking with artichokes. With origins in Mediterranean Europe and perhaps even northern Africa, the artichoke is a member of the cardoon and thistle family, boasting a larger than normal edible flower. It’s easy to be intimidated by artichokes, but it really doesn’t take much to transform their prickly looking globes into something delicious. What you decide to make very much depends on what type of artichoke you choose and at what stage of its development it’s at. Small, tender artichokes aren’t always easy to find but can be eaten whole, while it’s best to remove some of the outer leaves and tips from older specimens before steaming, frying or stuffing them. They can also be thinly sliced and tossed in a pan with oil and pancetta for example, sun-dried tomatoes or clams, and make for a quick and easy pasta dressing. Artichokes and rice partner well, with risotto ai carciofi a spring favorite in many regions, while deep fried artichokes are a Jewish Roman specialty, and many a pantry makes good use of blanched chokes preserved in oil and vinegar. This month’s recipes include a variety of seasonal ingredients that you can either pick up at the market or forage for free: either way, enjoy your time in the kitchen!
Recipes Of The Month
Wild Garlic Pesto
It’s the leaves of wild garlic (ramps) that you eat, not the bulb. If you manage to find wild garlic in the nearby countryside, well and good. If not, lots of farmers’ markets now carry it.
Ingredients
- 50g wild garlic leaves
- 1 shallot, roughly chopped
- 50g grated Parmesan
- 50g pine nuts, almonds or walnuts
- Generous pinch of salt
- 150ml extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse and dry the wild garlic leaves, discarding any thicker stems.
- Throw into a food processor with the shallot, Parmesan, pine nuts and salt and give a quick whiz. Slowly add the oil and process until you have the desired consistency.
- If you don’t intend to use immediately, spoon the pesto into small jars, pressing gently to remove any air pockets, and top with olive oil to seal.
- These jars will keep well in the fridge for short periods, but can also be frozen.
- Use this delicious pesto to dress pasta, add a highlight to risottos or spread on bruschettas.
Nettle Soup
Gather only the top few sprouts of the stinging nettles, and use gloves of course, while you gather and prepare them.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 25g butter
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- Large bunch of stinging nettles, leaves removed from thick stems and rinsed
- 1 liter of good quality chicken stock
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- Fresh cream for garnish is desired
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a pan, add the onion and cook over a medium heat until softened.
- Add the potatoes and toss for a few minutes then add the stock.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the nettle leaves. Season with salt and pepper, cook for another 5 – 10 minutes then purée with an immersion blender.
- Adjust seasoning and add a little freshly grated nutmeg.
- Serve as is, or with a swirl of fresh cream.
Artichoke Risotto
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 6 small globe artichokes
- Juice 1 lemon.
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 50g butter
- 400g Carnaroli rice
- Splash dry white wine
- 1.5 – 2 liters boiling vegetable stock
- 50g grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
Instructions
- Prepare a large bowl with cold water and the lemon juice.
- Trim the artichokes, removing the tough outer leaves and the top third of the spikes.
- Cut into two, remove the hairy choke and slice vertically very thinly with a sharp knife.
- Place slices immediately in the lemon water to prevent them discoloring.
- In a large frying pan, heat the butter and sauté the chopped onion until it is has softened.
- Drain the artichokes and add to the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook gently for 8 – 10 minutes with the addition of a little vegetable stock. Stir in the rice and sauté until rice starts to become translucent.
- Add the white wine, and when it has evaporated, begin adding the boiling stock a little at a time, stirring continuously.
- As the rice absorbs the liquid, add more and continue in this way until rice is cooked, about 15 – 20 minutes depending on the quality of the rice.
- Off the heat, check the seasoning, stir in the grated Parmesan and lemon zest and serve immediately.
Mushroom and Ricotta Ravioli with Aromatic Oil and Pecorino Cheese
Courtesy of our Sardinia & The Costa Smeralda
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 350 g. Fresh Egg Pasta
For the filling:
- 200 g Mushrooms
- 30 g Onions, chopped
- ½ Garlic clove
- 150 g Ricotta, preferably of sheep
- 1 Egg
- 20 g Pecorino, grated
- Parsley, chopped
- Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
For the garnish:
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Herbs (garlic, mint, sage, rosemary, thyme)
- Pecorino cheese, grated
Instructions
- Wash the mushrooms and dice them.
- Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté the mushrooms, chopped onion, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Take off the heat and stir in the ricotta and the egg, Pecorino, and parsley.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Roll out the fresh pasta and cut squares of approximately 5cm by 5cm.
- Spoon some filling in the center of each square. Close each individual square by pulling the four corners up around the filling and pinching them shut together.
- In this way, they should look like little sacks made of pasta.
- Cook the pasta in abundantly salted water until they rise to the surface.
- Remove from heat, drain, and toss for minute in a heated frying pan with oil and the chopped herbs.
Fresh Pasta with Wild Asparagus
Courtesy of our Sardinia & The Costa Smeralda
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
For the pasta:
- 300 g Flour
- 3 Whole Eggs and 2 Egg Yolks
- 10 g Salt
- 1 tbs Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
For the sauce:
- 100 g Wild Asparagus
- 3 stalks of Wild Garlic,
- 40 g Aged Ricotta
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, as needed
- Salt & Pepper, as needed
Instructions
- Lay out the ingredients for the dough on a flat surface.
- You can start mixing with a fork and then continue with your hands.
- Once you have obtained a nice, smooth dough, set it aside for 10 minutes.
- Roll out the dough and cut in strips to form tagliatelle noodles.
- Wash and cut each asparagus stalk in half.
- Heat the olive oil in a pan and then add the asparagus stalks.
- Add a little of the cooking water from the pasta and let cook until the asparagus is tender.
- Finely chop the wild garlic and add it to the asparagus.
- Once the pasta is al dente, drain and add it to the pan with the asparagus.
- Mix together well and then transfer to a serving platter.
- Top with the salted ricotta cut in very thin slices.
Beef Sirloin with Cannonau Wine Sauce
Courtesy of our Sardinia & The Costa Smeralda
Number of servings (yield): 2
Ingredients
- 2 Melina Beef Sirloin Steaks of 150 g
- 1 Onion
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 500 ml Cannonau Red Wine
- 30 g Sesame Seeds
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- Small Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180° C or 350° F.
- Slice the onion thinly and sauté in a pan with olive oil.
- When caramelized, remove from heat and set aside.
- Pour the Cannonau in a saucepan and let it reduce over low heat until thickened.
- Pour a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil in a non-stick pan.
- Once the oil has heated add the Melina sirloin steaks and brown them on each side for 2-3 minute. Finish cooking in the oven for another 5 minutes. Then roll the sirloin in the sesame seeds.
- Arrange it on the center of the plate, then garnish with the caramelized onions and thinly sliced small pepper and pour the Cannonau next to the sirloin and serve.
Nonna Philomena’s Egg Biscotti
Ingredients
- 6 cups Flour, sifted
- 6 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ cup Canola or Vegetable Oil
- 3/4 cup Milk
- Zest of one Lemon
- 4 Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and oil.
- Then form a well in the center of the mix and add the milk, lemon zest, and eggs.
- Mix well with a fork until fully incorporated.
- Transfer mixture to a floured surface and knead. Shape the dough in small balls or crescents and placed on a greased baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-15 min.
- For glaze topping: Coat the biscotti with a simple frosting of 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 ½ tsp of milk or water, ½ tsp of vanilla extract and additional natural food coloring.
- Combine all the ingredients and cover each cookie once chilled.
Melody’s Vine Picks
Wild Garlic Pesto
Pair with: La Roncaia Sauvignon Blanc Eclisse 2008
Try this Saugignon Blanc-Picolit blend from Northern Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia a wonderful compliment to the fragrant Wild Garlic.
Artichoke Risotto
Pair with: Vestini Campagnano Pallagrello Bianco 2004
Try this lesser-known Campania white from the province of Caserta, that originated from Ancient Greece. Fruity with peach and notes of walnut.
Nettle Soup
Pair with: Sartarelli Verdicchio Castelli di Jesi Classico 2010
This Verdicchio from Le Marche offers a citrus but also stoney & mineral finish. Complex enough to rinse your palate clean after this creamy and buttery soup.
Mushroom and Ricotta Ravioli with Aromatic Oil and Pecorino Cheese
Pair with: Bruna Pigato Russeghine 2010
Similar to a Vermentino, try this Pigato from Liguria. You can almost taste the seaside in this lovely white, pairs nicely with the fragrant herbs in the Ravioli.
Fresh Pasta with Wild Asparagus
Pair with: Paolo Bea Bianco Santa Chiara 2009
With sweet aromas but a dry wine, this Garganega-Malvasia and Grachetto blend stands up to the bitterness of the Wild Asparagus.
Beef Sirloin with Cannonau Wine Sauce
Pair with: Punica Montessu 2008
If you finish the bottle of Cannonau while cooking, try this Carignano blend with wonderful dark fruit aromas and ripe tannins.
Sea Bass with Vernaccia Wine from Oristano
Pair with: Contini Vernaccia di Oristano Riserva 1985
Oristano’s Vernaccia (not to be confused with Vernaccia di San Gimignano), is truly a treat if you can find it and is wonderful with Sea Bass.
Nonna Philomena’s Egg Biscotti
Pair with: La Sala Vin Santo 2003
With Easter just behind us, toast with a Vin Santo, whose name comes from the fact that the grapes were left to dry until ‘la Settimana Santa’ Easter Week, before being pressed to become this sweet dessert wine and enjoyed along with Nonna Philomena’s light Egg Biscotti.
Cooking Vacations Program Of The Month
Sardinia & The Costa Smeralda
Cooking with Chef Ivo
Islands often have a touch of mystery about them and Italy’s beautiful Sardinia is no exception. With its gorgeous white beaches, exclusive resorts and wonderful weather, every year Sardinia attracts thousands of visitors eager to experience its spectacular scenery and entertainment. But the truth is that Sardinia is largely unexplored and many of the island’s most beautiful areas are tranquil spots far from the famous Costa Smeralda or the cities of Sassari or Cagliari. Our program takes you on an unforgettable journey to the village of Riola Sardo near Oristano and a beautifully restored historic residence that will be your home away from home. Click here for more information on the 4-Day Program or 6-Day Program.
Italy On A Plate
By Germaine Stafford
Germaine continues her roundup of what’s happening in the culinary world in Italy and gives you her chef of the month, book recommendation, and a list of seasonal foods for April.
What’s in Season?
Pork products (salami etc.)
Octopus
Cod
Cuttlefish
Sea Bream
Spring lamb
Rosemary
Wild garlic
Radishes
Spinach
Watercress
Morel mushrooms
Asparagus
Artichokes
First fava beans (broad beans)
Jerusalem artichokes
First strawberries
Rhubarb
Restaurant Of The Month
Oste della Mal’ora, Terni, Umbria
Umbria always beckons in the springtime, its lush green hills and olive groves providing the perfect backdrop for a short break or weekend away from it all. This month we head to the delightful town of Terni, situated in the southernmost corner of Umbria where you’ll find the osteria/wine bar Oste della Mal’ora, a strange choice from some points of view, but a gem nevertheless. It may only be open in the evening and be closed for much of July and August, but we still think this is a place you should sniff out, as much for its unique, vibrant atmosphere as its gastronomic offerings. In truth, this restaurant is as popular with wine aficionados as it is with those who love eating, as owner Renzo Franceschini really knows his stuff. Founder of Vinarius, the association for Italian wine bars, Renzo is well known in the wine industry, both among producers and critics, and ordering wine at his osteria is a guarantee that you’ll be sampling some of Italy’s best, though not necessarily its most expensive. Thankfully.
There’s a true sense of passion and fun here. Like the wine, all food is selected and prepared with love and respect and reflects local culinary traditions, many different choices on the menu chosen to represent the typical seasonal products of nearby villages – pecorino cheese perhaps, salumi, chick peas or beans. But as a salute to Italian gastronomy on the whole, excellent produce also arrives from further afield, from Sicily, Veneto and Lombardy whenever something catches Renzo’s eye. It’s a strange thing, but those truly gifted at their job, in this case restauranteur, manage to infuse their work not only with excellence but also with enjoyment. It’s as if the osteria has taken on a life of its own, attracting like-minded people, curious, enthusiastic individuals towards its cultured but relaxed atmosphere. And that doesn’t just include diners, but also the staff who are happy to stop and explain dishes, wines, produce, anything really you may have a question about. Oste della Mal’ora has become a meeting place, a vibrant center of discussion, exchange and enjoyment. So, settle back, enjoy your goose salami, platter of marinated fish, oysters, cheeses (local and national), smoked herring salad, salmon, beef carpaccio, homemade tarts and desserts and don’t dare leave without the excellent chocolate tasting! Wine available both by the bottle and by the glass, and remember, this really is one place to accept your waiter’s or sommelier’s advice.
More information:
Oste della Mal’ora
Via Tre Archi, 5
05100 Terni
Tel: (+39) 0744 406 683
www.ostedellamalora.it
Book Of The Month
The Italian Baker, Revised: The Classic Tastes of the Italian Countryside–Its Breads, Pizza, Focaccia, Cakes, Pastries, and Cookies
By Carol Field
After the resounding success of the first publishing way back in 1986, Carol Field’s ‘The Italian Baker’ has been revised, updated and re-released. For a whole generation of chefs and home cooks, this book was a veritable bible of Italian baking, and even managed to become a classic in Italy, no small feat in a country whose every town and village has committed artisans creating quality regional bread each day. The thoroughness with which the subject is investigated and described is testament to the two years spent by the author in Italy as she researched bread-making from Lombardy to Sicily and there are stories and anecdotes regarding the rituals and etiquette connected with bread that illustrate just how serious an affair bread is to Italians.
So what can you expect to find in the book? Firstly, there is much discussion on the different breads and baked goods from Italy’s various regions, the ingredients, equipment and techniques used, and suggestions for substitutes whenever original Italian ingredients are unavailable. Field offers advice on everything from mixing ingredients to proving and rolling the dough, all of which help obtain a more authentic result. There are breads from particular towns like Terni in Umbria and Brianza, sweet bread from Milan, focaccia from Recco in Liguria and the famous bread of Altamura in Puglia. There are special occasion breads with additions such as anchovies, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, almonds and eggs, and sweet breads with currants, candied peel, figs and walnuts. Then again, pies and cakes with plums, lemon, ricotta, jams, marzipan, pears and cream, and nut-studded biscotti for every occasion. It’s a book that makes you want to bake, that will have you head straight to the kitchen to create your own irresistible Italian breads and pastries.
March Newsletter 2012
Fresh Recipes, New Kitchen Ideas, Food News & Fun Things To Do In Sunny Italy
As the flowers of March, Mimosa, Anemone-the wind flowers, Cynara-the flowers of the artichokes and Sweet Pea start to sprout, we know that Spring is almost here. Marzo, or March takes its name from the Roman god Mars, and at one time was actually the first month of the calendar year. It was the beginning of the Roman’s religious celebrations. Feriae Martius, was once their New Year’s Day in the old Roman calendar. On this sacred day a long time ago, the sacred fire of Vesta was rebuilt and laurel was hung on the Roman Forum building, Regia, the building where all the kings lived. March 19 is Saint Joseph’s Day. He was the protector and the saint of the family. It is also Father’s Day in Italy; and of course food celebrates the occasion. Zeppole, small and big, golden or baked, sugared or plain, cream filled or not, are everywhere. Everyone has their own recipe. Whether the secret is a zest of lemon or pinch of nutmeg they are always delicious and celebrate the feast day. We share with you my Mom’s recipe for Zeppole, read below for her secret for making the perfect little bites.
We have added several new hands-on cooking classes and programs! From Tuscany’s Beatrice’s Villa In The Tuscan Countryside, Nestled high within the Apennine Mountains lies the enchanting medieval town of Barga, home to Beatrice’s unique Tuscan cooking classes. Take a step back in time, Read more
Truffles & Traditions In Le Marche, for hands on cooking and truffles, Read more
Mamma Marie Lucia Teaches Italian Cooking At Eataly, April 3!
Join our family at Eataly, in New York City, as Chef Marie Lucia, my mom and everyone’s mom, hosts a cooking class and shares family recipes with dinner to follow. Join us in the kitchen at Eataly on April 3. The menu includes Spinach and olive pizza rustica, Paccheri & Zucchini, Aqua Pazza, and her famous wine biscotti! Wine included.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012 from 6:30pm-8:00pm (Eastern Time)
La Scuola at Eataly
200 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10010, United States
Call 1.212.229.2560 to register. Click here for more information.
Peter Ruta e l’Italia, Una Vita In Viaggio
Join our family in Ravello as we welcome our friend and great master painter, Peter Ruta, e l’Italia, Una Vita In Viaggo, translating to Peter Ruta And Italy The Travels Of A Painter. Peter who paints in oil and gouache, will showcase 60 oil paintings spanning from 1950 to the present. Set in the Villa Rufolo, the Museo will host Mr. Ruta’s work from April 7 to May 13. You also may be able to see the artist painting on site. Peter has been painting the sea, landscapes and beauty of the Positano and the Amalfi Coast since he first visited in and moved to in 1953. Do not miss this extraordinary exhibit where his beautiful works will be showcased for all to see and experience. Peter is known saying, “it is a mistake not to work from Nature.”
Enjoy!
Lauren
Table Talk
This year March has arrived in the best of ways – the snow’s all gone, the days are noticeably longer and when the sun’s out, you can even sit outside and soak up a bit of that welcome heat. The garden has suddenly sprung into life after a sleepy winter and there’s something a lot like excitement in the air. In the flower beds there’s good news and bad. The mice have decimated many of the tulips, crocus and snowdrops we planted last year, and had a good gnaw at the iris, but the daffodils seem to have gone untouched. The cold weather was too much for the daisies, but the dusty miller survived and all over the beds there are tender shoots breaking through the earth – peonies, monarda, lupins, echinacea, clumps of purple-blotched aquilegia petals, then asters and the first pretty lady’s mantle leaves that catch and hold the dew. And of course, it’s not just the garden that’s enjoying a new lease of life.
Down in the seaside towns, the streets are filling up, both with locals and tourists, and there’s definitely more of a spring (no pun intended) in folks’ steps. The beaches are no longer completely deserted: on sunny days, people flop fully-clothed onto the shingle shore, content to watch the kids play around them and listen to the waves lapping at the beach. A few brave (mad?) tourists may go for a paddle or even a swim, locals looking on, shaking their heads in disbelief. But of course, that’s all part of the fun.
Out and about there are lots of festivals and sagras to be visited, from the Chocolate Sagra ‘CioccoIitaly’ in Trento and the Boar Festival in Sassari on the island of Sardinia, to the Cuttlefish Sagra in Pinarella di Cervia near Ravenna. It’s also a great time to visit the many art cities before Easter hits and the tourist season takes off, with all the bigs like Rome, Venice, Naples and Florence offering an infinity of events and exhibitions. Then there’s the Feast of San Giuseppe, also known as father’s Day, on the 19th March; a scattering of Festa della Primavera festivals held all over the country on March 21st to celebrate the arrival of Spring; and on the 18th, the annual Rome marathon.
We hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter and that even if you can’t come to Italy, we manage to bring a little of Italy to you.
Food Notes
March – the month of transformation. Yes, all those wonderful winter veggies may be on their way out, but look at what’s just around the corner – the first tender asparagus, fava beans, peas, strawberries. In the vegetable garden, the prettiest thing has to be the romanesco – with its pointed florets, though the Savoy cabbages are also looking great and we have enough minestra and broccoli to feed a small village. I just got a call from a friend who says he’s cooking up the last of the pigs’ bones that he keeps under salt (the flavor’s not unlike that of a ham hock) and that he’ll bring us some hot for lunch, with some minestra and potatoes as an accompaniment. It may not be haute cuisine, but I still get a thrill from living and eating the way people here have been doing for centuries, very much in tune with the seasons, and absolutely steeped in the area’s culinary traditions.
Meanwhile, one One of M’s uncles has already been round to remind us that we need to get the onions planted and bringing us a strange type of small red-skinned potato that grows in just a couple of months, meaning it can be harvested in May rather than August – perfect for eating in an early summer potato salad or roasting whole along with a joint of meat. We took a stroll round the garden to check on the plants we (okay, he) grafted last year – the cherry trees, the kiwi and Sangiovese vines – we had about a 60% success rate which, all in all, isn’t too bad. I watched him last year as he spliced and bound the different branches together, working with the precision of a surgeon, each plant looking smart and trim once he’d finished. Before he left, he rattled off a series of tips and reminders, making it clear that there’s no more time for lazing about. Spring is here and it’s time to get busy.
Our recipes this month reflect the fact that we have one foot on either side of the fence – celebrating the end of one season with pumpkin parmigiana and farro and porcini soup, and the arrival of another.
Happy Cooking!
Recipes Of The Month
Carpaccio Di Carciofi ~ Artichoke Carpaccio
Courtesy of our Secret Garden Positano
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 4-6 Artichokes, cleaned and remove outside leaves
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as needed
- Lemon Juice, as needed
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- Parmesan Cheese, shavings
- Fresh Parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Slice artichokes finely and place on a serving plate.
- Splash with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
- Turn the artichoke slices a couple of times to gently marinate.
- Allow to marinate for 3-5 minutes.
- Top with Parmesan shavings and chopped fresh parsley and serve.
Pumpkin Parmesan
If you’ve never tried this delicious twist on eggplant parmesan, you don’t know what you’re missing. Remember however, that pumpkins tend to release water as they cook, thus the need for breadcrumbs. Similarly, if you choose to use the smoked mozzarella, make sure it’s not too fresh. One last word: do try to use a rich, flavorsome tomato sauce. I once made this with a sauce made from oven-roasted tomatoes and the final result was spectacular.
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 800g pumpkin or butternut squash
- 3 Eggs, beaten
- 75g Flour
- Salt and Pepper
- Freshly ground Nutmeg
- Vegetable Oil, for frying
- 600g Tomato Sauce
- Two generous handfuls of Breadcrumbs
- 500g smoked mozzarella (not too fresh) or caciocavallo, sliced thinly
- 50g Parmesan Cheese, grated
- Few leaves of fresh Basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.
- Peel pumpkin and cut into slices approximately 1 cm thick.
- Spread the flour on a shallow plate and season generously with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a deep frying pan then dip each slice of pumpkin first into the beaten egg then into the seasoned flour and fry until light golden brown on each side.
- Working in batches, fry only a few slices at a time. Drain pumpkin on kitchen paper.
- Layer half the pumpkin on the bottom of a rectangular ovenproof dish, season lightly with salt, cover with half the breadcrumbs then with half of the tomato sauce and a few basil leaves, followed by half of the cheese.
- Repeat one more time.
- Sprinkle the top with the Parmesan cheese and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until pumpkin is tender.
- Leave to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Farro & Porcini Mushroom Soup
Farro is a grain also known as spelt, but it is in fact emmer wheat. Most types don’t need to be pre-soaked, but read the instructions on the packet just in case. Farro is available in specialty shops and some supermarkets, but pearl barley would make a good substitute.
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 50 g dried Porcini Mushrooms
- 1 Onion, finely chopped
- 1 small Celery rib, finely chopped
- 50 g Pancetta, diced
- 50 ml Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 medium Potato, peeled and diced
- 1 tbsp Tomato Concentrate
- Bouquet garni with Rosemary, Sage, Bay leaf and Thyme
- 200g Farro
- 1 litre Vegetable Stock, boiling
- Handful of Parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Place the porcini in a small bowl and cover with hot water.
- Leave to soak for 30 – 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large earthenware pot, and add the chopped onion, celery and pancetta.
- Cook over a low heat, stirring often, until the onions are transparent.
- Squeeze the extra liquid from the porcini mushrooms and chop roughly, reserving the liquid.
- Add the porcini, the chopped potato, the tomato concentrate, the herbs and the farro to the pot and toss together for a couple of minutes.
- Filter the porcini liquid through a strainer into the hot vegetable broth and pour over the contents of the pot.
- Simmer for 30 – 40 minutes or until farro is just tender, adding more hot water if necessary.
- Garnish with the chopped parsley and a final drizzling of extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.
Pappardelle Con Fungi ~ Pappardelle (long, thin flat pasta) With Mushrooms
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 400 g of Pappardelle
- 300 g of Fresh Porcini Mushrooms
- 2 cloves of Garlic
- 6 tbs Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Handful of Mint or Mentuccia, chopped
- 50 g Parmesan cheese, grated
- Meat Broth, as required
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Wash the mushrooms thoroughly and cut into slices.
- In a frying pan heat the olive oil and brown the garlic, add chopped mint (or mentuccia) and mushrooms.
- Sauté for a few minutes and then add the broth, salt and pepper.
- Continue cooking over a low heat until reduced.
- Bring a pot of water to boil with plenty of salt.
- Add the pappardelle and a spoonful of olive oil.
- Once cooked drain the pasta and add the mushroom sauce.
- Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.
Mamma Marie Lucia’s Zeppole
My Mom’s Zeppole. You can never eat just one! That is what we say in Italy. This easy and healthy way of making Zeppole, without frying, gives you even more reason to not count while eating the tasty bites!
Number of servings: Makes about 18 to 20 Zeppole
Ingredients
For the Zeppole:
- 1 cup hot water
- 8 tbsp butter
- 8 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 tsp lemon zest
For the Filling – yellow cream:
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 6 to 8 tsp flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Put the milk and the sugar in a medium saucepan. Beat the eggs very well and add the vanilla.
- Add the flour last and mix well.
- Then cook slowly over a low, low heat and keep stirring.
- Wait until the cream cools, put in fridge for at least one hour, before filling the Zeppole.
- It will not get thick until it is cold in the fridge.
- To fill the Zeppole, open the Zeppole three quarters way round and fill.
- Preheat the oven at 450F.
- Grease your pan.
- Mix the water, butter, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to high heat and boil.
- As soon as the butter melts, add the flour and stir well.This process will only be a few seconds.
- Add the eggs, one by one and beat well.
- Add the zests. Mix well until very smooth.
- Spoon out the mixture on the pan, keeping them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350F and continue to bake another 15 minutes.
- Cool completely.
- Fill and sprinkle with Confectioner’s sugar.
Melody’s Vine Picks
Carpaccio Di Carciofi ~ Artichoke Carpaccio
Pair with: De Conciliis Falanghina 2008 750ml
Artichokes are not an easy food to pair with wine and add the lemon and it becomes even more difficult. For some taste buds, wines will taste sweet after Artichoke and for others, may leave a bitter taste. But don’t give up, try this refreshing spring dish with De Conciliis Falanghina, a native Campania grape, for a nice freshness and fruit!
Pumpkin Parmesan
Pair with: Valle Dell’Acate Il Frappato 2008 750ml
If you prepare this recipe without tomato, you may prefer a white or a bubbly with the sweetness of the pumpkin, but with the tomato reach for a red instead. This Sicilian red from the Frappato grape grown in the mineral rich Valle Dell’Acate in Southern Sicily is a great value and not one you’ll see everyday.
Farro & Porcini Soup
Pair with: Bisson Pigato 2007 750ml
Try a delicate white wine such as Cinque Terre’s native Pigate grape to allow the subtle flavors of the Porcini to stand and the herb notes complement perfectly.
Pappardelle Con Funghi Porcini
Pair with: Fattoria di Fubbiano Colline Lucchesi San Gennaro 2007 750ml
This Sangiovese- Canaiolo-Ciliegolo blend pairs nicely with the earthy flavors of this dish. As you’re taste-touring though Italy, try the local wines with the local foods and this Colline Lucchesi is just nearby Beatrice’s Villa in Tuscany.
Zeppole
Pair with: Limoncello
Coming soon- contact us if you are interested in ordering Limoncello of the Amalfi Coast, a lemony-sweet digestive liqueur to leave your palate cleansed and refreshed.
Cooking Vacations Program Of The Month
Beatrice’s Villa in the Tuscan Countryside
Cooking with Chefs Beatrice, Emma, and Anna in Barga
Nestled high within the Apennine Mountains lies the enchanting medieval town of Barga, home to Beatrice’s unique Tuscan cooking classes. Take a step back in time as you make your way down the Villa’s captivating and majestic garden path and through the century-old grand doorway. Beatrice and her team of chefs are waiting to take you on an unforgettable culinary adventure where you will learn the ancient secrets and methods of Italy’s most humble cuisine. Click here for more information on the 5-Day Program or 8-Day Program.
Italy On A Plate
By Germaine Stafford
Germaine continues her roundup of what’s happening in the culinary world in Italy and gives you her chef of the month, book recommendation, and a list of seasonal foods for March.
What’s in Season?
Pork products (salami etc.)
Octopus
Cod
Cuttlefish
Sea Bream
Swiss chard
Radicchio
Parsnips
Artichokes
Chicory
Celeriac
Fennel
Apples
Pears
Kiwis
First asparagus
First fava beans (broad beans)
Jerusalem artichokes
Restaurant Of The Month
Caffè Pedrocchi, Padova
Situated in a handsome, historic palazzo in the centre of Padova, Caffè Pedrocchi is more than a mere café, it’s a veritable institution: a gathering place, a place of culture, a literary club, the style of café you imagine providing the perfect backdrop to the exchange of important ideas. The Caffè has played, in fact, an important part of the city’s cultural and musical history, and the structure has been given a boost by management over recent years, to revitalize both the atmosphere and the quality of service.
The upstairs rooms are museums of sorts, and it’s here that you can attend the various cultural events. This month, for example, sees a series of jazz nights, readings from Nietzsche entitled ‘Philosophy as Therapy’, and an exhibition by the English artist Jasmine Pradissito. But there are also Fathers’ Day celebrations, gastronomic evenings, meetings on economy and politics and even the occasional fashion show.
But let’s get back to the café proper. As you’d expect, the coffee is excellent as are the pastries, and anyone near enough to enjoy breakfast here would be well advised to do so. You might even want to try their signature coffee – Caffè Pedrocchi- an espresso laced with cool, fresh mint and given a sprinkling of cocoa. Perhaps even more enjoyable, however, is stopping off for a pre-dinner aperitivo or cocktail – and here you’ll really get to enjoy the staff’s skills, as mixed drinks are a real specialty – then sit back for a spot of people watching. If you feel peckish, there is a lunchtime menu available, offering everything from smoked salmon, a platter of local cheeses, and homemade pastas including another of Pedrocchi’s specialties, their coffee scented tagliatelle with scampi. After which you might opt for some grilled lamb, guinea hen, steak or catch of the day. To finish, it’s difficult to resist Pedrocchi’s zabaione, but if you manage, you might as well reward yourself with a crème caramel. After all, it’s not every day you come to Caffè Pedrocchi…
More information:
Caffè Pedrocchi
Via VIII Febbraio 15
Padova
Tel: +39 049 8781231
www.caffepedrocchi.it
Book Of The Month
Cucina Povera, Tuscan Peasant Cooking
by Pamela Sheldon Johns, Andrew McMeel Publishing
Who would have thought that Italy, the land of culinary plenty and excess, had a history of hardship and famine? And yet it’s true. At the turn of last century and after the Second World War especially, from north to south, many families survived on a handful of humble ingredients, growing what they could on whatever land was available and often foraging for wild greens to supplement their diet. But, as Sheldon points out in her latest work, this experience led to home cooks developing great skill in the kitchen, and their learning how to transform the very simplest of ingredients into nourishing, tasty dishes for the family. Tuscan peasant cooking is the perfect example of this type of philosophy, where seasonal ingredients are the cornerstone of local cuisine, where nothing is wasted and every last scrap of food or leftovers transformed into wholesome meals.
Sheldon’s story of moving to Tuscany and embracing local culinary customs makes for interesting reading and comes as a timely reminder that very often less is indeed more. As she takes us from antipasti and soup recipes to pasta and grain dishes and those using meat and fish, the author’s marvel at such delicious results deriving from such humble origins is apparent. Antipasti often feature preserved foods such as salami or cheese, or make use of year-round staples like chestnut flour or eggs. Soups make the best of whatever is to hand resulting in onion soup, zuppa di farro, tomato soup and the wonderfully named ‘cooked water’. Pastas and grains are combined with wild hare, tomato sauce or simple breadcrumbs, and meat and fish dishes are based on traditional Tuscan fare – pork, pork liver, pigeon, rabbit and even beef cheeks. Desserts come in the form of fruit tarts, walnut and honey bars, ricotta cake, almond cookies and baked apples, to name a few, and are perfectly fitting with the down to earth, country-style feel of the book – no fuss but delicious.
March 2012
Carpaccio Di Carciofi ~ Artichoke Carpaccio
Courtesy of our Secret Garden Positano
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 4-6 Artichokes, cleaned and remove outside leaves
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as needed
- Lemon Juice, as needed
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- Parmesan Cheese, shavings
- Fresh Parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Slice artichokes finely and place on a serving plate.
- Splash with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
- Turn the artichoke slices a couple of times to gently marinate.
- Allow to marinate for 3-5 minutes.
- Top with Parmesan shavings and chopped fresh parsley and serve.
Pumpkin Parmesan
If you’ve never tried this delicious twist on eggplant parmesan, you don’t know what you’re missing. Remember however, that pumpkins tend to release water as they cook, thus the need for breadcrumbs. Similarly, if you choose to use the smoked mozzarella, make sure it’s not too fresh. One last word: do try to use a rich, flavorsome tomato sauce. I once made this with a sauce made from oven-roasted tomatoes and the final result was spectacular.
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 800g pumpkin or butternut squash
- 3 Eggs, beaten
- 75g Flour
- Salt and Pepper
- Freshly ground Nutmeg
- Vegetable Oil, for frying
- 600g Tomato Sauce
- Two generous handfuls of Breadcrumbs
- 500g smoked mozzarella (not too fresh) or caciocavallo, sliced thinly
- 50g Parmesan Cheese, grated
- Few leaves of fresh Basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.
- Peel pumpkin and cut into slices approximately 1 cm thick.
- Spread the flour on a shallow plate and season generously with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a deep frying pan then dip each slice of pumpkin first into the beaten egg then into the seasoned flour and fry until light golden brown on each side.
- Working in batches, fry only a few slices at a time. Drain pumpkin on kitchen paper.
- Layer half the pumpkin on the bottom of a rectangular ovenproof dish, season lightly with salt, cover with half the breadcrumbs then with half of the tomato sauce and a few basil leaves, followed by half of the cheese.
- Repeat one more time.
- Sprinkle the top with the Parmesan cheese and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until pumpkin is tender.
- Leave to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Farro & Porcini Mushroom Soup
Farro is a grain also known as spelt, but it is in fact emmer wheat. Most types don’t need to be pre-soaked, but read the instructions on the packet just in case. Farro is available in specialty shops and some supermarkets, but pearl barley would make a good substitute.
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 50 g dried Porcini Mushrooms
- 1 Onion, finely chopped
- 1 small Celery rib, finely chopped
- 50 g Pancetta, diced
- 50 ml Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 medium Potato, peeled and diced
- 1 tbsp Tomato Concentrate
- Bouquet garni with Rosemary, Sage, Bay leaf and Thyme
- 200g Farro
- 1 litre Vegetable Stock, boiling
- Handful of Parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Place the porcini in a small bowl and cover with hot water.
- Leave to soak for 30 – 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large earthenware pot, and add the chopped onion, celery and pancetta.
- Cook over a low heat, stirring often, until the onions are transparent.
- Squeeze the extra liquid from the porcini mushrooms and chop roughly, reserving the liquid.
- Add the porcini, the chopped potato, the tomato concentrate, the herbs and the farro to the pot and toss together for a couple of minutes.
- Filter the porcini liquid through a strainer into the hot vegetable broth and pour over the contents of the pot.
- Simmer for 30 – 40 minutes or until farro is just tender, adding more hot water if necessary.
- Garnish with the chopped parsley and a final drizzling of extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.
Pappardelle Con Fungi ~ Pappardelle (long, thin flat pasta) With Mushrooms
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients
- 400 g of Pappardelle
- 300 g of Fresh Porcini Mushrooms
- 2 cloves of Garlic
- 6 tbs Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Handful of Mint or Mentuccia, chopped
- 50 g Parmesan cheese, grated
- Meat Broth, as required
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Wash the mushrooms thoroughly and cut into slices.
- In a frying pan heat the olive oil and brown the garlic, add chopped mint (or mentuccia) and mushrooms.
- Sauté for a few minutes and then add the broth, salt and pepper.
- Continue cooking over a low heat until reduced.
- Bring a pot of water to boil with plenty of salt.
- Add the pappardelle and a spoonful of olive oil.
- Once cooked drain the pasta and add the mushroom sauce.
- Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.
Mamma Marie Lucia’s Zeppole
My Mom’s Zeppole. You can never eat just one! That is what we say in Italy. This easy and healthy way of making Zeppole, without frying, gives you even more reason to not count while eating the tasty bites!
Number of servings: Makes about 18 to 20 Zeppole
Ingredients
For the Zeppole:
- 1 cup hot water
- 8 tbsp butter
- 8 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 tsp lemon zest
For the Filling – yellow cream:
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 6 to 8 tsp flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Put the milk and the sugar in a medium saucepan. Beat the eggs very well and add the vanilla.
- Add the flour last and mix well.
- Then cook slowly over a low, low heat and keep stirring.
- Wait until the cream cools, put in fridge for at least one hour, before filling the Zeppole.
- It will not get thick until it is cold in the fridge.
- To fill the Zeppole, open the Zeppole three quarters way round and fill.
- Preheat the oven at 450F.
- Grease your pan.
- Mix the water, butter, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to high heat and boil.
- As soon as the butter melts, add the flour and stir well.This process will only be a few seconds.
- Add the eggs, one by one and beat well.
- Add the zests. Mix well until very smooth.
- Spoon out the mixture on the pan, keeping them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350F and continue to bake another 15 minutes.
- Cool completely.
- Fill and sprinkle with Confectioner’s sugar.
Bologna Accommodations
February Newsletter 2012
Winter Recipes & Food News From Cooking Vacations
Dreaming of chocolate! How sweet it is as we dive into everything chocolate this month in the kitchen, boosting our energy and celebrating Saint Valentine’s in every little bite!
The love story of chocolate runs long and deep going back to Christopher Columbus, who had brought loads of dark cocoa beans to Europe from the Maya in 1502. And as this new food spread its way throughout Europe, it made its way across tables and cafes in the form of cookies, brownies, biscotti, cakes, tarts, terrines, truffles, trifles, puddings, parfaits, mousses, soufflés, and sauces. Bite in and don’t worry because chocolate is good for you! It helps the mind think creatively.
Comprised of stearic acid, a neutral fat that does not increase bad cholesterol (LDL), oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat, the same found in olive oil, and flavonoids loaded with beneficial antioxidants, chocolate in moderation is good for you. And who can we thank for this large consumption of chocolate this month, San Valentino.
Yes, thanks to the saint of love for February 14. Legend tells that during the reign of Claudius II, 270 AD, marriages were not allowed because the soldiers were needed in war, and it was said that single men made better soldiers. Bishop Valentine went against this practice and often married people in secret just the same. He was jailed on February 14, and from his cell he wrote love letters signed from Saint Valentine.
So celebrate February with lots of chocolate and love and do not forget to try our chocolate recipes. Hand-made gifts make the best ones.
Top Toasts!
Cooking Vacations has cooked up, Top Toasts! Mark Porcaro, Executive Chef at Top of the Hub, will welcome Vincenzo Esposito, Executive Chef, & Rosa Taddeo, owner, of Hotel Villa Franca in Positano, Italy, to the sky-high restaurant on the 52nd floor of The Prudential Tower for a special collaboration of their talents and cuisines entitled “Top of the Hub Toasts The Amalfi Coast.” Combining the best of American and Italian flavors and traditions, a regional wine & hors d’oeuvres pairing evening will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 16. A special four-course regional wine dinner will follow at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 17. Additionally, select menu items marking the American-Italian collaboration will be added to Top of the Hub’s traditional Dinner Menu during April.
All events are presented in partnership with Top Of The Hub, The Lenox Hotel, Hotel Villa Franca and Cooking Vacations Italy.
Space is limited for these exceptional events.
For information and advance reservations (required for both events), please call 617-536-1775.
Eataly NYC
Join our family at Eataly in New York City, as Chef Marie Lucia, my mom and everyone’s mom, hosts a cooking class and shares family recipes with dinner following. Tie on your apron too, and step into the kitchen at Eataly. Click here for more information.
Enjoy!
Lauren
Table Talk
February has arrived in a flurry of snow and ice in Italy. True to their reputation, the ‘giorni della merla’ (the last three days of January – the so called ‘days of the blackbird,’ were indeed some of the coldest days of the year so far. But that’s no bad thing. The thin mantle of snow (thick carpet in the north!) is doing its job, slowly melting and seeping into the dry countryside, ensuring the earth has all the moisture it needs to face the upcoming spring and summer. And it’s always a beautiful sight to behold: the frosted branches of trees outlined against the sky, the low pewter skies that precede a silent snow fall and the magical glow of a snow-covered countryside at night.
But February, the month of Carnevale with its rowdy celebrations, the reflective period of Lent, and festivals celebrating everything from Almond Flowers to Songs, is also the month to celebrate your loved one, taking advantage of Saint Valentine’s Day. True, the Italians don’t tend to celebrate San Valentino to the same extent as we do, but it is nevertheless becoming increasingly popular. Although there have been various Saints called Valentino over the centuries, it is San Valentino of Terno who is widely held to be the patron saint of lovers.
So we thought it would be fun to celebrate San Valentino’s Italian-style this year by taking a look at some fun aphrodisiac foods. Take the humble chili pepper (often called natural Viagra) for example, an ingredient widely known to provoke a general increase in heart rate and circulation. Or oysters with their mineral salts and high zinc content or chocolate which contains phenylethylamine and serotonin which are both ‘feel good’ chemicals similar to those produced by the brain when you’re in love. Not to talk of saffron, truffles, caviar, licorice, nutmeg, papaya, ginseng and a host of other ingredients with magical properties. As you can see, there are plenty of foods to choose from. But joking apart, perhaps the best way to enjoy a romantic evening is simply to put on some favorite music, light up some candles and have a bottle of Prosecco ready to start the evening with a bang. After which, it’s up to you….
So wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, we hope you’re having as much fun this February as we’re having here in Italy…
February Food Notes
In the kitchen garden, February means greens. There’s plenty of produce in season, and it’s almost all green. From the pale green of fennel and white cabbages and the lime green Romanesco broccoli to the rich deep green of Savoy cabbage, Christmas broccoli and minestra, and the deliciously dark kale and cavolo nero with their green-black leaves – all these vegetables are packed with beta carotenes, vitamin C and calcium and are also rich in sulforaphane, a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties. So let’s get busy and use them!
As side dishes these vegetables are perfect either steamed, or sautéed simply with a few flavorings, but during the cold winter months it’s difficult not to think of transforming them into hearty soups and stews or adding them to warming pasta dishes or risottos. At the simplest level, they make great additions to a winter minestrone soup for example, but there are other dishes that really make these greens sing. How about the dish called cassoeula from Lombardia that combines a selection of pork cuts with Savoy cabbage to form the kind of dinner you’ll find sticking to your ribs a few days after you’ve eaten it. Light it is not, but delicious it is! Or maybe a generous plate of broccoli rabe with flavorsome sausage or pezzente, or a warming minestra maritata from the Campania area, a cleansing meat and greens soup that brings together boiled meats with broccoli leaves, as well as chicory, cabbage or broccoli rabe. Other favorites are stuffed cabbage or cabbage leaves, orecchiette with broccoli rabe, baked fennel with Parmesan and that wonderful Tuscan soup, ribollita. So we’ll leave you with two of our favorite recipes hoping that you too, this month, find time to cook up a little Italian warmth and comfort…
Recipes From Our Kitchen
Baked Fennel With Parmesan
Ingredients
- 4 medium fennel bulbs
- 250ml fresh cream
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 50g Parmesan cheese shavings
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 375°F.
- Bring a pan of slightly salted water to the boil.
- Clean and trim fennel bulbs and cut into wedges then boil for 5 – 7 mins (depending on thickness) and drain well.
- Place the fennel in a buttered ovenproof dish and in a bowl, mix together the cream, crushed garlic and nutmeg and season with a little salt and pepper.
- Pour cream mixture over fennel and scatter Parmesan shavings on top.
- Bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until fennel topping is golden brown and fennel is tender.
Ribollita: Tuscan Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 250g dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 white onion, sliced
- 2 carrots, cut into small chunks
- 2 ribs celery, cut into small chunks
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Few sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
- 350g cavolo nero, kale or Savoy cabbage, cleaned and cut into strips
- Toasted country-style bread
Instructions
- Drain the beans and boil for an hour and a half (or until tender) in abundant water, adding salt towards the end of the cooking time. (Reserve this bean water.)
- Pour a good drizzling of olive oil into a pan and add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté for 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, thyme and tomatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, purée two thirds of the cooked beans with a little of their cooking water, and add this purée to the pan.
- Throw in the cavolo nero, season with salt and pepper, and add enough of the bean water to cover ingredients.
- Simmer for an hour, stirring every so often to stop mixture sticking to bottom of pan, and adding a little more bean water if necessary.
- At this point, add the remaining whole beans and cook for a further 20 minutes.
- Check seasoning and serve over some toasted country-style bread with a generous drizzling of extra-virgin olive oil.
Be My Valentine!
Double Chocolate Biscotti
By Momma Marie Lucia
Ingredients
- 2 cups of flour
- ½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons of canola oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of chopped walnuts
- ¾ cup of semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon of confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a second bowl mix butter and sugar and with a mixer beat until very fluffy.
- Add the eggs and continue to beat.
- Add the flour making the batter stiff.
- Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips.
- On a greased cookie sheet with floured hands form dough into two long logs. Each log should be about 12 inches long and 2 inches wide.
- Sprinkle with a little of confectioners sugar.
- Bake logs at 350° F for 30 to 35 minutes until almost done.
- Remove and cool.
- On a cutting board, cut the biscotti diagonally into ¾ inch slices. Arrange biscotti cut sides down on the cookie sheet and re-bake for 5 to 10 minutes until crispy.
- Cool well.
- When they are completely cool, sprinkle with confectioners sugar.
Choco Biscotti
By Lauren
Tracing back to the days of the Renaissance, these choco bites with a mix of pistachios and nuts are a salty sweet treat that when stacked into piles can be stacked and tied in cello bags-make the perfect homemade gift.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces of semi sweet organic chocolate chips
- ¼ pound of unsalted butter cut into little soft pieces
- 4 eggs
- 1 ¼ cup of dark turbinado sugar
- ¼ teaspoon of vanilla or ½ vanilla bean
- ¾ cup of organic white flour
- ½ teaspoon of baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon of sea salt or sea salt with lavender
- 3 ounces of cleaned pistachios
- 1 zest of organic non-waxed orange
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate and the butter in a double boiler.
- When melted set aside, keep warm.
- Mix well at high speed the eggs and sugar until fluffy.
- When they start to form, add the melted chocolate, then vanilla and mix.
- Slowly fold in the flour, then the baking powder and salt.
- Add the remaining chocolate and pistachios.
- Put the dough in the refrigerator until firm or for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper and spray with canola spray.
- Spoon out golf ball size dough rounds on the cookie sheet spacing each one about 3 inches apart.
- Bake until biscotti are brown.
- When baking is complete, remove and let cool on a rack.
- Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.
Choco Truffles
By Lauren
Ingredients
- 1 cup of fresh firm raspberries, or coconut, or candied ginger
- 1 lb of organic semisweet chips
- 1 1/2 cups of organic heavy cream
- Pinch of sea salt
- A mound of unsweetened organic cocoa powder, for dusting the final truffles in.
Instructions
- Chocolate truffles are delicious small bites of chocolate. You can use your imagination in flavors and fruits.
- Puree the berries, if using berries or dice the candied ginger into very, very small pieces.
- Melt down the chocolate chips in a double boiler until almost melted.
- Leave them a little chunky.
- In a double boiler heat the cream until warm.
- Mix the cream and chocolate together with a whisk.
- Add the raspberry puree, or ginger or coconut.
- Add a pinch of salt.
- Put in the fridge for 1 hour.
- In the meantime, fill a rounded plate with organic cocoa powder.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and shape out dough into 1 inch round balls.
- If the dough is still very soft, put them on a cookie sheet and refrigerate until firm.
- After you have shaped out the dough, roll into the cocoa thoroughly coating them.
- Keep them in a sealed container in the fridge, they will keep for about 1 week.
Melody’s Vine Picks
Baked Fennel With Parmesan
Pair with: Peter Dipoli Sauvignon Voglar 2007
This wonderfully herby Sauvignon Blanc from the mountains of Alto Adige complements the warm aromas of the fennel just right.
Ribollita: Tuscan Bean Soup
Pair with: Principe Corsini Le Corti Chianti Classico 2007
What could pair better with this hearty Tuscan soup, than a Tuscan classic: Chianti Classico. A nice acidy and smoky flavor, balance the earthiness of the beans and cavolo nero.
Double Chocolate & Choco Biscotti
Pair with: La Sala Vin Santo 2003 500ml
Though dessert wines are often not a favorite, the complexity of the aromas from honey to dried apricot in this Vin Santo are perfect for these little nutty treats.
Choco Truffles
Pair with: Ca’ dei Mandorli Brachetto d’Acqui Donne Dei Boschi 2010
Especially if you go with the raspberries or coconut in your truffles, try this semi-sweet red sparkling wine with aromas of wild strawberries and rose. If you opt for the candied ginger, try a Franciacorta such as Barone Pizzini Brut Franciacorta NV.
Cooking Vacations Programs Of The Month
Couples Cooking ~ Culinary Vacations For Two
This Valentine’s Day, check out our Couples Cooking ~ a Cooking Vacations program designed for you & your significant other. Imagine a romantic terrace overlooking Lake Como, or shutters that open to rolling fields of Tuscan sunflowers! Spend an exciting vacation in Italy, while participating in hands-on romantic cooking classes that explore the sensory pleasures of the kitchen. Each program is original and authentic and will have you experiencing the food, art & music of Italy. Click here to read more.
Italy On A Plate
By Germaine Stafford
Germaine continues her roundup of what’s happening in the culinary world in Italy and gives you her chef of the month, book recommendation, and a list of seasonal foods for February.
What’s in Season?
Pork
Octopus
Cod
Cuttlefish
Sea Bream
Baccalà
Swiss chard
Cabbage
Parsnips
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Carrots
Cauliflower
Broccoli rabe
Beetroot
Leeks
Celeriac
Fennel
Apples
Pears
Oranges
Lemons
Restaurant Of The Month
Al Pestello, Vicenza
Situated between Padova and Verona, Vicenza is a thriving northern town that is often passed over in favor of Venice and other nearby jewels, which is a great pity as it has much to offer visitors. Apart from the museums, art galleries and attractive piazzas, there’s the unique Teatro Olimpico and the many elegant Palladian villas that give the town its distinct appearance. One of the great things about Vicenza is that it can easily be explored on foot, with most of the attractions being located within the historic center. And a stroll around town is the best way to work up an appetite…
This month’s restaurant, Al Pestello is just a few steps from Vicenza’s main thoroughfare Corso Palladio, and is the ideal spot for sampling some traditional cucina Vicentina. Like most regional Italian cuisines, making the best of a handful of local ingredients is at the heart of Vicentina cooking and Fabio Carta, professional sommelier and owner of Al Pestello, is committed to keeping alive many local culinary traditions that are slowly disappearing. First of all, the menu is written in Veneto dialect (Fabio will explain!) and contains all the best known local specialties: bigoi co’ l’arna – homemade pasta with duck sauce, poènta e scopetòn – polenta with herring, bacalà a’ la visentina – Baccalà Vicenza-style and bisata in tècia – braised eel. But of course, there are many other alternatives based on excellent local seasonal produce such as radicchio from Treviso, thick white asparagus from nearby Bassano, local mushrooms, beans, artichokes, peas, rabbit, kid and lamb, salumi and fresh-water fish as well as a selection of handmade pasta and rice dishes. If you’re lucky, you might even happen on one of Fabio’s cultural and musical evenings where local musicians provide the perfect backdrop to dinner.
We first visited Al Pestello twenty years ago. It was a fabulous night: wonderful food, local wine and the very best of company. And it’s comforting to see that over the years, very little has changed.
Al Pestello
Contrà S. Stefano 3
36100 Vicenza
Tel: (+39) 0444 323721
Web: www.ristorantealpestello.it
Book Of The Month
The Country Cooking of Italy
by Coleman Andrews
When Coleman Andrews puts pen to paper you’re usually in for a treat, and true to form, his latest volume The Country Cooking of Italy is no exception. There are few more qualified food writers out there: editor, cookbook writer, gastronome extraordinaire, Andrews brings an encyclopedic knowledge of his subject to bear as he treats us to peasant cooking from Italy’s various regions. As the title suggests, dishes with their roots in Italy’s cities – be it Margherita pizza from Naples or risi e bisi (rice with peas) from Venice – aren’t covered in the book, which instead concentrates on offerings from the surrounding countryside and smaller provincial towns and villages. Many of the recipes are the result of his countless trips to Italy, while others have been part of his culinary repertoire as long as he can remember and have no traceable source.
As Andrews notes, Italian food grew out of poverty, but also a fundamental respect for the land and what it yielded. But this certainly doesn’t mean dishes are anything less than delicious. Think of squash blossom frittata, broccoli rabe with olive oil and sea salt, lamb broth or lemon risotto – no exotic ingredients to speak of but the names alone are enough get your appetite going. Tuna pâté, taglierini with pesto of basil, parsley and marjoram, polenta with white beans and kale, marinated lettuce – all simple recipes that promise flavorsome dishes with minimum effort. Another great thing about authentic country cooking is the need to combine available seasonal ingredients, often resulting in unusual but appealing combinations: thus Andrews includes chestnut gnocchi with pine nut pesto; partridge with cabbage; fennel, orange and onion salad; and roast sea bass with chanterelles.
Desserts and cakes are just as simple, and again, based on a fundamental seasonal ingredient – Friulana nut cake, Trentino apple fritters, figs with Gorgonzola, almond cake, pistachio gelato, pear sorbetto, cornmeal cookies, all a reminder that very often, simple food is the best.
February 2012
Baked Fennel With Parmesan
Ingredients
- 4 medium fennel bulbs
- 250ml fresh cream
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 50g Parmesan cheese shavings
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 375°F.
- Bring a pan of slightly salted water to the boil.
- Clean and trim fennel bulbs and cut into wedges then boil for 5 – 7 mins (depending on thickness) and drain well.
- Place the fennel in a buttered ovenproof dish and in a bowl, mix together the cream, crushed garlic and nutmeg and season with a little salt and pepper.
- Pour cream mixture over fennel and scatter Parmesan shavings on top.
- Bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until fennel topping is golden brown and fennel is tender.
Ribollita: Tuscan Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 250g dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 white onion, sliced
- 2 carrots, cut into small chunks
- 2 ribs celery, cut into small chunks
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Few sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
- 350g cavolo nero, kale or Savoy cabbage, cleaned and cut into strips
- Toasted country-style bread
Instructions
- Drain the beans and boil for an hour and a half (or until tender) in abundant water, adding salt towards the end of the cooking time. (Reserve this bean water.)
- Pour a good drizzling of olive oil into a pan and add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté for 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, thyme and tomatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, purée two thirds of the cooked beans with a little of their cooking water, and add this purée to the pan.
- Throw in the cavolo nero, season with salt and pepper, and add enough of the bean water to cover ingredients.
- Simmer for an hour, stirring every so often to stop mixture sticking to bottom of pan, and adding a little more bean water if necessary.
- At this point, add the remaining whole beans and cook for a further 20 minutes.
- Check seasoning and serve over some toasted country-style bread with a generous drizzling of extra-virgin olive oil.
Be My Valentine!
Double Chocolate Biscotti
By Momma Marie Lucia
Ingredients
- 2 cups of flour
- ½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons of canola oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of chopped walnuts
- ¾ cup of semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon of confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a second bowl mix butter and sugar and with a mixer beat until very fluffy.
- Add the eggs and continue to beat.
- Add the flour making the batter stiff.
- Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips.
- On a greased cookie sheet with floured hands form dough into two long logs. Each log should be about 12 inches long and 2 inches wide.
- Sprinkle with a little of confectioners sugar.
- Bake logs at 350° F for 30 to 35 minutes until almost done.
- Remove and cool.
- On a cutting board, cut the biscotti diagonally into ¾ inch slices. Arrange biscotti cut sides down on the cookie sheet and re-bake for 5 to 10 minutes until crispy.
- Cool well.
- When they are completely cool, sprinkle with confectioners sugar.
Choco Biscotti
By Lauren
Tracing back to the days of the Renaissance, these choco bites with a mix of pistachios and nuts are a salty sweet treat that when stacked into piles can be stacked and tied in cello bags-make the perfect homemade gift.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces of semi sweet organic chocolate chips
- ¼ pound of unsalted butter cut into little soft pieces
- 4 eggs
- 1 ¼ cup of dark turbinado sugar
- ¼ teaspoon of vanilla or ½ vanilla bean
- ¾ cup of organic white flour
- ½ teaspoon of baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon of sea salt or sea salt with lavender
- 3 ounces of cleaned pistachios
- 1 zest of organic non-waxed orange
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate and the butter in a double boiler.
- When melted set aside, keep warm.
- Mix well at high speed the eggs and sugar until fluffy.
- When they start to form, add the melted chocolate, then vanilla and mix.
- Slowly fold in the flour, then the baking powder and salt.
- Add the remaining chocolate and pistachios.
- Put the dough in the refrigerator until firm or for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper and spray with canola spray.
- Spoon out golf ball size dough rounds on the cookie sheet spacing each one about 3 inches apart.
- Bake until biscotti are brown.
- When baking is complete, remove and let cool on a rack.
- Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.
Choco Truffles
By Lauren
Ingredients
- 1 cup of fresh firm raspberries, or coconut, or candied ginger
- 1 lb of organic semisweet chips
- 1 1/2 cups of organic heavy cream
- Pinch of sea salt
- A mound of unsweetened organic cocoa powder, for dusting the final truffles in.
Instructions
- Chocolate truffles are delicious small bites of chocolate. You can use your imagination in flavors and fruits.
- Puree the berries, if using berries or dice the candied ginger into very, very small pieces.
- Melt down the chocolate chips in a double boiler until almost melted.
- Leave them a little chunky.
- In a double boiler heat the cream until warm.
- Mix the cream and chocolate together with a whisk.
- Add the raspberry puree, or ginger or coconut.
- Add a pinch of salt.
- Put in the fridge for 1 hour.
- In the meantime, fill a rounded plate with organic cocoa powder.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and shape out dough into 1 inch round balls.
- If the dough is still very soft, put them on a cookie sheet and refrigerate until firm.
- After you have shaped out the dough, roll into the cocoa thoroughly coating them.
- Keep them in a sealed container in the fridge, they will keep for about 1 week.
January Newsletter 2012
Winter Recipes & Food News From Cooking Vacations
Warm winter lentil soup, double baked polenta, lemon pound cake and a perfect bottle of Vino Rosso d’Alba, are the recipe for a cold winter night. As we keep busy in the kitchen at Cooking Vacations with soul warming foods of winter, we are also cooking up a storm of fun foodie events including a major USA food and wine event coming in March, along with the chance to cook family recipes with my Mom, Marie Lucia in New York City, to a one man art show in Ravello with our favorite artist Peter Ruta… keep your aprons on for more cooking news to come!
Buon Appetito!
Lauren
Table Talk
Buon Anno from Cooking Vacations
We hope 2012 has begun in the best of ways for you. At the beginning of a new year it’s not unusual to spend a little time planning and dreaming about the months to come, the goals you hope to reach, the old friends you’d like to see again and the vacations you’d like to take. But it’s also fun to look back and remember all the wonderful things 2011 year brought. It would appear the sages are right – the more grateful you are for what you have, the more great things seem to come your way! At Cooking Vacations, 2011 brought us many new guests from around the world, even including a Princess and her family! It included food trips to Tuscany, Umbria, Bologna, Rome, Venice, the Amalfi Coast & Capri and with talented chefs and cooks on our team. It brought time spent with our American and Italian families, some of whom got married, others of whom were blessed with new additions to their family. It gave us a wet blustery spring, but a summer that continued almost until November.
We are looking forward to welcoming new guests to Italy, enjoy the produce from our vegetable garden, discover new hidden areas of Italy and enjoy the foods made together amongst friends and family around the table. We want everyone to eat healthily and sensibly, but without missing out on the many occasions for celebration and that little brindisi, as Italians are so famous for. La gioia di vivere makes Italy – Italy!!
Food Notes
Germaine Stafford, food lover, shares with us our favorite food notes on last year’s best hot picks. Good food comes in many different guises and a simple country style meal enjoyed with friends can be just as memorable as a visit to a well-loved restaurant. So we thought it would be fun to list some of our favorite food memories of 2011.
One of the highlights was being involved in the preparation of typical pork products at the beginning of the year, deciding what cuts we wanted, and watching the meat being skillfully transformed into prosciutto, salami, sausages, cutlets, lard and pancetta. Now, apart from the joy of having all these products on hand to use throughout the year, the lunch at the farmer’s was a lesson in simplicity, and how an early morning start and hours spent in a cold barn can work wonders for your appetite. That day we sat down to golden rounds of bread cooked in a wood oven and a few slices of salami spread with a homemade chili jelly followed by generous servings of pasta with ragù. Next we ate fresh fish, meat, ribs and cotiche used to make the ragù, intertwined with paper thin prosciutto and a good glass of Signore Michele’s wine. Simply delicious.
Then in spring came the fresh fava beans and peas from the vegetable garden, both of which we remember for their wonderful intense flavor. A dinner at Il Buco in Sorrento gave us an unforgettable warm almond and lemon soufflé with prosecco sorbet and a wild berry sauce, an evening with friends a stunning carpaccio of local beef served with nothing more than a few shavings of white truffle and a delicate drizzling of extra virgin olive oil, and a gala dinner with two star Chef Gennaro Esposito delighted us with a unique risotto with home-smoked fish, lemon, a hint of hot pepper and flecks of fried seaweed, followed by slow-cooked suckling pig with figs served with apricot sauce. There were countless other occasions where we sat back replete and happy, but these are the tastes that spring to mind.
2012 will hold new tastes, journeys and adventures visiting Italian villages with their gastronomic traditions and food sagras, and of course, lots of laughter with friends and family around the table. May 2012 be a delicious year for you!
Recipes From Our Kitchen
Lentil Winter Soup
By Lauren
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup of small size brown organic lentils washed well.
- ½ cup or a big hearty handful of fresh Italian parsley, chopped. (I personally am generous with the parsley).
- 1 stalk of celery, sliced and chopped into small pieces
- 1 cup of mini organic carrots sliced and chopped into small bites
- 3 sprigs of garlic
- Sea salt
- Extra Virgin first-cold pressed olive oil
- 1 piece of fresh ginger, peeled and shaved and chopped into small pieces, equaling about 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons.
- ½ pound of lean ground Sirloin beef.
- 1 or 2 small dried chili peppers, optional (to taste).
- Black ground peppercorns
Instructions
- Take a copper soup pan if you have one, or any deep soup pan will do. Drizzle the bottom of the pan generously with Extra Virgin, first-cold-pressed olive oil, warm it up and add the garlic. Let it blond. Remove the garlic.
- Add the celery, carrots, parsley and ginger, sprinkle with a pinch or two of sea salt to taste. Add the chili pepper (optional).
- Add a splash of water and let simmer / sauté.
- Take the ground beef and mix in a handful of finely chopped parsley, a pinch of sea salt, a few turns of ground black peppercorns, a few drizzles of olive oil, and mold into small balls, (into the approx size of a big gum ball).
- When the vegetables on the stovetop are soft add the meatballs and sauté.
- When the meatballs are halfway cooked, add the lentils and stir, then add a liter and a half of water.
- Let simmer for 45 minutes or more on slow low heat.
- While the soup is simmering, take Italian hard crust bread and slice into thin pieces. Toast until golden.
- Remove from oven and while still warm rub with fresh garlic clove and lighly sprinkle with sea salt and olive oil.
- When soup is ready, serve in crock style clay bowls with garlic bruschetta on the side and drizzle with a small drop of olive oil.
Polenta Verde Delallo
By Lauren
Ingredients
- One bunch of organic broccoli rabe
- Garlic
- Sea salt
- One bag of Delallo Polenta
- 1 or 2 chili peppers
- 2 to 3 tablespoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Instructions
- Using cold water, wash the leaves apart three times and break them up into small pieces.
- Take a deep copper pan and drizzle generously with olive oil, add garlic sprigs, sea salt, and 1 or 2 small chili pepper(s), and blonde garlic over low slow heat.
- Add the broccoli to the pan, cover, and sauté.
- While the broccoli is sautéing, bring 4 ½ cups of water to a rapid boil. Put in a pinch of sea salt to taste.
- Slowly add the polenta to the boiling water, slowing while stirring. The process takes 3 minutes.
- At the 3 minute point remove from the stove and stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
- Take the polenta and spread it out onto a long wide pizza pan that has been lined with baking parchment paper, and sprayed with canola oil. Spread evenly and pop into the oven at 325°F for 20 to 25 minutes until golden.
- Remove from the oven and slice the polenta into even squares, about 4 inches by 4 inches each.
- Put back in oven for another couple minutes.
- Remove, top with broccoli rabe and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve!
Italian Lemon Cake
By My Mom, Marie Lucia
This long loaf lemon cake is a delicious healthy breakfast food and pairs up perfectly with a steamy cappuccino or espresso.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups of granulated organic sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 ½ cups of milk
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup of unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray an oblong baking pan with canola nonstick spray or line with parchment paper.
- Beat eggs and sugar until fluffy.
- Add the soft butter and mix well.
- Add the salt, baking powder and sugar.
- Next add milk and vanilla.
- Lastly add the flour slowly, mixing well. Batter needs to be creamy.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
- Test by putting a skewer or long wooden toothpick into the top.
Melody’s Vine Picks
With the winter- our wine picks look to northern Italy as skiers are taking the slopes in Trentino, and visitors are packing their warm clothes to visit northern cities such as Verona and Venice. Warm up with our winter wine picks from the region of Veneto:
Lentil Winter Soup
Pair with: Venturini Massimino Valpolicella Classico 2010
An interesting blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes, this dry full-bodied red from Veneto offers aromas of tart cherry and a slightly bitter finish that complements the sweetness of the lentils nicely.
Polenta Verde Delallo
Pair with: Giuseppe Quintarelli Bianco Secco 2010 750ml
Polenta is traditionally a poor-man’s dish, so since you saved on dinner, splurge on the wine with this Garganega-blend dry white wine from one of Veneto’s most renowned makers.
Italian Lemon Cake
Pair with: Fantinel Brut Rose NV 750ml
With the Prosecco grape losing it’s right to the exclusive use of the name, try a Prosecco before our Italian variety takes on the name ‘Glera.’ This Brut Rosé Prosecco has aromas of red berries and cherries, perfect to top off the lemon zest in this delicious and guilt-free dessert.
New Cooking Vacations Programs
Cooking In The Roman Jewish Ghetto™, Kosher Cooking In Rome ~ 4 Day
Join Umberto & Chef Essa for Kosher cooking in Rome at his famous Jewish Ghetto trattoria. Opened by his grandmother, the trattoria features a no-meat menu including cheese, vegetable, pasta and fish specialties. Not to miss are the home-baked desserts from crostata to Babka to delicious middle-eastern influenced baklava. Click here to read more.
Florence: Chef Massimo’s Kitchen™, For The Experienced Cook & Food Lover ~ 4 Day
Step into the professional kitchen of Executive Chef Massimo for hands-on cooking classes in the heart of the Florence and revisit classic traditions with his innovations. Chef Massimo’s cooking classes are perfect for the experienced home-cook who wants a challenge, the seasoned chef who wants to learn something new and the passionate food lover! This rising-star-Chef’s motto is ‘local, seasonal and fresh, while using only high quality products from the region.’ His classes include a full menu with antipasto, pasta, risotto, a main course and dessert. Porcini, tartufi and precious produce of the Tuscan land are used! Click here to read more.
With Love From Italy
If you cannot make it to Italy, we bring Italy to you
Gran Tour – Ricordi in Micromosaici. Those visiting Rome during the next few months might like to visit this small but fascinating exhibition of micro-mosaics at the city’s Museo Mario Praz which charters the most famous views of Italy that were so popular with all those undertaking the Grand Tour during the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Exhibits include a number of items from private collections as well as pictures, plaques, jewels and tobacco boxes from the Museo Napoleonico and the Vatican Museums.
Leonardo: il genio, il mito. It’s always difficult to resist an exhibition on Italy’s greatest genius Leonardo da Vinci, and this one held in Torino’s Scuderia Grande della Reggia di Venaria is no different. Among exhibits is Leonardo’s famous self-portrait along with many of his works dealing with the themes of human anatomy and faces. Definitely one of the most interesting events of the year.
Montalbano. As long as it’s cold and windy out, make the best of it – curl up on the sofa and enjoy watching a few episodes of one of Italy’s best loved TV detectives, Commissario Montalbano. Set in Sicily, the series follows its irascible protagonist, ably personified by Luca Zingaretti, as he solves his latest cases, all of which manage to combine entertaining plot lines, snatches of breathtaking Sicilian countryside, Montalbano’s love of good food and wine and some wonderful comic moments. Feel good TV doesn’t get much better than this.
Italian Feasts & Celebrations
Don’t let the winter weather deter you from visiting some of the fabulous sagras organized during the month of January all over Italy. By the time you’ve finished eating and drinking, you won’t feel the cold at all
19th Mostra del Radicchio Rosso Tardivo di Treviso, Zero Branco, Veneto. Once you’ve tried this deep red bitter-tasting vegetable a few times (radicchio di Treviso is the long-fingered type rather than the tight ball shape), it becomes a firm favorite. During January and February radicchio is at its best, and during January, there are a variety of radicchio sagras to be visited all over the Veneto region. This year he one held in the town of Zero Branco near Treviso is held on the 13th – 15th and 20 – 22nd January, and as well as being able to sample local specialties such as gnocchi, pasta and pizza with radicchio, you’ll also be able to try more unusual offerings such as radicchio grappas, liqueurs and cheeses. Music and dancing make this a great venue for kids, while adults can admire local ceramics and prints specially created for this event.
Sagra delle Braciola. All over the province of Rome during the month of January, you’ll find a series of sagras dedicated to the ‘braciola’. The sagra of Camerata Nuova is held on the 22nd January and in all the town’s piazzas you’ll find huge open grills full to overflowing with sizzling meat. This festival which originated in memory of the terrible fire that destroyed the old town in 1859, now includes stalls offering lots of delicious local specialities like gnocchi in meat sauce, side dishes, and regional sweets, all washed down with generous helpings of local wine. But save some energy for the games and dancing later in the evening!
Sagra del Maiale. There’s no getting away from it – January is the month of the pig and all over Italy, villages and towns celebrate pork meat in all its forms with a series of sagras and festivals, many of which date back centuries. From Montagnana near Padova to Campogilliano in the Province of Modena and Fagnano Castello in Cosenza, you can sample all the normal pork products like prosciutto, salami, pancetta, grilled cutlets and sausages but also the humbler parts of the animal like tripe, pig skin, pig’s trotters and the various innards. It might not all be to your taste, but it’s absolutely fascinating to experience. As the Italians say, absolutely nothing from the pig is wasted.
Italy On A Plate
By Germaine Stafford
Germaine continues her roundup of what’s happening in the culinary world in Italy and gives you her chef of the month, book recommendation, and a list of seasonal foods for January.
What’s in Season?
Duck
Goose
Parsnips
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Truffles
Persimmons
Carrots
Broccoli rabe
Beetroots
Apples
Pears
Kiwis
Leeks
Artichokes
Celeriac
Fennel
Restaurant Of The Month
Valle Verde, Atripalda
Last January, we decided to start the year with an extravagant experience at a three-star restaurant in Rome as a special way of kicking off 2011, but this year we’ve chosen something quite different – a quiet family trattoria. In 1953, in the small town of Atripalda, Pasqualina De Benedictis and her mother-in-law set up kitchen in their country cottage and hung up the sign ‘Valleverde: Trattoria con Allogio’. Today there are no more rooms for rent but the very same trattoria (with the very same sign) is alive and thriving today. What started as a trattoria and meeting place for locals gradually became popular with passing truck drivers (a sure sign that good food was being offered at reasonable prices), and is now frequented by a comfortable mix of workers, older locals, company executives from the nearby industrial zones, and eager foodies with good food guides stuck under their arm.
Inside, tables are simple, basic even, but the house red (an Aglianico made by Pasqualina’s nephew Sabino who’s also an oenologist), sets the tone for what’s about to arrive. After a few words with your waiter, he nods politely at your questions as to what’s on the menu and runs off a number of the house specialties, ending with the words ‘Non Vi preoccupate’ – don’t worry. Without giving you time to tell him what you want, he heads back to the kitchen and for a scary (but wonderfully giddy) moment you realize he intends to bring you a taste of everything he mentioned. You consider calling him back but decide to let him do it his way.
You don’t regret it. First he appears with some slices of stale bread covered with freshly cooked beans and drizzled with olive oil made from small olive ravece (if you’ve never tasted it, try it immediately – it will change your ideas on olive oil for good), and sprinkled with oregano. Then it’s chickpea soup closely followed by scarole e fagioli, then as an afterthought, a dish of rice with beans. After which he has the good sense to leave you alone for half an hour before reappearing with a plate of homemade pasta with baby tomatoes and pecorino. All of these dishes are eye opening in their simplicity and strength of flavor. Nothing is added that might overcome the essence of the main ingredient be it beans, chickpeas or tomatoes. Cheese, chili, basil, oregano are all added but as a compliment and never so much that it interferes with the principal flavor of the dish.
The secondo is coniglio al cacciatore and a divinely good ragù. (Here the utter wickedness of the ragu’ must be extolled – an unctuous sea of deep red tomato sauce with its cargo of rolled stuffed shoulder of beef, local sausage, pork ribs and a melt-in-your-mouth roll of cotica stuffed with pecorino cheese and parsley, which, incidentally, might just be the most delicious thing you’ll taste this year…) And having got this far it would be a pity not to try the individual melting chocolate cakes or the pear and ricotta tart or the rich dark caprese. All washed down with a good passita from the island of Liapri, that magnifies that warm glow you feel spreading from your head right down to your toes.
Valleverde (Zi’ Pasqualina)
Via Pianodardine, 112
83042 Atripalda, (AV)
Tel: 0825-626115
Website: www.ziapasqualina.it
Book Of The Month
Made In Italy
By David Rocco
There are no two ways about it: there are simply some books that as soon as you open them convey a feeling of authenticity, elicit admiration, and yes, let’s admit it, a touch of envy. Rocco’s Made in Italy is one such book. Following the author on his journey around Il Bel Paese it’s difficult not to wish that we could do the same: travel from Northern Italy and Florence to the Amalfi Coast and Sicily, stopping off to meet or make friends and sample local specialties. Rocco makes no secret of the fact that what really interests him is the simple peasant cooking that is at the basis of all regional Italian cuisine. That’s not to say he never makes any changes to dishes he recreates, but you’ll find few intricate or complicated procedures or exotic ingredients, only straightforward recipes that reflect the true spirit of Italian cooking.
Chapters include Aperitivi, Antipasti, Pizze, Primi, Secondi and Dolci, and as well as providing recipes, each takes you through the rituals and customs that accompany much of the food, from the post-office aperitivo with colleagues or friends to a Caponata Napoletana enjoyed on a day at the beach with the kids. These musings and anecdotes remind us of what an integral part of life food is in Italy and that combining family, healthy eating and entertainment doesn’t have to be difficult. How about a pizza party for example, where you can try out the many versions given in the book: onion and chili; apple and Gorgonzola; sausage and Scamorza; potato and rosemary; or even pizza with grapes and pine nuts. Get children to help roll up the polpette of their choice – eggplant, zucchini, tuna or meatballs, or help stuff some involtini. There are lots of casual eats that could be taken on a picnic or simply eaten as a snack – ham and Scamorza calzone, cous cous panzanella, grilled focaccia sandwich, gattò di patate. For casual lunches and dinners there are ideas such as chicken and radicchio salad, roasted sausages, potatoes, peppers and onions, shrimp and lemon risotto, or one of the various pesto recipes included – with almonds, olives, dried tomatoes or lemon and parsley. The butternut squash and mussel soup, beef tenderloin and veal with fresh herbs would all make great dinner party dishes and there are countless desserts just begging to be made, among which, drunken peaches, lemon puffs and lazy man’s tiramisu. All in all, a book that makes you want to head to the kitchen and get busy.
January 2012
Lentil Winter Soup
By Lauren
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup of small size brown organic lentils washed well.
- ½ cup or a big hearty handful of fresh Italian parsley, chopped. (I personally am generous with the parsley).
- 1 stalk of celery, sliced and chopped into small pieces
- 1 cup of mini organic carrots sliced and chopped into small bites
- 3 sprigs of garlic
- Sea salt
- Extra Virgin first-cold pressed olive oil
- 1 piece of fresh ginger, peeled and shaved and chopped into small pieces, equaling about 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons.
- ½ pound of lean ground Sirloin beef.
- 1 or 2 small dried chili peppers, optional (to taste).
- Black ground peppercorns
Instructions
- Take a copper soup pan if you have one, or any deep soup pan will do. Drizzle the bottom of the pan generously with Extra Virgin, first-cold-pressed olive oil, warm it up and add the garlic. Let it blond. Remove the garlic.
- Add the celery, carrots, parsley and ginger, sprinkle with a pinch or two of sea salt to taste. Add the chili pepper (optional).
- Add a splash of water and let simmer / sauté.
- Take the ground beef and mix in a handful of finely chopped parsley, a pinch of sea salt, a few turns of ground black peppercorns, a few drizzles of olive oil, and mold into small balls, (into the approx size of a big gum ball).
- When the vegetables on the stovetop are soft add the meatballs and sauté.
- When the meatballs are halfway cooked, add the lentils and stir, then add a liter and a half of water.
- Let simmer for 45 minutes or more on slow low heat.
- While the soup is simmering, take Italian hard crust bread and slice into thin pieces. Toast until golden.
- Remove from oven and while still warm rub with fresh garlic clove and lighly sprinkle with sea salt and olive oil.
- When soup is ready, serve in crock style clay bowls with garlic bruschetta on the side and drizzle with a small drop of olive oil.
Polenta Verde Delallo
By Lauren
Ingredients
- One bunch of organic broccoli rabe
- Garlic
- Sea salt
- One bag of Delallo Polenta
- 1 or 2 chili peppers
- 2 to 3 tablespoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Instructions
- Using cold water, wash the leaves apart three times and break them up into small pieces.
- Take a deep copper pan and drizzle generously with olive oil, add garlic sprigs, sea salt, and 1 or 2 small chili pepper(s), and blonde garlic over low slow heat.
- Add the broccoli to the pan, cover, and sauté.
- While the broccoli is sautéing, bring 4 ½ cups of water to a rapid boil. Put in a pinch of sea salt to taste.
- Slowly add the polenta to the boiling water, slowing while stirring. The process takes 3 minutes.
- At the 3 minute point remove from the stove and stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
- Take the polenta and spread it out onto a long wide pizza pan that has been lined with baking parchment paper, and sprayed with canola oil. Spread evenly and pop into the oven at 325°F for 20 to 25 minutes until golden.
- Remove from the oven and slice the polenta into even squares, about 4 inches by 4 inches each.
- Put back in oven for another couple minutes.
- Remove, top with broccoli rabe and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve!
Italian Lemon Cake
By My Mom, Marie Lucia
This long loaf lemon cake is a delicious healthy breakfast food and pairs up perfectly with a steamy cappuccino or espresso.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups of granulated organic sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 ½ cups of milk
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup of unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray an oblong baking pan with canola nonstick spray or line with parchment paper.
- Beat eggs and sugar until fluffy.
- Add the soft butter and mix well.
- Add the salt, baking powder and sugar.
- Next add milk and vanilla.
- Lastly add the flour slowly, mixing well. Batter needs to be creamy.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
- Test by putting a skewer or long wooden toothpick into the top.
Rome Accommodations
Rome Kosher B&B
Kosher B&B:
Our central Rome B&B, supervised by the Rabbinut of Rome, gives you the perfect location for visiting the Roman Ghetto neighborhood and all the sites of Rome, with the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and Piazza Navona just a few minutes walk.
Each room offers a private bathroom, air conditioning/heat. There is a common refrigerator available for guests and Shabbat meals can be arranged upon request. A kosher – vegetarian continental breakfast is served each morning.
*Rooms do not have TV or Internet. For guests that do not require kosher accommodations, we suggest our three-star host hotel.
Program Prices:
$950 per person, based on double occupancy. Includes all taxes and Italian VAT.
$450 Single Supplement.
Rome Three-Star Hotel
Three-Star Hotel:
While in Rome, you will be welcomed to our charming jewel-box three-Star Superior hotel located between the eighteenth century Spanish Steps and the famed Via Veneto. The conveniently located hotel has been newly renovated, while preserving its old world charm. Privately owned, clean, bright, the Hotel has a professional staff to help you with all your questions while staying in the Eternal City.
The family-owned hotel has welcomed travelers since the days of the Grand Tour. Gracious owners, writer Marco, and his musician wife Giulia, cater to their guests’ every need with a winning combination of welcoming warmth and high professional standards. Elegantly furnished rooms, a quiet inner garden, and a rooftop offering a spectacular view of the historical city, make this home-away-from-home a haven of relaxation in bustling Rome. Each spacious room offers a private bathroom, air conditioning/heat, in-room safe, minibar, Satellite TV and hair dryer. The Hotel lobby offers free Wi-Fi internet, and an internet point is located just steps from the hotel as well.
Program Prices:
$1,100 per person, based on double occupancy. Includes Italian VAT.
$680 Single Supplement at the Three-Star.
*New Rome Tourist Tax of 2Euro per person, per day is not included and payable directly to the hotel upon check out.
Art & Cooking Positano
Art & Cooking – 3 Star Deluxe with Sea View
3-Star Deluxe:
The 3-Star deluxe property accommodations includes rooms with a sea view and balcony, ensuite private bath, in-room safe, mini-bar, hair dryers, and air conditioning. There is a concierge, daily breakfast served in the common breakfast room and terrace are included, and free internet.
Program Price:
$3,995 per person, based on 2 guests in a Petite Room without a sea view.
$4,395 per person, based on 2 guests in a Classic Room with sweeping Sea View and Balcony – Terrace.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Art & Cooking – 4-Star Renaissance Palazzo with Sea View
4-Star Renaissance Palazzo:
The elegant Renaissance Palazzo was formerly a historical home dating back to the 1600s. It’s intimate and cosy atmospheres brings you back to the noble days of Positano’s past. Hailed as the charming alternative to the classic hotel, this property offers luxury and elegance in spacious rooms with a sea view. Each room is beautifully decorated with comfortable bedding and linens. The entire property is decorated in Mediterranean hues of blue and white with Vietri floor tiles throughout. Each room offers ensuite private bathrooms, hairdryers, safe, refrigerator and air conditioning, and is just steps from restaurants and shopping. Breakfast is served in the breakfast room each morning, and daily maid service is provided for your convenience. The Renaissance Palazzo was recently renovated respecting the original architecture, façade and style.
Program Price:
$5,295 per person, based on 2 guests in a classic room with sea view and terrace.
$5,795 per person, based on 2 guests in a suite with sea view and terrace.
Art & Cooking – 4 Star By The Piazza with Sea View
4-Star:
The 4-Star hotel is set looking out over the sea in the center of town. All the rooms are elegant, bright and decorated with Amalfi coast ceramic tiles in azure blues, lemon yellows and the natural cool colors of the Amalfi Coast. Each room has a sea view window or balcony and is fully equipped private bathroom, hairdryer, air conditioning, safe, direct-line telephone, Wi-Fi Internet, mini-bar, and Satellite TV. Every morning International buffet breakfast is included with cappuccino, fresh Italian croissants, pastries, cereal and fresh fruit to satisfy any international palate. The hotel’s beach-side sister property also invites guests to take advantage of its restaurant & snack bar. The knowledgeable staff are available 24 hours to answer questions, give advice and assistance.
Program Price:
$4,595 per person, based on 2 guests with sea view.
$5,295 per person, based on 2 guests in a superior room with a sea view and balcony.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Pricing starting at.
Art & Cooking 4 Star – Sea View with Swimming Pool
4-Star With Pool:
The 4-Star With Pool hotel is set in a beautiful part of town looking out over the sea. All the rooms are elegant, light and decorated with Amalfi coast ceramic tiles in azure blues and whites. The hotel terraces offer an unforgettable view over the bay and the town, with lemon trees and bougainvillea adding a magical touch of color. The infinity pool, set in the cliffs above the sea, is a place of utter tranquility and seemingly gives straight onto the Tyrrhenian sea below. There is also a small wellness area with a Turkish bath and gym equipment for guests’ use. The knowledgeable staff are available 24 hours to answer questions, give advice and assistance.
Program Price:
$4,295 per person, based on 2 guests in an economy.
$5,295 per person, based on 2 guests in a classic room with sea view.
$6,395 per person, based on 2 guests in a superior room with sea view.
$7,695 per person, based on 2 guests in a Jr. Suite with sea view.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Art & Cooking – 5 Star By The Sea with Sea View & Swimming Pool
5-Star By The Sea:
Our exclusive 5-Star By The Sea Property enjoys a privileged location just a few steps from the sea, and features a restaurant, brasserie, bar and a seawater pool. Rooms have every convenience, and are furnished in Mediterranean style, with comfortable beds, and a large bathroom with shower finished in hand-painted ceramic tiles. All rooms face directly over the beach or sea, with a private outdoor area complete with table and two chairs offering breathtaking views over the beach and sea – perfect for enjoying the unique panorama of Positano. Every morning breakfast is served in a beautiful room framed with bougainvilleas, offering an enchanting view of the sea and the pastel colors of Positano. A selection of juices, coffees and teas accompany the homemade pastries served each morning. There is an internet point with free Wi-Fi and the knowledgeable staff are available 24 hours to give advice and offer every assistance.
Program Price:
$5,995 per person, based on 2 guests in a classic with beach and sea view.
$6,295 per person, based on 2 guests in a classic premium with sea view and balcony.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Art & Cooking – 5 Star By The Piazza with Sea View and Swimming Pool
5-Star By The Piazza:
Our distinguished 5-Star Property By The Piazza property, located just a few steps from Positano’s main piazza, offers every possible comfort to guests looking for an unforgettably luxurious stay. Each room is unique, decorated with a stylish combination of antique and contemporary furnishings, with bathrooms made of marble and handmade tiles, most offering a whirlpool bathtub. Luxury linens and bath products add a special touch and the evening turn down service includes a special Italian chocolate for each guest. Rooms either offer views over the inner courtyard or have a small or French balcony with views over the village. Enjoy the very best Mediterranean food at the hotel’s gourmet restaurant, soak up the sun by the pool or book a relaxing treatment at the Spa.
Program Price:
Please call for pricing as our 5 star luxury property rates vary per room and season from a classic, superior, Jr. suite or suite with terrace and sea views.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Art & Cooking – Sea View by the Piazza B&B
B&B Sea View:
Our Sea View B&B option offers you a comfortable room with a terrace and sea view overlooking Positano. The family-owned private property is quaint, and clean with a private ensuite bathroom. Signora Francesca and her family welcome each guest and are your hosts throughout your stay. Daily breakfast including warm cornetti, cappuccino, tea, homemade jams, fruit, and yogurt are served daily. There is air conditioning, wifi, and daily maid service. The property is in Positano by the piazza and overlooks the sea. The beach is a few steps away as well as restaurants, wine bars, shopping, and artisan shops in the heart of Positano.
Program Price:
$3,995 per person, based on 2 guests with Sea View and by the piazza.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Art & Cooking – Garden & Mountain View B&B
B&B Garden & Mountain View:
Our Mountain View B&B option offers all of the amenities of a home-away-from-home during your stay including a comfortable room in a quiet location with a terrace overlooking the mountains. The property is comprised of individual private rooms, each with a private ensuite bathroom. At the family property, Signor Giuseppe and his father, Antonio welcome you and are available to provide information during your stay, including maps and directions and warm Italian hospitality. Daily breakfast, including incredible homemade cakes, cornetti, Italian pastry, and biscotti, prepared by his mamma and accompanied by steamy cappuccinos, American coffee, and assorted teas and fruit juices. The property is at street level with minimum stairs, one flight up for the higher rooms, and has a lovely restaurant on site along with a wood-burning brick oven churning out the best Neapolitan pizza on the Amalfi Coast. Each room has hair dryers, wi-fi internet, and air conditioning included. The property is in Positano and overlooks the Lattari Mountians. Step out your door for a short twenty-minute walk to Positano’s piazza. Local buses are an easy option for those who do not like to walk along with local taxis which are also available.
Program Price:
$3,395 per person, based 2 guests with Garden and Mountain View.
Prices starting at and may slightly change during holidays.
Renaissance Women Positano Accommodations
Renaissance Women – 3 Star Deluxe
3-Star Deluxe:
The 3-Star deluxe property accommodations includes rooms with a sea view and balcony, ensuite private bath, in-room safe, mini-bar, hair dryers, and air conditioning. There is a concierge, daily breakfast served in the common breakfast room and terrace are included, and free internet.
Program Price:
$3,995 per person, based on 2 guests in a Petite Room without a sea view.
$4,395 per person, based on 2 guests in a Classic Room with sweeping Sea View and Balcony – Terrace.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Renaissance Women – 4-Star Renaissance Palazzo with Sea View
4-Star Renaissance Palazzo:
The elegant Renaissance Palazzo was formerly a historical home dating back to the 1600s. It’s intimate and cosy atmospheres brings you back to the noble days of Positano’s past. Hailed as the charming alternative to the classic hotel, this property offers luxury and elegance in spacious rooms with a sea view. Each room is beautifully decorated with comfortable bedding and linens. The entire property is decorated in Mediterranean hues of blue and white with Vietri floor tiles throughout. Each room offers ensuite private bathrooms, hairdryers, safe, refrigerator and air conditioning, and is just steps from restaurants and shopping. Breakfast is served in the breakfast room each morning, and daily maid service is provided for your convenience. The Renaissance Palazzo was recently renovated respecting the original architecture, façade and style.
Program Price:
$5,295 per person, based on 2 guests in a classic room with sea view and terrace.
$5,795 per person, based on 2 guests in a suite with sea view and terrace.
Renaissance Women – 4 Star By The Piazza with Sea View
4-Star:
The 4-Star hotel is set looking out over the sea in the center of town. All the rooms are elegant, bright and decorated with Amalfi coast ceramic tiles in azure blues, lemon yellows and the natural cool colors of the Amalfi Coast. Each room has a sea view window or balcony and is fully equipped private bathroom, hairdryer, air conditioning, safe, direct-line telephone, Wi-Fi Internet, mini-bar, and Satellite TV. Every morning International buffet breakfast is included with cappuccino, fresh Italian croissants, pastries, cereal and fresh fruit to satisfy any international palate. The hotel’s beach-side sister property also invites guests to take advantage of its restaurant & snack bar. The knowledgeable staff are available 24 hours to answer questions, give advice and assistance.
Program Price:
$4,595 per person, based on 2 guests with sea view.
$5,295 per person, based on 2 guests in a superior room with a sea view and balcony.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Pricing starting at.
Renaissance Women 4 Star – Sea View with Swimming Pool
4-Star With Pool:
The 4-Star With Pool hotel is set in a beautiful part of town looking out over the sea. All the rooms are elegant, light and decorated with Amalfi coast ceramic tiles in azure blues and whites. The hotel terraces offer an unforgettable view over the bay and the town, with lemon trees and bougainvillea adding a magical touch of color. The infinity pool, set in the cliffs above the sea, is a place of utter tranquility and seemingly gives straight onto the Tyrrhenian sea below. There is also a small wellness area with a Turkish bath and gym equipment for guests’ use. The knowledgeable staff are available 24 hours to answer questions, give advice and assistance.
Program Price:
$4,295 per person, based on 2 guests in an economy.
$5,295 per person, based on 2 guests in a classic room with sea view.
$6,395 per person, based on 2 guests in a superior room with sea view.
$7,695 per person, based on 2 guests in a Jr. Suite with sea view.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Renaissance Women – 5 Star By The Sea with Sea View & Swimming Pool
5-Star By The Sea:
Our exclusive 5-Star By The Sea Property enjoys a privileged location just a few steps from the sea, and features a restaurant, brasserie, bar and a seawater pool. Rooms have every convenience, and are furnished in Mediterranean style, with comfortable beds, and a large bathroom with shower finished in hand-painted ceramic tiles. All rooms face directly over the beach or sea, with a private outdoor area complete with table and two chairs offering breathtaking views over the beach and sea – perfect for enjoying the unique panorama of Positano. Every morning breakfast is served in a beautiful room framed with bougainvilleas, offering an enchanting view of the sea and the pastel colors of Positano. A selection of juices, coffees and teas accompany the homemade pastries served each morning. There is an internet point with free Wi-Fi and the knowledgeable staff are available 24 hours to give advice and offer every assistance.
Program Price:
$5,995 per person, based on 2 guests in a classic with beach and sea view.
$6,295 per person, based on 2 guests in a classic premium with sea view and balcony.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Renaissance Women – 5 Star By The Piazza with Sea View and Swimming Pool
5-Star By The Piazza:
Our distinguished 5-Star Property By The Piazza property, located just a few steps from Positano’s main piazza, offers every possible comfort to guests looking for an unforgettably luxurious stay. Each room is unique, decorated with a stylish combination of antique and contemporary furnishings, with bathrooms made of marble and handmade tiles, most offering a whirlpool bathtub. Luxury linens and bath products add a special touch and the evening turn down service includes a special Italian chocolate for each guest. Rooms either offer views over the inner courtyard or have a small or French balcony with views over the village. Enjoy the very best Mediterranean food at the hotel’s gourmet restaurant, soak up the sun by the pool or book a relaxing treatment at the Spa.
Program Price:
Please call for pricing as our 5 star luxury property rates vary per room and season from a classic, superior, Jr. suite or suite with terrace and sea views.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Renaissance Women – Sea View by the Piazza B&B
B&B Sea View:
Our Sea View B&B option offers you a comfortable room with a terrace and sea view overlooking Positano. The family-owned private property is quaint, and clean with a private ensuite bathroom. Signora Francesca and her family welcome each guest and are your hosts throughout your stay. Daily breakfast including warm cornetti, cappuccino, tea, homemade jams, fruit, and yogurt are served daily. There is air conditioning, wifi, and daily maid service. The property is in Positano by the piazza and overlooks the sea. The beach is a few steps away as well as restaurants, wine bars, shopping, and artisan shops in the heart of Positano.
Program Price:
$3,995 per person, based on 2 guests with Sea View and by the piazza.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Renaissance Women – Garden & Mountain View B&B
B&B Garden & Mountain View:
Our Mountain View B&B option offers all of the amenities of a home-away-from-home during your stay including a comfortable room in a quiet location with a terrace overlooking the mountains. The property is comprised of individual private rooms, each with a private ensuite bathroom. At the family property, Signor Giuseppe and his father, Antonio welcome you and are available to provide information during your stay, including maps and directions and warm Italian hospitality. Daily breakfast, including incredible homemade cakes, cornetti, Italian pastry, and biscotti, prepared by his mamma and accompanied by steamy cappuccinos, American coffee, and assorted teas and fruit juices. The property is at street level with minimum stairs, one flight up for the higher rooms, and has a lovely restaurant on site along with a wood-burning brick oven churning out the best Neapolitan pizza on the Amalfi Coast. Each room has hair dryers, wi-fi internet, and air conditioning included. The property is in Positano and overlooks the Lattari Mountians. Step out your door for a short twenty-minute walk to Positano’s piazza. Local buses are an easy option for those who do not like to walk along with local taxis which are also available.
Program Price:
$3,395 per person, based 2 guests with Garden and Mountain View.
Prices starting at and may slightly change during holidays.
Slow Cooking Positano
Slow Cooking – 3-Star Deluxe with Sea Views
3-Star Deluxe:
The 3-Star deluxe property accommodations includes rooms with a sea view and balcony, ensuite private bath, in-room safe, mini-bar, hair dryers, and air conditioning. There is a concierge, daily breakfast served in the common breakfast room and terrace are included, and free internet.
Program Price:
$3,995 per person, based on 2 guests in a Petite Room without a sea view.
$4,395 per person, based on 2 guests in a Classic Room with sweeping Sea View and Balcony – Terrace.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Slow Cooking – 4-Star Renaissance Palazzo with Sea View
4-Star Renaissance Palazzo:
The elegant Renaissance Palazzo was formerly a historical home dating back to the 1600s. It’s intimate and cosy atmospheres brings you back to the noble days of Positano’s past. Hailed as the charming alternative to the classic hotel, this property offers luxury and elegance in spacious rooms with a sea view. Each room is beautifully decorated with comfortable bedding and linens. The entire property is decorated in Mediterranean hues of blue and white with Vietri floor tiles throughout. Each room offers ensuite private bathrooms, hairdryers, safe, refrigerator and air conditioning, and is just steps from restaurants and shopping. Breakfast is served in the breakfast room each morning, and daily maid service is provided for your convenience. The Renaissance Palazzo was recently renovated respecting the original architecture, façade and style.
Program Price:
$5,295 per person, based on 2 guests in a classic room with sea view and terrace.
$5,795 per person, based on 2 guests in a suite with sea view and terrace.
Slow Cooking – 4 Star By The Piazza with Sea View
4-Star:
The 4-Star hotel is set looking out over the sea in the center of town. All the rooms are elegant, bright and decorated with Amalfi coast ceramic tiles in azure blues, lemon yellows and the natural cool colors of the Amalfi Coast. Each room has a sea view window or balcony and is fully equipped private bathroom, hairdryer, air conditioning, safe, direct-line telephone, Wi-Fi Internet, mini-bar, and Satellite TV. Every morning International buffet breakfast is included with cappuccino, fresh Italian croissants, pastries, cereal and fresh fruit to satisfy any international palate. The hotel’s beach-side sister property also invites guests to take advantage of its restaurant & snack bar. The knowledgeable staff are available 24 hours to answer questions, give advice and assistance.
Program Price:
$4,595 per person, based on 2 guests with sea view.
$5,295 per person, based on 2 guests in a superior room with a sea view and balcony.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Pricing starting at.
Slow Cooking 4 Star – Sea View with Swimming Pool
4-Star With Pool:
The 4-Star With Pool hotel is set in a beautiful part of town looking out over the sea. All the rooms are elegant, light and decorated with Amalfi coast ceramic tiles in azure blues and whites. The hotel terraces offer an unforgettable view over the bay and the town, with lemon trees and bougainvillea adding a magical touch of color. The infinity pool, set in the cliffs above the sea, is a place of utter tranquility and seemingly gives straight onto the Tyrrhenian sea below. There is also a small wellness area with a Turkish bath and gym equipment for guests’ use. The knowledgeable staff are available 24 hours to answer questions, give advice and assistance.
Program Price:
$4,295 per person, based on 2 guests in an economy.
$5,295 per person, based on 2 guests in a classic room with sea view.
$6,395 per person, based on 2 guests in a superior room with sea view.
$7,695 per person, based on 2 guests in a Jr. Suite with sea view.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Slow Cooking – 5 Star By The Sea with Sea View & Swimming Pool
5-Star By The Sea:
Our exclusive 5-Star By The Sea Property enjoys a privileged location just a few steps from the sea, and features a restaurant, brasserie, bar and a seawater pool. Rooms have every convenience, and are furnished in Mediterranean style, with comfortable beds, and a large bathroom with shower finished in hand-painted ceramic tiles. All rooms face directly over the beach or sea, with a private outdoor area complete with table and two chairs offering breathtaking views over the beach and sea – perfect for enjoying the unique panorama of Positano. Every morning breakfast is served in a beautiful room framed with bougainvilleas, offering an enchanting view of the sea and the pastel colors of Positano. A selection of juices, coffees and teas accompany the homemade pastries served each morning. There is an internet point with free Wi-Fi and the knowledgeable staff are available 24 hours to give advice and offer every assistance.
Program Price:
$5,995 per person, based on 2 guests in a classic with beach and sea view.
$6,295 per person, based on 2 guests in a classic premium with sea view and balcony.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Slow Cooking – 5 Star By The Piazza with Sea View and Swimming Pool
5-Star By The Piazza:
Our distinguished 5-Star Property By The Piazza property, located just a few steps from Positano’s main piazza, offers every possible comfort to guests looking for an unforgettably luxurious stay. Each room is unique, decorated with a stylish combination of antique and contemporary furnishings, with bathrooms made of marble and handmade tiles, most offering a whirlpool bathtub. Luxury linens and bath products add a special touch and the evening turn down service includes a special Italian chocolate for each guest. Rooms either offer views over the inner courtyard or have a small or French balcony with views over the village. Enjoy the very best Mediterranean food at the hotel’s gourmet restaurant, soak up the sun by the pool or book a relaxing treatment at the Spa.
Program Price:
Please call for pricing as our 5 star luxury property rates vary per room and season from a classic, superior, Jr. suite or suite with terrace and sea views.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Slow Cooking – Sea View by the Piazza B&B
B&B Sea View:
Our Sea View B&B option offers you a comfortable room with a terrace and sea view overlooking Positano. The family-owned private property is quaint, and clean with a private ensuite bathroom. Signora Francesca and her family welcome each guest and are your hosts throughout your stay. Daily breakfast including warm cornetti, cappuccino, tea, homemade jams, fruit, and yogurt are served daily. There is air conditioning, wifi, and daily maid service. The property is in Positano by the piazza and overlooks the sea. The beach is a few steps away as well as restaurants, wine bars, shopping, and artisan shops in the heart of Positano.
Program Price:
$3,995 per person, based on 2 guests with Sea View and by the piazza.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Slow Cooking – Garden & Mountain View B&B
B&B Garden & Mountain View:
Our Mountain View B&B option offers all of the amenities of a home-away-from-home during your stay including a comfortable room in a quiet location with a terrace overlooking the mountains. The property is comprised of individual private rooms, each with a private ensuite bathroom. At the family property, Signor Giuseppe and his father, Antonio welcome you and are available to provide information during your stay, including maps and directions and warm Italian hospitality. Daily breakfast, including incredible homemade cakes, cornetti, Italian pastry, and biscotti, prepared by his mamma and accompanied by steamy cappuccinos, American coffee, and assorted teas and fruit juices. The property is at street level with minimum stairs, one flight up for the higher rooms, and has a lovely restaurant on site along with a wood-burning brick oven churning out the best Neapolitan pizza on the Amalfi Coast. Each room has hair dryers, wi-fi internet, and air conditioning included. The property is in Positano and overlooks the Lattari Mountians. Step out your door for a short twenty-minute walk to Positano’s piazza. Local buses are an easy option for those who do not like to walk along with local taxis which are also available.
Program Price:
$3,395 per person, based 2 guests with Garden and Mountain View.
Prices starting at and may slightly change during holidays.
December Newsletter 2011
Fresh Recipes, New Kitchen Ideas, Food News & Fun Things To Do In Sunny Italy
December is here and that means mistletoe, Christmas markets, merry carols and delicious food and wine of the season. This month we share our family cookbook filled with recipes for Piccole Dolcezze, little sweet treats. Homemade sweets make the best gifts! So tie on your apron, turn on the carols, open a bottle of Rapozzo da Maiano and head to the kitchen to get baking batches of Biscotti Cioccolato e Strega, Biscotti Di Agrumi & Struffoli!
We are also celebrating the feature story on Cooking Vacations in National Geographic China and Elle Magazine China.
On News stands now Tastes Of Italia, “All Roads Lead To Rome,” by me, and read about Chef Eugenio and ancient Rome Cooking with recipes too!
Cooking Vacations has upgraded our website and cooking programs are being added for 2012. Please update any older bookmarks because new links have replaced all the old ones, https://www.cooking-vacations.com/italian-programs/
And please stay tuned this month to WRKO on December 19, as Cooking Vacations brings the kitchen to the Howie Carr Show in Boston from 3pm to 7pm. Howie loves Italian! We will be sharing recipes, table talk;
and giving away a Cooking Vacations kitchen basket filled with our Extra Virgin First Cold Pressed olive oil, spices & pasta. Listen to win.
Buon Natale, Happy Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Lauren
Table Talk
Positano in December. After such a mild November, it’s difficult to think that December is well and truly here and Christmas just a few weeks away. The recent sunny weather has tricked us into forgetting that winter is at the door, and, at least during the day, we’ve been outside without jackets, working away in the garden raking up leaves and watering the winter veggies. But it’s in the flower garden that things have taken a strange turn. The tulips have already sprouted and are 15 inches tall, daffodils are hot on their heels and there are already crocus sprouts breaking through the earth around the plum trees. The columbines have popped up, unfurling their gorgeous leaves, and new growth of sedum is visible among the fallen leaves. Even the calla lilies have spouted. Meanwhile the roses and fuchsia are still in flower, making it look more like spring than fall.
Of course, this wonderful weather has meant good news for the tourist industry and many areas in the south have enjoyed an unusually long season. Those lucky enough to have had a vacation during November were blessed with blue skies, still seas and outdoor lunches. Divine. And as with every December, there are so many wonderful things to do, whichever region you decide to visit. From the Alps and the Dolomites to the mild wintry climate of Campania and Sicily, in December, every region works its special festive magic, delighting visitors with its Christmas markets, local food festivals and age-old traditions. Towns and villages are decorated with lights, garlands and wreaths and, especially in the south, beautiful handcrafted nativity scenes are set up in corners of churches, along the roadsides and in the piazzas.
But December is also a month to take stock. As the year draws to a close, it’s time to look back and reflect on what the latest 12 months brought with them, and this year held some great surprises for Cooking Vacations. As well as a host of mentions in the international press, we were delighted to host a cooking and writing program here in Positano with the delightful New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Berg, who charmed and inspired students with her insight and grace. Elizabeth returns to Positano, October 6 to 11, 2012 for the Writers’ Studio. All in all, the delicious high point of a hard working year! We hope your year has been just as enjoyable, and wish you all the very best for the upcoming festive season.
Recipes Of The Month
Biscotti Cioccolato e Strega
From Lauren’s test kitchen
Number of servings (yield): 40 biscotti
Preparation time: 40 minute(s)
Ingredients
- 225 grams of dark chocolate
- 100 grams of flour
- 2 eggs
- 65 grams of sugar
- 48 grams of butter
- 2 spoons Strega
- ½ teaspoon of baking powder
- a pinch of salt
- half zest of a lemon, optional
- Confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Start with a double boiler and melt the chocolate with the butter and Strega.
- With a whisk, work the eggs and sugar until mixture is thick and fluffy.
- Stir in the chocolate and butter.
- Add a little zest of an organic non-waxed lemon.
- Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir with a spatula until dough is smooth.
- Let the mixture cool for one hour.
- Form the dough into small size balls the size of a walnut, roll in the confectioners sugar, space apart on a baking sheet.
- Bake at 180 degrees F for about 20 minutes until biscuits are cooked.
Biscotti Di Agrumi ~ Citrus Biscuits
From Mamma Marie Lucia’s family recipe book
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- Zest of 2 oranges
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
Sugar topping for biscuits
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons of water
- Make a syrup like paste
Instructions
- Sugar topping for biscuits
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- In a large bowl beat the eggs well.
- Add the sugar, oil, milk, and the rest of the ingredients except the flour.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Add the flour slowly, mixing until dough is workable.
- On a well-greased cookie sheet form long logs about 1-1/2” wide.
- Top biscuits with sugar syrup.
- Bake until golden brown.
Struffoli ~ Christmas Fried Dough In Honey
From Mamma Marie Lucia’s family recipe book
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 pound butter
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 vanilla beans
- 2 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 gallon vegetable oil
- 1 pound honey
- 1 small jar candy sprinkles
Instructions
- Break the eggs and whisk.
- Put eggs through a strainer to make sure they are mixed properly.
- Add sugar to eggs and mix immediately to prevent sugar from burning eggs.
- Bring butter to room temperature.
- Flake butter into the flour.
- Split vanilla beans and scrape out the seeds and add them to the sugar/egg mixture.
- Put mixture into a mixer and mix (using dough hook) and slowly add the flour.
- Let dough rest in a cool dry place.
- Roll out the dough into small quantities.
- Cut dough into 1/2-inch strips and cut 1/2-inch pieces from the strips.
- Place the 1/2-inch squares onto a baking pan.
- Put vegetable oil into a large pot and bring to 350 degrees F.
- Fry small quantities of the dough squares in the oil and when golden brown, place onto a baking pan lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- When all dough is fried, let cool to room temperature.
- In a saucepan, heat the honey (not to a boil) and add small quantities of the fried dough to the pan.
- Stir lightly with a large slotted spoon.
- Remove from saucepan and place onto a serving plate and sprinkle with candy sprinkles.
Featured Cooking Program
Romancing In The Vineyard~For Couples
Romancing In The Vineyard at the Villa Ortaglia. Stay at a romantic villa in the heart of Tuscany. Learn to cooking under the wing of Chef Maura while husband Terenzio pairs great Tuscan wine with each cooking class. This new cooking program is specially designed for couples who are eager to discover the art, countryside and cuisine of Italy. Read more at, https://www.cooking-vacations.com/tour/romancing-in-the-vineyard-for-couples
Food Notes
By Germaine Stafford
When I was little, one of my favorite ‘games’ was having my mother pretend to be the owner of candy shop. I insisted she make the sweets herself, and (if the planets were aligned and gods were good), she’d agree and spend the day conjuring up peppermint creams, buttery fudge, chocolate Florentines, tiny coconut macaroons and chocolate crispies. Now, of course the thought of all that delicious candy was enough to make me swoon, but the best part, the very best part, was that she would lay it all out on the kitchen counter, each sweet in its own tiny fluted paper case looking perfectly irresistible, then declare her candy shop open. She’d make us greet her as if we really were entering a sweet shop, have us choose which candies we wanted and make us hand over invisible coins for our purchases. Then she’d place our sweets in a cone of brown paper and twist it closed as if she’d been serving children candies her whole life long. We’d say our goodbyes, and we kids would escape out the back door and into the garden to enjoy our goodies, convinced we were the luckiest creatures alive. And we were. It’s easy to forget how much joy the simple things in life can bring. In an age where kids have more than they’ve ever had, wouldn’t it be great to create a different kind of memory? This is a great time of year to create new family traditions, rituals that children (and not only!) will remember for years to come. Time spent in the kitchen preparing special gifts for family and friends is great fun and absolutely fitting with the spirit of Christmas. Delight loved ones with prettily packaged boxes of roccocò, and trays lined temptingly with struffoli, ricciarelli and mustaccioli. And even if you don’t have time to whip up these wonderful Italian dolci, a little careful wrapping will transform a hunk of aged Parmesan, bottles of limoncello and scented olive oils into gorgeous gifts that would be welcome in any home. But the important thing is to pause, take a deep breath, and enjoy the act of creating and giving. That’s the true magic of Christmas.
Buon Natale…
With Love From Italy
If you cannot make it to Italy, we bring Italy to you~
La Casa degli Italiani
Another exhibition in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Unification, this time examining the historical and political evolution of the Italian state. Held in Il Quirinale in Rome, La Casa degli Italiani takes a closer look at the challenges and problems met and overcome by the various Heads of State from the Unification to the present day, and, among many other things, will offer a unique opportunity to see some of the Quirinale’s wonderful books, paintings and works of art. Open through March 2012.
www.beniculturali.it
Nurturing Body & Spirit
This fascinating exhibition at the Archeological Museum in Milan, open until the end of December, investigates the symbolic significance of food in the Ancient World. While it’s true that man needs to eat to survive, the choice of food and the way in which it is eaten has a strong symbolic meaning in all cultures. From the role of bread to that of wine, from eating alone to eating in groups, you’ll be surprised at how much and how little things have changed over the centuries.
www.beniculturali.it
Pick Up A Prosecco
Instead of splashing out on Champagne to celebrate the festive season, why not treat yourself to some of Italy’s best bubblies? From the more affordable Prosecco made in the Veneto and Friuli regions to the elegant Franciacorta from the Franciacorta area in Lombardy, Italian sparkling wines have now overtaken champagne in the bubblies stake.
In.gredienti
Anyone lucky enough to visit the renowned Alajmo family’s In.gredienti store in Rubano near Padova will be spoiled for choice as to what to take away with them, be it for themselves or as a gift for a loved one. Choose between cheeses, vegetables, meat, fish, salumi, wines, beers, coffee, oil, pasta, rice, conserves, chocolate and even Massimiliano’s special ‘essenze’ spays, as well as specially commissioned tableware and glasses. A real Aladdin’s cave of goodies for foodies.
www.alajmo.it
Italian Feasts & Celebrations
December is an especially magic month for visiting some of Italy’s many sagras, and festivals taking in some of the most beautiful Christmas markets you could hope to find. Here are a few of the best.
Festa dell Torrone: San Marco dei Cavoti
Province of Benevento, 7th – 18th December In Southern Italy, Christmas means torrone (nougat), and the home of torrone is Benevento. This delicious festival makes a fun family outing on the run up to Christmas, with plenty of sweets for the kids and a huge array of local specialties on offer for the adults. Apart from the area’s famous torrone, sample local cheeses, salumi, oil, honey, taralli and mulled wine, and enjoy music and cabaret spectacles.
Verde Pisa: Palazzo dei Congressi
Pisa, Tuscany, 8th – 11th December We just love the sound of this Christmas market with a difference, organized to encourage the giving of ‘green’ gifts during the festive season. From plants, flowers and gardening ideas to gifts encouraging arts, crafts and creativity, you’re sure to find the perfect gifts for everyone. There is even a technology sector for more modern green ideas.
Mercatino di Natale ‘Stella Cometa’
Torino, Piemonte, 8th – 11th December The colors, perfumes and favors of this Christmas market make it truly magical and a wander round the many pretty stalls is the perfect opportunity to pick up some presents for friends and family, or even a few decorations for the home. The colored lights and the appearance of the Stella Cometa, the comet, will enchant children and grown-ups alike as they nibble on local specialties and enjoy the background Christmas music. Kids can even hand their letter over to Father Christmas who will take a sleigh ride round town distributing candies and smiles all around.
Mercatino di Natale di Bressanone
Bressanone, South Tyrol, 26th November – 6th January At this Christmas market, all the stalls are set up in the town’s Piazza Duomo, and it’s here that people come to try out traditional regional Christmas goodies washed down with a warming glass of vino cotto or mulled wine. Not only will visitors be able to pick up some of the area’s beautiful hand-carved wooden objects, but they can also take an organized tour of the Cathedral and Cloisters, attend one of the many musical concerts or enjoy a trip round the town in a horse-drawn carriage.
Italy On A Plate
By Germaine Stafford
Germaine continues her roundup of what’s happening in the culinary world in Italy and gives you her chef of the month, book recommendation, and a list of seasonal foods for December.
What’s in Season?
Sea Bass
Turkey
Celery
Parsnips
Swede
Red cabbage
Turnip
Leeks
Onion
Carrots
Swede
Cavolo Nero & Kale
Beetroot
Celeriac
Pumpkin
Cranberries
Apples
Pomegranate
Pears
Restaurant Of The Month
Ristorante Paoli, Florence.
Imagine you’ve spent the day searching for perfect gifts in the many artisan boutiques in the festive streets of Florence. Perhaps you’ve splashed out on some handmade leather-bound books with marbled Florentine paper, some perfumed soap from the antique Officina Profumo Santa Maria Novella or even some artisan gold jewelry for someone special. In other words, you’ve shopped till you dropped and are in serious need of sustenance. We have just the place for you.
Paoli is a pretty trattoria hidden down a narrow street in Florence’s historic center, and makes an ideal lunchtime haven for weary tourists. From outside it looks like a regular trattoria, but once inside, you’re sure to love the high vaulted ceilings and frescoed walls that reveal its past as a monastery. Here the welcome is warm, (waiters smart in their waistcoats and full length black aprons), and, given the quality of the service, the convenient location and the great food, don’t be surprised if tables soon fill up, the room quickly becoming animated with the laughter and chatter of tourists and locals alike.
You’re in the very heart of Florence, so, although you might find Caprese salads and suchlike on the menu, make sure you order the delicious Florentine specialties that Paoli is so famous for. And don’t expect plates of fancy food and garnishes either – just authentic local cuisine served as you’d serve it at home. We don’t get to Florence as much as we’d like, but when we manage, we head here for the great soups – the ribbolita is the best we’ve had anywhere, the trippa all fiorentina – so good it’ll convert even the most timid tripe tasters, and the wonderful Florentine steaks. If you have the chance, don’t miss out on their carpaccio of Chianina beef, and any seasonal pasta dishes recommended by the waiters (trust your waiters – they can point you to some real gems). Very often for example, you’ll find some wonderful white truffle pastas during truffle season and black summer truffles earlier in the year. Order a simple but good quality Chianti to accompany your meal, and try, just try, to save enough space for something from the dessert trolley. Booking recommended.
Ristorante Paoli
Via dei Tavolini, 12R
Florence
Tel: (+39) 055 216215
Book Of The Month
Dolci, Italy’s Sweets
By Francine Segan
This is the type of book that will soon have you heading for the kitchen determined to spend the run up to Christmas preparing a range of sweet Italian treats to offer friends and family over the festive season or even fancy up and give as gifts? As everyone knows, an afternoon spent creating fragrant goodies at the kitchen table is the perfect way to get yourself in the mood for upcoming festivities, better still if you have a glass of something good to hand.
In her book ‘Dolci’, food historian and James Beard finalist Francine Segan takes us on a virtual tour of Italy where she gleaned her recipes from housewives, grandmothers, pastry chefs and even food bloggers. Cookies, cakes, pastries, desserts and ices – they’re all here, some old favorites with a twist, and some unusual ideas that will almost certainly be new. Recipes come from all the different regions of Italy, meaning that as well as mouthwatering Caprese cakes and babàs from Campania, you’ll find Tuscan biscotti, cornmeal cookies from Venice and Sicilian sweet meat turnovers.
We especially liked the sound of the drunken panna cotta, the chocolate eggplants, a specialty from the Amalfi Coast, honey and black pepper biscotti, the radicchio and almond carrot cake and a sweet spinach pie hailing from Tuscany. But there are also old favorites like Sicilian sesame cookies, chocolate salami, traditional tiramisù, wonderful ricotta stuffed cannoli and good old amaretti. And who could say no to her a mocha hazelnut tart or a luscious lemon olive oil cake?
As everyone knows, the best way to enjoy these delicious dolci is with an after-dinner drink, and the book’s last chapter includes a series of easy recipes for liqueurs such as chocolate, coffee, walnut and limoncello, as well as some great ideas for fancying up coffee. Christmas comes but once a year, so do yourself a favor and treat yourself to some fabulous Italian dolci.
December 2011
Biscotti Cioccolato e Strega
From Lauren’s test kitchen
Number of servings (yield): 40 biscotti
Preparation time: 40 minute(s)
Ingredients
- 225 grams of dark chocolate
- 100 grams of flour
- 2 eggs
- 65 grams of sugar
- 48 grams of butter
- 2 spoons Strega
- ½ teaspoon of baking powder
- a pinch of salt
- half zest of a lemon, optional
- Confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Start with a double boiler and melt the chocolate with the butter and Strega.
- With a whisk, work the eggs and sugar until mixture is thick and fluffy.
- Stir in the chocolate and butter.
- Add a little zest of an organic non-waxed lemon.
- Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir with a spatula until dough is smooth.
- Let the mixture cool for one hour.
- Form the dough into small size balls the size of a walnut, roll in the confectioners sugar, space apart on a baking sheet.
- Bake at 180 degrees F for about 20 minutes until biscuits are cooked.
Biscotti Di Agrumi ~ Citrus Biscuits
From Mamma Marie Lucia’s family recipe book
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- Zest of 2 oranges
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
Sugar topping for biscuits
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons of water
- Make a syrup like paste
Instructions
- Sugar topping for biscuits
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- In a large bowl beat the eggs well.
- Add the sugar, oil, milk, and the rest of the ingredients except the flour.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Add the flour slowly, mixing until dough is workable.
- On a well-greased cookie sheet form long logs about 1-1/2” wide.
- Top biscuits with sugar syrup.
- Bake until golden brown.
Struffoli ~ Christmas Fried Dough In Honey
From Mamma Marie Lucia’s family recipe book
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 pound butter
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 vanilla beans
- 2 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 gallon vegetable oil
- 1 pound honey
- 1 small jar candy sprinkles
Instructions
- Break the eggs and whisk.
- Put eggs through a strainer to make sure they are mixed properly.
- Add sugar to eggs and mix immediately to prevent sugar from burning eggs.
- Bring butter to room temperature.
- Flake butter into the flour.
- Split vanilla beans and scrape out the seeds and add them to the sugar/egg mixture.
- Put mixture into a mixer and mix (using dough hook) and slowly add the flour.
- Let dough rest in a cool dry place.
- Roll out the dough into small quantities.
- Cut dough into 1/2-inch strips and cut 1/2-inch pieces from the strips.
- Place the 1/2-inch squares onto a baking pan.
- Put vegetable oil into a large pot and bring to 350 degrees F.
- Fry small quantities of the dough squares in the oil and when golden brown, place onto a baking pan lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- When all dough is fried, let cool to room temperature.
- In a saucepan, heat the honey (not to a boil) and add small quantities of the fried dough to the pan.
- Stir lightly with a large slotted spoon.
- Remove from saucepan and place onto a serving plate and sprinkle with candy sprinkles.
Secret Garden Positano
Secret Garden – 3 Star Deluxe with Sea View
3-Star Deluxe:
The 3-Star deluxe property accommodations includes rooms with a sea view and balcony, ensuite private bath, in-room safe, mini-bar, hair dryers, and air conditioning. There is a concierge, daily breakfast served in the common breakfast room and terrace are included, and free internet.
Program Price:
$3,995 per person, based on 2 guests in a Petite Room without a sea view.
$4,395 per person, based on 2 guests in a Classic Room with sweeping Sea View and Balcony – Terrace.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Secret Garden – 4-Star Renaissance Palazzo with Sea View
4-Star Renaissance Palazzo:
The elegant Renaissance Palazzo was formerly a historical home dating back to the 1600s. It’s intimate and cosy atmospheres brings you back to the noble days of Positano’s past. Hailed as the charming alternative to the classic hotel, this property offers luxury and elegance in spacious rooms with a sea view. Each room is beautifully decorated with comfortable bedding and linens. The entire property is decorated in Mediterranean hues of blue and white with Vietri floor tiles throughout. Each room offers ensuite private bathrooms, hairdryers, safe, refrigerator and air conditioning, and is just steps from restaurants and shopping. Breakfast is served in the breakfast room each morning, and daily maid service is provided for your convenience. The Renaissance Palazzo was recently renovated respecting the original architecture, façade and style.
Program Price:
$5,295 per person, based on 2 guests in a classic room with sea view and terrace.
$5,795 per person, based on 2 guests in a suite with sea view and terrace.
Secret Garden – 4 Star By The Piazza with Sea View
4-Star:
The 4-Star hotel is set looking out over the sea in the center of town. All the rooms are elegant, bright and decorated with Amalfi coast ceramic tiles in azure blues, lemon yellows and the natural cool colors of the Amalfi Coast. Each room has a sea view window or balcony and is fully equipped private bathroom, hairdryer, air conditioning, safe, direct-line telephone, Wi-Fi Internet, mini-bar, and Satellite TV. Every morning International buffet breakfast is included with cappuccino, fresh Italian croissants, pastries, cereal and fresh fruit to satisfy any international palate. The hotel’s beach-side sister property also invites guests to take advantage of its restaurant & snack bar. The knowledgeable staff are available 24 hours to answer questions, give advice and assistance.
Program Price:
$4,595 per person, based on 2 guests with sea view.
$5,295 per person, based on 2 guests in a superior room with a sea view and balcony.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Pricing starting at.
Secret Garden 4 Star – Sea View with Swimming Pool
4-Star With Pool:
The 4-Star With Pool hotel is set in a beautiful part of town looking out over the sea. All the rooms are elegant, light and decorated with Amalfi coast ceramic tiles in azure blues and whites. The hotel terraces offer an unforgettable view over the bay and the town, with lemon trees and bougainvillea adding a magical touch of color. The infinity pool, set in the cliffs above the sea, is a place of utter tranquility and seemingly gives straight onto the Tyrrhenian sea below. There is also a small wellness area with a Turkish bath and gym equipment for guests’ use. The knowledgeable staff are available 24 hours to answer questions, give advice and assistance.
Program Price:
$4,295 per person, based on 2 guests in an economy.
$5,295 per person, based on 2 guests in a classic room with sea view.
$6,395 per person, based on 2 guests in a superior room with sea view.
$7,695 per person, based on 2 guests in a Jr. Suite with sea view.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Secret Garden – 5 Star By The Sea with Sea View & Swimming Pool
5-Star By The Sea:
Our exclusive 5-Star By The Sea Property enjoys a privileged location just a few steps from the sea, and features a restaurant, brasserie, bar and a seawater pool. Rooms have every convenience, and are furnished in Mediterranean style, with comfortable beds, and a large bathroom with shower finished in hand-painted ceramic tiles. All rooms face directly over the beach or sea, with a private outdoor area complete with table and two chairs offering breathtaking views over the beach and sea – perfect for enjoying the unique panorama of Positano. Every morning breakfast is served in a beautiful room framed with bougainvilleas, offering an enchanting view of the sea and the pastel colors of Positano. A selection of juices, coffees and teas accompany the homemade pastries served each morning. There is an internet point with free Wi-Fi and the knowledgeable staff are available 24 hours to give advice and offer every assistance.
Program Price:
$5,995 per person, based on 2 guests in a classic with beach and sea view.
$6,295 per person, based on 2 guests in a classic premium with sea view and balcony.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Secret Garden – 5 Star By The Piazza with Sea View and Swimming Pool
5-Star By The Piazza:
Our distinguished 5-Star Property By The Piazza property, located just a few steps from Positano’s main piazza, offers every possible comfort to guests looking for an unforgettably luxurious stay. Each room is unique, decorated with a stylish combination of antique and contemporary furnishings, with bathrooms made of marble and handmade tiles, most offering a whirlpool bathtub. Luxury linens and bath products add a special touch and the evening turn down service includes a special Italian chocolate for each guest. Rooms either offer views over the inner courtyard or have a small or French balcony with views over the village. Enjoy the very best Mediterranean food at the hotel’s gourmet restaurant, soak up the sun by the pool or book a relaxing treatment at the Spa.
Program Price:
Please call for pricing as our 5 star luxury property rates vary per room and season from a classic, superior, Jr. suite or suite with terrace and sea views.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Secret Garden – Sea View by the Piazza B&B
B&B Sea View:
Our Sea View B&B option offers you a comfortable room with a terrace and sea view overlooking Positano. The family-owned private property is quaint, and clean with a private ensuite bathroom. Signora Francesca and her family welcome each guest and are your hosts throughout your stay. Daily breakfast including warm cornetti, cappuccino, tea, homemade jams, fruit, and yogurt are served daily. There is air conditioning, wifi, and daily maid service. The property is in Positano by the piazza and overlooks the sea. The beach is a few steps away as well as restaurants, wine bars, shopping, and artisan shops in the heart of Positano.
Program Price:
$3,995 per person, based on 2 guests with Sea View and by the piazza.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group.
Secret Garden – Garden & Mountain View B&B
B&B Garden & Mountain View:
Our Mountain View B&B option offers all of the amenities of a home-away-from-home during your stay including a comfortable room in a quiet location with a terrace overlooking the mountains. The property is comprised of individual private rooms, each with a private ensuite bathroom. At the family property, Signor Giuseppe and his father, Antonio welcome you and are available to provide information during your stay, including maps and directions and warm Italian hospitality. Daily breakfast, including incredible homemade cakes, cornetti, Italian pastry, and biscotti, prepared by his mamma and accompanied by steamy cappuccinos, American coffee, and assorted teas and fruit juices. The property is at street level with minimum stairs, one flight up for the higher rooms, and has a lovely restaurant on site along with a wood-burning brick oven churning out the best Neapolitan pizza on the Amalfi Coast. Each room has hair dryers, wi-fi internet, and air conditioning included. The property is in Positano and overlooks the Lattari Mountians. Step out your door for a short twenty-minute walk to Positano’s piazza. Local buses are an easy option for those who do not like to walk along with local taxis which are also available.
Program Price:
$3,395 per person, based 2 guests with Garden and Mountain View.
Prices starting at and may slightly change during holidays.
November Newsletter 2011
Fresh Recipes, New Kitchen Ideas, Food News & Fun Things To Do In Sunny Italy
Today is 27C in Positano that’s just about 79F. Visitors are on the beach and bathing in the sea, and there was even an unexpected boat that sailed in from Amalfi. This is the unforeseen beauty of the Amalfi Coast in November. The seasons go on, maybe a little warmer than usual; and so do the food and wine.
November in Italy is also deep dark green olio nuovo drizzled on a Carpaccio Morellino, Tagliatelle e Tartufi Bianca, white truffles melting on a bed of warm pasta with Cantucci dipped in Vin Santo. There’s also Vino Novello, the new wine to sip about, and Formaggie Stagionale made with precious truffles or walnuts. Great pairings for a cozy night before the fire.
And while the Lattari Mountains to the Tuscan hills swirl in colors of emerald green and dark deep burgundy, the vineyards lay bare with yellow leaves covering vines that will sleep until spring. Crack another castagne, take another sip of Vino Nobile and soak in the warm Autumn sun. Italy beckons the soul in November.
Buon Appetito!
Lauren
Table Talk
Congrats to our favorite Chef Todd English!
November also brings us, award-winning Chef, Todd English’s, “Everyday English: The A,B, Cs Of Great Flavor At Home. English, an award-winning TV chef and well-known restaurateur, brings us 150 recipes from his kitchen. In our Kitchen we are cooking up hearty comfort food recipes like zucca and pasta, Todd English’s chicken ciaccatore and Panza Mela, baked apples. Check out our new cooking program, Bologna ~ Tortellini, Parmigiano & Balsamico™, La Grande Cucina With Chef Antonella~ 5 Day, La Grande Cucina Bologna program includes 3 hands-on cooking classes, while discovering so many favorite addresses of food, wine, culture and history in la centro storico. Read more, at https://www.cooking-vacations.com/tour/la-grande-cucina-with-chef-antonella-5-day/
There’s something about November – the cold wind whipping through your hair perhaps, or the exhilaration of a brisk country walk – that has you rubbing your hands in glee, and heading for the kitchen. Gone are the fresh tomato salads and light lunches of summer and here come slow-simmered soups and stews that infuse the house with their delicious, reassuring smells. After months spent outside, the house becomes a home again with the kitchen at the center of activities, the warmth and scents of home cooking luring family and friends oven-wards. The clocks have been turned back, evening comes early and we settle into the comforting ritual of the changing of seasons, celebrating the arrival of all November’s goodies: pumpkins and squash, mushrooms, broccoli, kale, and the first of the year’s root vegetables – swede, carrots, turnips and beetroots – that are so good cut into chunks and roasted as a simple accompaniment to chicken or beef. Simple fair, but delicious.
November is also the perfect month to make the best of Southern Italy’s clement weather, with a cooking vacation on the Amalfi Coast, Puglia or the island of Sicily. Perhaps with Chef Raffaele in the hilltown of Ravello with its historic villas and gorgeous views over the coast, or in Puglia with Chef Letizia’s Slow Food program, where you will cook, eat and tour your way through this amazing region of trulli. Or hone your skills under the eagle eye of a Michelin star chef and his team on our Sicilian Cookbook program in Modica, where dishes from the kitchen are true works of art. That’s the beauty of Italy, its diversity: while folks are busy on the Northern ski slopes there is a beach in a southern town with locals soaking up the sun. The choice of destinations is truly mesmerizing. And, as ever, even if you can’t make it to Italy, take a sip of a good Italian wine, close your eyes and you’ll be with us in spirit if not in body!
Food Notes
Before coming to Italy, the only broccoli many people will have encountered is the common dark green broccoli with its compact florets that is on sale in most vegetable markets and supermarkets. But in Italy, especially in the south, there are more types of broccoli than you can shake a stick at. Regular broccoli is easy to find too, but more often than not you’ll run into broccoli di Natale, broccoli rabe, broccoletti, and Romanesco (looks like a pointy cauliflower). All of these varieties are equally delicious and are endlessly versatile.
In the Cooking Vacations kitchen there is garden bitter broccoli rabe, or friarielli as they’re known here, we’ll have greens from November to February, helping to keep the weeds at bay. In the greenhouse we planted another three types of broccoli which will be used with pasta, Puglia style; blanched then sautéed in oil and garlic; used as a stuffing for pizze rustiche; served up with delicious Italian sausages; as a pizza topping with crumbled sausage meat. You can also put them in a golden frittatte, conserve them under oil or purée them to provide a ‘bed’ for meat or even an elegant serving of pasta. And of course, the great thing is that friarielli and broccoli are inexpensive (if not free with so many kind neighbors growing and giving them away) and are incredibly good for you. In fact, broccoli rabe has recently been named a power food thanks to its cancer-fighting sulforophanes and indoles, and its powerful antioxidant properties. We are cooking up a storm and getting healthy with broccoli!
Recipes From Our Kitchen
Formaggio Con Le Pere
This simple and easy Autumn recipe is great appetizer.
Number of servings (yield): 2
Ingredients
- 1 whole Spadona Pear
- 1 of lettuce
- 1 handful of shaved Percorino cheese
- 1 small hand of walnuts
- Modena Balsamico drizzle to taste
- Sea Salt
- Extra Virgin First Cold Pressed Olive Oil
Instructions
- Wash the lettuce well.
- Rip into small pieces.
- Peal the pear, take the stem out and cut into small pieces.
- Add the Balsamico, add the oil, sprinkle with sea salt add the Pecorino.
- Toss, let sit for 10 minutes and serve.
Todd English’s
“Old School” Chicken Cacciatore
Number of servings (yield): 4 – 6
Ingredients
- Skinned, bone-in chicken thighs, 8 (about 4 lb.)
- Kosher salt, 1 tsp.
- Freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp.
- All-purpose flour, 1 cup
- Olive oil, 1⁄4 cup, divided
- Shiitake mushrooms, 3 cups sliced
- Shallots, 1⁄2 cup finely chopped
- Anchovies, 2 coarsely chopped
- Garlic, 3 cloves minced
- Capers, 3 Tbsp. drained
- Dry red wine, 2 cups
- Balsamic vinegar, 1⁄3 cup
- Fresh sage leaves, 4
- Bay leaf, 1
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Semolina Polenta (page 122)
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley, 1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
- Cook chicken, in batches, in 2 Tbsp. hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Transfer to a plate, and wipe Dutch oven clean.
- Add remaining 2 Tbsp. oil to Dutch oven, and heat over medium heat. Add mushrooms and next 4 ingredients, and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until mushrooms are soft. Return chicken to Dutch oven, and add wine and next 3 ingredients.
- Bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 11⁄2 hours or until meat is tender enough to fall off the bone, basting chicken occasionally with liquid in Dutch oven. Remove and discard bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over Semolina Polenta; sprinkle with parsley just before serving.
Cantucci~ Tuscan Biscotti
Number of servings (yield): 8
Ingredients
- 3 Eggs
- 3 Egg Yolks
- 1 1/3 cups Sugar
- 2 ¾ cups Flour (plus additional flour if needed, if too sticky)
- Salt, to taste
- ½ glass Milk
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 ½ cups Almonds, to taste
- A glass of Vin Santo for dipping.
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whip 2 eggs with the 3 egg yolks and the sugar until foamy.
- Add the flour little by little, mixing continuously, the salt, milk and baking powder.
- Mix well then add the almonds; try to mix them in evenly throughout.
- It will be a pretty soft and sticky dough, but add additional flour if too soft.
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper and form flattened logs of dough about 1 ½ inches wide and ½ inch tall (length depending on your baking pan).
- Brush each log with the remaining egg.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 300 degrees F for about 30 minutes until the logs are browned.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3-5 minutes.
- Slice diagonally into biscotti shapes and place on the baking pan.
- Lower the temperature of the open to 250 degrees F and bake a second time for 10 minutes to toast the biscotti until the inside is golden.
Italian Feasts and Celebrations
November is a month rich in sagras or Italian food festivals. This is the season of wine, nuts, truffles and oil, and here we share with you a selection of Italy’s favorites.
La Sagra delle Sagre: Sant’Agnelo dei Lombardi (AV)
Campania, 12th & 13th November. The aim of this well known sagra held in the Province of Avellino is to showcase the area’s very best products, ingredients, wines, artisans and celebrate traditional culture. Sample a variety of traditional dishes, enjoy the area’s excellent wines, and participate in local folk dancing exhibitions. Children are well catered for with organized games, street artists and musicians. And of course, what better occasion to pick up some of the area’s delicious pecorino cheese, truffles, honey, cookies, country-style bread, salumi and hams?
Saffron Festival, Gavino Monreale, Sardegna
The town of Gavino Monreale in Sardinia is where this festival takes place from 11th – 13th November to celebrate the area’s precious saffron. Sardinia’s saffron is a unique product treasured for its high quality, its color, flavor and aroma. Brought to the island by the Phoenicians and enjoyed by the Romans and Byzantines, this ‘oro rosso’ has become one of Sardinia’s best loved specialties, one you’ll be able to try in a variety of dishes at this sagra, along with samples of other local gastronomic specialties.
Festa dei Bringoli e di San Martino, Anghiari
This traditional celebration takes place in the province of Arezzo on 12th-13th November, with the local handmade pasta similar to fat, rolled spaghetti, bringoli, at the centre of attention. Huge quantities of sausages, bringoli with meat and mushrooms, chestnuts and vino novello are served up to the town’s many visitors, and festivities normally continue into the wee small hours.
Fossa, Tartufo e Cerere, Mondaiono, Emilia Romagna
The town of Mondaino near Rimini holds this most delicious of festivals from the 20th – 27th of November, where guests can sample the unique combination of the area’s white truffles and special formaggio di fossa, sheeps’ milk cheese matured in specially prepared pits. Attend meetings and discussions on both local truffles and cheeses, take in a demonstration or two and enjoy some musical entertainment. A wonderful opportunity to taste two of this region’s most prized products, with many local restaurants offering special menus for the duration of the sagra.
With Love from Italy
If you cannot make it to Italy, we bring Italy to you~
Opt For An Opera
November signals the opening of the official opera season for many of Italy’s great opera houses, with Rossini’s Semiramide marking the opening at the San Carlo in Naples, Rossini’s La Dona del Lago newly opened at La Scala in Milan and Verdi’s Il Trovatore opening soon at La Fenice in Venice. So why not treat yourself to a night to remember at one of Italy’s historic opera houses – an experience you’ll never forget.
Da Vinci at Fiumicino
It’s hoped that visitors to Italy flying through Rome’s Fiumicino Airport don’t have to spend too much time there, but anyone with a spare hour or so on their hands can head along to the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition the airport is hosting through April 2012. Appropriately, all 21 full-size flight machines and aeronautical instruments, made of wood, metal and cloth, derived from Leonardo’s original sketches and drawings will be on show, including the 12 meter high machine called “Vertical Ornithopter” which represents the Leonardesque precursor of the modern helicopter.
Venice & Egypt
Until January next year, visitors to the Palazzo Ducale in Venice can take in this fascinating exhibition uncovering the theme of the relationship and the ties between Venice and Egypt across almost two millennia. Over 300 international pieces have been brought together to illustrate shared history, adventures, science and business, human interest stories and great art. Sounds like a winner to us.
www.visitmuve.it/it/2011/09/1774/venezia-egitto/
150 Years of Italian Fashion
Turin’s Venaria Reale is hosting this interesting exhibition on Italian fashion from the Unification of Italy in 1861 to the present day, with two experts, costume designer and 1994 Academy Award Winner Gabriella Pescucci and fashion journalist Franca Sozzani (editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia since 1988) bringing together what they consider to be the most significant themes and styles of this 150-year period of the Italian fashion scene.
Italy On A Plate
By Germaine Stafford
Germaine continues her roundup of what’s happening in the culinary world in Italy and gives you her chef of the month, book recommendation, and a list of seasonal foods for November.
What’s in Season?
- Duck
- Goose
- Garlic
- Mushrooms
- Parsnips
- Swede
- Cabbage
- Turnip
- Leeks
- Onion
- Carrots
- Kale
- Beetroot
- Celeriac
- Pumpkin
- Cranberries
- Apples
- Pears
- Quinces
- Chestnuts
- Hazelnuts
- Walnuts
Restaurant Of The Month
Malga Panna, Moena, Trentino
As is our wont, November has us dreaming of snow capped mountains, terse blue skies and somewhere to cozy up and enjoy a wonderful meal. Up in the Dolomites in the town of Moena, on the slope of the mountainside overlooking the town, you’ll find a fairytale chalet that is home to this month’s eatery, Malga Panna. As you approach it, you’ll feel as if you’ve been whisked away to another world (which you have!): hand-carved wooden shutters and balconies, geraniums and petunias trailing from window boxes; the pine forest capping the ridges above. And when you step indoors, you’ll be utterly charmed by the warmth of the interior. In cold weather you’ll love the logs crackling away in the fireplace, and it’s difficult not to fall for the characteristic carved wooden tables and chairs or the ancient cartwheel separating two rooms.
Three generations of the Donei family have gradually transformed what was a simple mountain shelter for animals into one of the area’s most important eateries, and now it’s award-winning Chef Paolo Donei who runs the kitchen. Expect a warm welcome from Massimo Donei and prepare to be entertained.
Memory is at the basis of chef Paolo’s philosophy, as he believes it is by making note of sensations and ideas that you create memories and that it’s memory that stimulates the imagination. ‘It has never been our intention to invent or stupefy,’ he says, ‘but rather, to tell and remember old stories using new concepts and ideas.’ And these ideas are reflected in the traditional yet innovative dishes that come out of his kitchen.
Depending on the season, for an appetiser you might opt for pumpkin pie with truffle and crunchy rye bread; roast prawn tails, cuttlefish in olive oil and burrata cheese (divine); venison tartare with smoked aubergines, golden apple and rustic bread; or local snails Bourguignonne style. First dishes come in the form of papparedelle with venison and smoked bacon; wild celery soup with ‘cappelletti’ of beetroot and a millefeuille of fresh goat’s cheese; or perhaps tagliolini with porcini; or even tortelli with eggplant, roast prawn tails and bisque sauce. And main dishes leave you in no doubt that you’re up in the Dolomites: roe deer venison stew with polenta; baked leg of spring lamb with thyme, creamy potatoes and crunchy pumpkin; roast fillet of deer venison, grilled polenta, mountain honey and wine sauce; or a delicious selection of best cheeses from the Alps with jam and warm bread. As you’d expect, desserts are designed to make you eat even when you think you’re full, so chose between caramelized cream puffs with dried fruit parfait and pear Chantilly; chocolate, liquorice and citrus fruits; wild berry sorbet with candied strawberries and maple syrup cream; or (our favorite) white chocolate, passion fruit, peach and basil.
Accompany your meal with any of the restaurant’s comprehensive wine list (prices are admirably honest and there are plenty of choices by the glass as well as bottles), and as you sit back with a final glass, like many fellow guests you’ll be reluctant to leave and return to ‘real life’.
Ristorante Malga Panna
Strada de Sort, 64
Moena (TN)
Tel: +39 0462 574142
Web: www.malgapanna.it
Book Of The Month
Cooking in Everyday English: The ABCs of Great Flavor at Home, Oxmoore House.
We’re always excited when friends of Cooking Vacations have a new book on the scene and this fabulous volume by Todd English is no exception. True, it’s not exclusively an Italian cook book, but Todd’s Italian roots means there are lots of healthful, Mediterranean-style dishes on the menu that are easy to prepare and which will appeal to all the family.
English, an award-winning TV chef and well-known restaurateur, explains how to transform everyday ingredients into simple but delicious dishes at home, with special emphasis on how to create winning flavor combinations. Cooking in Everyday English uses a clear, uncomplicated approach to walk readers through recipes step-by-step, explaining how to get the best out of fresh, seasonal ingredients and showcase their unique characteristics using a variety of simple techniques. From appetizers, soups and salads to meat and fish, family dinners and desserts, dishes are illustrated with gorgeous photographs, making it not only a comprehensive cookbook, but a visual delight.
English shows us how simple ideas can nevertheless result in flavorsome food – Gorgonzola bruschetta, for example, fire-roasted eggplant, herbed ricotta crostini or an easy pesto and shrimp frittata. Or how about mozzarella stuffed meatballs with roasted tomatoes, orange and fennel salad, beet risotto with blue cheese or fava bean minestrone? English also explains the secret to making homemade pizza dough (salami and caramelized onion pizza, anyone?) and also homeamde pasta, with artichoke cheese and pepper pasta and sweetcorn ravioli just two of the pasta dishes on offer. Desserts also sound tempting, with spiced apple compote, olive oil pound cake, panna cotta with crushed blackberries and Todd’s favorite cookies just a few of the sweet treats included.
All in all, this latest offering from Todd English will make a great kitchen companion, guiding new cooks through each dish with ease, and providing innovative ideas for flavor combinations for the more experienced cook. An all round winner.
November 2011
Formaggio Con Le Pere
This simple and easy Autumn recipe is great appetizer.
Number of servings (yield): 2
Ingredients
- 1 whole Spadona Pear
- 1 of lettuce
- 1 handful of shaved Percorino cheese
- 1 small hand of walnuts
- Modena Balsamico drizzle to taste
- Sea Salt
- Extra Virgin First Cold Pressed Olive Oil
Instructions
- Wash the lettuce well.
- Rip into small pieces.
- Peal the pear, take the stem out and cut into small pieces.
- Add the Balsamico, add the oil, sprinkle with sea salt add the Pecorino.
- Toss, let sit for 10 minutes and serve.
Todd English’s
“Old School” Chicken Cacciatore
Number of servings (yield): 4 – 6
Ingredients
- Skinned, bone-in chicken thighs, 8 (about 4 lb.)
- Kosher salt, 1 tsp.
- Freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp.
- All-purpose flour, 1 cup
- Olive oil, 1⁄4 cup, divided
- Shiitake mushrooms, 3 cups sliced
- Shallots, 1⁄2 cup finely chopped
- Anchovies, 2 coarsely chopped
- Garlic, 3 cloves minced
- Capers, 3 Tbsp. drained
- Dry red wine, 2 cups
- Balsamic vinegar, 1⁄3 cup
- Fresh sage leaves, 4
- Bay leaf, 1
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Semolina Polenta (page 122)
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley, 1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
- Cook chicken, in batches, in 2 Tbsp. hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Transfer to a plate, and wipe Dutch oven clean.
- Add remaining 2 Tbsp. oil to Dutch oven, and heat over medium heat. Add mushrooms and next 4 ingredients, and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until mushrooms are soft. Return chicken to Dutch oven, and add wine and next 3 ingredients.
- Bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 11⁄2 hours or until meat is tender enough to fall off the bone, basting chicken occasionally with liquid in Dutch oven. Remove and discard bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over Semolina Polenta; sprinkle with parsley just before serving.
Cantucci~ Tuscan Biscotti
Number of servings (yield): 8
Ingredients
- 3 Eggs
- 3 Egg Yolks
- 1 1/3 cups Sugar
- 2 ¾ cups Flour (plus additional flour if needed, if too sticky)
- Salt, to taste
- ½ glass Milk
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 ½ cups Almonds, to taste
- A glass of Vin Santo for dipping.
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whip 2 eggs with the 3 egg yolks and the sugar until foamy.
- Add the flour little by little, mixing continuously, the salt, milk and baking powder.
- Mix well then add the almonds; try to mix them in evenly throughout.
- It will be a pretty soft and sticky dough, but add additional flour if too soft.
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper and form flattened logs of dough about 1 ½ inches wide and ½ inch tall (length depending on your baking pan).
- Brush each log with the remaining egg.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 300 degrees F for about 30 minutes until the logs are browned.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3-5 minutes.
- Slice diagonally into biscotti shapes and place on the baking pan.
- Lower the temperature of the open to 250 degrees F and bake a second time for 10 minutes to toast the biscotti until the inside is golden.
Florence Accommodations
3-Star By The Piazza Hotel ~ Positano
3-Star~ By The Piazza:
The 3-Star property accommodations includes rooms with a town and sea view balcony, ensuite private bath, in-room safe, mini-bar, hair dryers and air conditioning. There is a concierge, daily continental breakfast served in the common breakfast room is included, and free Wi-Fi internet in the common area are included. This property is just by the piazza and has an elevator.
Program Prices:
$3,395 per person, based on double occupancy. All taxes and Italian VAT included.
$175 Single Supplement for petite room with garden view (no sea view). Only three of these rooms are available. Early booking is advised to secure these rooms.
$515 Single Supplement for standard room with garden view (no sea view). Only two of these rooms are available. Early booking is advised to secure these rooms.
$725 Single Supplement for room with sea view.
October Newsletter 2011
Fresh Recipes, New Kitchen Ideas, Food News & Fun Things To Do In Sunny Italy
Truffles, pumpkins, chestnuts and mushrooms in all shapes and sizes fill our kitchen as we cook up produce from the autumn harvest. One of nature’s most prized gifts is the Olio Nuovo, or new oil. Plump olives still hanging on Italian olive trees will soon be pressed into the season’s new olive oil. Cooking Vacations’ new EVOO, made from chemical free olives that are grown with tender care, cut by hand and pressed on cold stones along with our Amalfi Coast Lemon and Chili Pepper EVOO. Extra virgin and first cold pressed is a must in any Italian kitchen.
On the menu for October is warm and hearty, Bruschette con Cannellini E Olio Nuovo, toasted bread rubbed with fresh garlic and topped with cannellini beans in the season’s new olive oil; Zuppa Di Cipolle~ Onion Soup, a creamy onion soup from the Poggio Hills in Tuscany, Penne Strascicate ~ Penne With Meat Ragu, another Tuscan recipe hearty and warm with meat sauce; Torta di Mela, fall apple cake from the foothills of Florence, and Castagnaccio, chestnut cake are on a few of my favorite fall recipes on schedule at Cooking Vacations.
Elizabeth Berg, great American author who loves to cook is in our kitchen this week on the Amalfi Coast. Elizabeth chopped, sliced, and sautéed along while also leading a Writer’s Studio in Positano. Elizabeth said, ‘when I am not in my office, I am in the kitchen!’
Cooking Vacations cooks up its own organic spices to keep the flavor of Italy alive in your own home kitchen. Imagine, Sun-dried red tomatoes, Pasta Positano, Risotto Al Limone, Red Chili Peppers, Puttanesca and Oregano. Look for them soon on our website.
Buon Appetito!
Lauren
Table Talk
Something magical happens in Italy as summer slips into fall. The air takes on a refreshing nip, days shorten and colors everywhere change, the vivid greens of the countryside slowly turning amber, tan and deep red. Mornings are often misty, and the muffled bangs of the hunters in the hills serve as a reminder that this is the season for game. After a summer spent outdoors, indoor pleasures again raise their head; lazy breakfasts at the bar with friends to enjoy a steaming cappuccino and a brioche still warm from the oven; a cozy midweek dinner created from fall’s first offerings. Or the sudden need to make a sticky plum cake or apple crumble right now! But of course, October can surprise you. Often the sun will come out as if it were still early September and the beaches are suddenly dotted with bodies stretched out to soak up the warmth. However, one glance at the mounds of fallen leaves under the trees, the vivid red tomatoes clinging to withered vines and the mountains of orange and green pumpkins at the market, is enough to bring you back to fall.
In most areas the grape harvest is well and truly over, but further south, you’ll see vineyards teeming with activity, the warmer weather permitting wine producers to delay the harvest and leave grapes on the vine to stock up on sugars. And last but not least, nothing beats a walk through the countryside where slow rising spirals of smoke mark farmers burning off piles of dried grass and leaves, and permeate the air with the scent of burning foliage. On days like these, all that’s missing is a helping of hot roasted chestnuts and a glass of red wine. Life really doesn’t get much better than this…
Food Notes
The arrival of October marks the advent of a delicious new slew of ingredients, with one of the most popular here in Italy being mushrooms: chanterelle, porcini, chiodini, puffballs, ovulo and many others. (Not to mention truffles!) The Italians have a real love of mushroom hunting, and as soon as the summer is over and the rains begin, you’ll see them out at the break of dawn with their wicker baskets, eager to get to their hidden spots before others do. It’s no secret that mushrooms are delicious in pasta and rice dishes, but sautéed they also make a great side dish, larger ones can be wiped clean, finely sliced and eaten raw with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and many different types can also be preserved in oil, oil and vinegar or even frozen.
There’s lots to see in the vegetable garden too: newly planted cauliflower, Savoy cabbage, green-black kale, feathery fennel, radicchio, dark green minestra, broccoli, broccoli rabe, escarole, red-striped lollo lettuce, Swiss chard, beautiful grey-green artichokes, beetroot, leeks and tiny spring onions. The apple and pear trees are laden with fruit, with all perfect specimens picked and stored on wooden trays or shelves in the cellar, and any bashed or damaged fruit transformed into sweets, cakes and applesauce. The walnut trees also keep us busy, with hours here and there spent gathering any fallen fruit then cleaning and drying it so it will keep well over the winter months. Apart from serving walnuts at the end of a meal, often to accompany cheese, or using them in sweets, one of our staples is homemade wholemeal walnut bread with a few fennel and caraway seeds thrown in for a little extra flavor. Walnuts, hazelnuts and chestnuts are extremely versatile ingredients. Many great recipes can be found in out of date regional cookbooks that address the problem of how to use a glut of nuts. Thus you might come across unusual ideas for calamari stuffed with potatoes and chestnuts, poached capon with walnut and bread stuffing, pork stew with chestnuts or cavolo nero with sausage and hazelnuts. So summer might be over, but fun in the kitchen isn’t!
Recipes From Our Kitchen
Zuppa Di Cipolle~ Onion Soup
From our Villa Florentine Cooking program
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 3 cups Onion, sliced
- 1/3 cup Butter
- 2 Tbsp Flour
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- 2 quarts Vegetable Broth
- Toasted bread croutons
- Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the butter over low heat and add the onions.
- Cover and allow to cook for about 30 minutes on low. Next add flour, salt and pepper and mix to dissolve the flour.
- Add the broth slowly, stirring continuously and cook for about 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, cut slices of bread into cubes and toast in the oven or in a pan. In each serving bowl, place the toasted bread then pour the soup over the top.
- Sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano and serve hot.
Penne Strascicate~ Penne With Meat Ragu
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 1 Carrot
- 2 Celery stalks
- ½ Onion
- 4 tbsp Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 lb Lean Ground Beef & Pork (mixed together about 13 oz beef, 3 oz pork)
- 1 lb Peeled Tomatoes, pureed
- 1 tsp Tomato Concentrate (optional)
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- 1 lb Penne Lisce (smooth penne, from Pastificio Fabbri Toscano, if possible)
- ½ cup Beef Stock, if needed
Instructions
- Chop the carrot, celery and onion finely.
- In a large wide pot, heat olive oil and add chopped vegetables and sauté until the onion is blonded.
- Add the ground meat and sauté until it starts to brown.
- Next add the pureed peeled tomatoes (you can use a hand blender or vegetable mill to puree the ‘pelati’) and the tomato concentrate, if desired.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and reduce heat to low.
- Cover and cook sauce for about 3 hours over low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- When ready to eat, cook the pasta in boiling salted water for about ¾ of the cook time (very al dente).
- Drain and toss in a pan with the Ragu, adding a bit of beef stock if needed to dilute the sauce, and finish cooking the pasta for a minute or two with the sauce.
- Serve hot with Parmigiano Reggiano grated on top, if desired.
Torta Di Mele~ Apple Cake
Number of servings (yield): 1large cake
Ingredients
- 3 Eggs
- 1 ½ cups Sugar + 2-3 tbsp to sprinkle on top
- 4 tbsp Butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups ‘00’ Flour
- 1 tsp Vanilla or Zest of 1 Lemon, as you prefer
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- Pinch of Salt ½ cup Pine nuts
- ½ cup Raisins
- 5-6 Rennet Apples depending on size, or baking apple, peeled and sliced thin
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mix eggs with the sugar until foamy.
- Add the melted butter, flour, vanilla, baking powder and salt.
- Mix well and divide in half.
- Mix half of the dough with the pine nuts, raisins, and the slices of about 4 apples (save about 1 apple to put on top).
- Butter and flour a 10-inch round cake pan and pour apple mixture into the pan.
- Spread the rest of the dough on top, then top with the rest of the apple slices and sprinkle with a generous layer of sugar (a couple of tablespoons).
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about one hour.
- Use a toothpick to test if it is done, if it comes out dry it is ready.
Castagnaccio ~ Chestnut Cake
Number of servings (yield): 1large cake
Ingredients
- 500 g Chestnut flour
- ½ Glass extra-virgin olive oil
- 50 g Chopped pine nuts or walnuts
- 50 g Raisins
- Rosemary
- Grated orange rind (optional)
Instructions
- Sieve the flour and knead with warm water or milk until the dough is smooth and even.
- Add the oil, the pine nuts or walnuts and the raisins previously soaked in warm water and .
- Mix all the ingredients and pour in a baking tin greased with oil.
- Top with rosemary needles, pine nuts or walnuts, the orange rind (optional) and a drizzle of oil.
- Cook in a medium oven (150-160°C) for about an hour.
Property Of The Month
Beatrice’s Villa In The Tuscan Countryside™
Cooking With Chefs Emma & Anna In Barga ~ 8 Day
Nestled high within the Apennine Mountains lies the enchanting medieval town of Barga, home to Beatrice’s unique Tuscan cooking classes. Take a step back in time as you make your way down the Villa’s captivating and majestic garden path and through the century-old grand doorway. Beatrice and her team of chefs are waiting to take you on an unforgettable culinary adventure where you will learn the ancient secrets and methods of Italy’s most humble cuisine.
Italian Feasts & Celebrations
This month, we take a look at some great food festivals to suit all tastes this October in Italy.
Peperoncini in Mostra
Cavaglià, Piemonte
For those who like to add a touch of spice to life, until the end of October, at the ‘Azienda Agricola Cascina Molino Torrine’ in the town of Cavaglià, you can sample as many of the 200 different varieties of chili pepper on display! Some are extremely rare, some are ornamental varieties but all with make your mouth (and probably your eyes) water. There will also be other local products on display, but all dishes prepared will be distinctly hot!
Fiera del Tartufo Bianco
Pergola, Le Marche October 8-9th and 16-23rd
Fall wouldn’t be fall without truffles, white truffles especially, and the region of Le Marche is a veritable gold mine when it comes to this beloved tuber. On various dates throughout the period of the fair, visitors will be able to sample the area’s delicious white truffles, take gastronomic tours of the town, choose from a number of truffle-based menus on offer from the town’s restaurants and take part in the various plays, discussions and concerts organized by the local council. Visitors should also take time out to visit Pergola’s interesting museum.
Rassegna dei Formaggi di Malga della Val di Non, Trento
October 23
Calling all cheese lovers! In the Alpine town of Tassullo, Sunday the 23rd is the day dedicated to the area’s excellent artisan cheeses. In the morning there’s a guided tasting of different cheeses and products, lunch also makes the best of local cheeses, and there is a competition between local artisans to see whose cheese turns out to be the favorite. The afternoon prize giving ceremony brings the sagra to an end, but not before visitors are treated to a taste of hot apple fritters.
Il Primo Olio ed Altro Ancora
Montisi, Siena October 29 – November 1st
This is the twelfth edition of this festival near Siena, where visitors can try out the year’s new extra-virgin olive oil and sample many different local specialties. A menu created around the new oil is available at various restaurants in the town, and there are also a number of oil tastings and wine tasting events organized by the Italian Association of Sommeliers. During the day, visit local oil producers and mills and enjoy a luncheon accompanied by traditional music.
With Love From Italy
If you cannot make it to Italy, we bring Italy to you~
Rome Film Festival
The end of October (27th) brings Rome’s international film festival which hosts a number of great international premieres, world class actors and directors of the caliber of Martin Scorsese, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino and Meryl Streep. There are also encounters with the public, documentaries, retrospectives, exhibits, concerts and live shows. Tickets are available both at authorized ticket centers throughout Italy or online. For more details visit www.romacinemafest.it
Choco Tango Festival
Talk about combining two of life’s most sensuous pleasures: and this is precisely what the town of Perugia has done, combining its annual chocolate festival with the seductive world of tango. Passion, elegance and allure become the principal elements of this festival where between the 6th and 9th October Perugia transforms itself into a land of temptations, offering everything from plump chocolate coated mouthfuls to hauntingly beautiful tango exhibitions.
Web: www.chocotangofestival.com
Foto Famiglia!
Until the 23rd October at Rome’s Complesso del Vittoriano, you can visit this fascinating exhibition of photographs tracing the evolution of families in Italy from 1861 to the early 1960s. Themes include The Symbolic Construction of the Family, Engagements and Marriages, Realizing a Family, Intergenerational Aspects of the Family and Constance and Faithfulness. One of the most interesting facts underlined by this exhibition is how the family was once perceived as the project of a lifetime, a project to be valued, worked hard at, and shared by the families of both bride and groom, in sharp contrast to today’s mentality which increasingly favors a short term view of both marriage and family.
www.beniculturali.it
Wine Jelly
Villa Matilde, the well known wine producers in the Province of Caserta, have recently launched a delicious sounding series of jellies based on their most important wines. The deep red Aglianico jelly has a decisive flavor and makes the perfect companion to meat dishes, cheese dishes and even desserts. The Falanghina jelly, on the other hand, is a delicate straw yellow color, and is best enjoyed with cow’s milk and goat’s milk cheeses. Too good to pass up!
www.fattoriavillamatilde.it
Italy On A Plate
By Germaine Stafford
Germaine continues her roundup of what’s happening in the culinary world in Italy and gives you her chef of the month, book recommendation, and a list of seasonal foods for October.
What’s in Season?
Sea Bass
Mussels
Oysters
Venison
Partridge
Wood Pigeon
Guinea fowl
Duck
Grouse
Garlic
Ceps
Chanterelles
Spinach
Fennel
Onion
Kale
Beetroot
Squashes
Marrow
Pumpkin
Figs
Apples
Pears
Grapes
Restaurant Of The Month
Piazza Duomo, Alba
Okay, it’s October, the month of white truffles, and we’ve decided to give ourselves a treat. A real treat. Where better to head than the town of Alba, famous for its white truffle fair and auctions, and the wonderful local produce. There are many quality eateries in Alba, but the two star Piazza Duomo is undoubtedly home to one of Italy’s most skilled chefs, and offers a truly exquisite gastronomic experience.
Chef Enrico Crippa is clear-headed and determined, a man who takes his responsibility as head of a winning brigade of chefs very seriously. He cut his teeth under some of the world’s most important chefs, including Gualtiero Marchese, Michel Bra and Ferran Adria. Unsurprising then, that his own restaurant is now such a success. The dining room at Piazza Duomo is pained a striking shade of pink, with nothing on the walls bar a couple of frescos to distract diners from the real art – that on their plate. Despite his illustrious international training, Crippa’s respect and attachment to locally-sourced ingredients is paramount to the success of his dishes, and he knows how to make the produce of the Langhe sing like no other.
Dishes often bear deceptively simple names: prawns and melon; Amatriciana; pepper and tuna; veal cheek and buckwheat cream, however, what arrives at your table is a treat for the senses: a combination of color, scents and design that really does constitute a form of art. There are various menus to choose from, roughly speaking, a tasting menu (including cod and peas; risotto with porcini and star anise; lamb, chamomile, milk cream), a traditional menu (sausage and tomato; cold tagliolini, pepper and celery; peach, amaretti and angelica), and a territorial menu (vegetable and fruit soup; pigeon and cereal; Swiss chard, coconut, strawberries and green tea), all of which however, bear the stamp of Crippa’s curiosity and love of experimentation. Another of the restaurant’s great assets is Sommelier Mauro Mattei, and you’d be well advised to give him a few pointers then let him help you choose the best bottle for your needs. And it goes without saying, as long as you’re in this wonderful wine producing neck of the woods, enjoy something local. The dining experience at Piazza Duomo doesn’t come cheap, but few will be more worth the price.
Further Information:
Piazza Duomo
Piazza Risorgimento 4
12051 Alba (Cn)
Tel: +39 0173 366167
Web: www.piazzaduomoalba.it
Book Of The Month
Italian Slow and Savory
by Joyce Goldstein, Chronicle Books
There are a number of books I tend to reach for with the advent of fall, and this volume by renowned chef and cookbook writer Joyce Goldstein is one of my favorites. As the title suggests, the book covers a selection of slow-cooked soups, stews, roasts, sauces and casseroles, and one of the things I love most is the accessibility of the dishes. All are thoroughly researched, unfailingly authentic, and although simple dishes at heart, never banal and often unusual.
Italian Slow and Savory comprises recipes from all regions of Italy, and indeed includes a summary of each region and its signature flavors. Here you’ll find a veritable treasure trove of traditional dishes, many of which are still refreshingly unfamiliar in today’s replete Italian cookbook market. Dishes are of the comforting, reassuring ilk, many elegantly simple (asparagus soup with saffron, baked pumpkin with mint and almonds), others enticing in their novelty (wild fennel and bread soup, cocoa-crusted beef braised in Rosso Conero wine, roast leg of lamb cooked on tiles). But all utterly delicious. From Puglia hails sausage, potato and wild onion casserole; from Lazio, clove scented beef; from the island of Favignana, braised tuna with tomato, garlic and mint; from Abruzzo, polenta with sausage and raisins; from Tuscany, savory farro tart; and from Sicily, an utterly delicious pumpkin squash with mozzarella and tomato (pumpkin parmesan, if you will).
Goldstein’s writing is at once conversational and informative, and recipes are peppered with interesting tidbits of information that add an extra dimension to her prose while alerting cooks to possible pitfalls and complications. That, combined with her clearly written, foolproof instructions and suggestions for wine pairings makes this the ideal book with which to celebrate the advent of fall and enjoy long, cozy evenings in the kitchen.
October 2011
Zuppa Di Cipolle~ Onion Soup
From our Villa Florentine Cooking program
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 3 cups Onion, sliced
- 1/3 cup Butter
- 2 Tbsp Flour
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- 2 quarts Vegetable Broth
- Toasted bread croutons
- Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the butter over low heat and add the onions.
- Cover and allow to cook for about 30 minutes on low. Next add flour, salt and pepper and mix to dissolve the flour.
- Add the broth slowly, stirring continuously and cook for about 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, cut slices of bread into cubes and toast in the oven or in a pan. In each serving bowl, place the toasted bread then pour the soup over the top.
- Sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano and serve hot.
Penne Strascicate~ Penne With Meat Ragu
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 1 Carrot
- 2 Celery stalks
- ½ Onion
- 4 tbsp Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 lb Lean Ground Beef & Pork (mixed together about 13 oz beef, 3 oz pork)
- 1 lb Peeled Tomatoes, pureed
- 1 tsp Tomato Concentrate (optional)
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- 1 lb Penne Lisce (smooth penne, from Pastificio Fabbri Toscano, if possible)
- ½ cup Beef Stock, if needed
Instructions
- Chop the carrot, celery and onion finely.
- In a large wide pot, heat olive oil and add chopped vegetables and sauté until the onion is blonded.
- Add the ground meat and sauté until it starts to brown.
- Next add the pureed peeled tomatoes (you can use a hand blender or vegetable mill to puree the ‘pelati’) and the tomato concentrate, if desired.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and reduce heat to low.
- Cover and cook sauce for about 3 hours over low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- When ready to eat, cook the pasta in boiling salted water for about ¾ of the cook time (very al dente).
- Drain and toss in a pan with the Ragu, adding a bit of beef stock if needed to dilute the sauce, and finish cooking the pasta for a minute or two with the sauce.
- Serve hot with Parmigiano Reggiano grated on top, if desired.
Torta Di Mele~ Apple Cake
Number of servings (yield): 1large cake
Ingredients
- 3 Eggs
- 1 ½ cups Sugar + 2-3 tbsp to sprinkle on top
- 4 tbsp Butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups ‘00’ Flour
- 1 tsp Vanilla or Zest of 1 Lemon, as you prefer
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- Pinch of Salt ½ cup Pine nuts
- ½ cup Raisins
- 5-6 Rennet Apples depending on size, or baking apple, peeled and sliced thin
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mix eggs with the sugar until foamy.
- Add the melted butter, flour, vanilla, baking powder and salt.
- Mix well and divide in half.
- Mix half of the dough with the pine nuts, raisins, and the slices of about 4 apples (save about 1 apple to put on top).
- Butter and flour a 10-inch round cake pan and pour apple mixture into the pan.
- Spread the rest of the dough on top, then top with the rest of the apple slices and sprinkle with a generous layer of sugar (a couple of tablespoons).
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about one hour.
- Use a toothpick to test if it is done, if it comes out dry it is ready.
Castagnaccio ~ Chestnut Cake
Number of servings (yield): 1large cake
Ingredients
- 500 g Chestnut flour
- ½ Glass extra-virgin olive oil
- 50 g Chopped pine nuts or walnuts
- 50 g Raisins
- Rosemary
- Grated orange rind (optional)
Instructions
- Sieve the flour and knead with warm water or milk until the dough is smooth and even.
- Add the oil, the pine nuts or walnuts and the raisins previously soaked in warm water and .
- Mix all the ingredients and pour in a baking tin greased with oil.
- Top with rosemary needles, pine nuts or walnuts, the orange rind (optional) and a drizzle of oil.
- Cook in a medium oven (150-160°C) for about an hour.
Cooking Vacations Has A New Website!
Thank you for visiting us. We’ve recently upgraded our website to a new system and some pages have new links. We suggest clicking on our home page at:
www.cooking-vacations.com
Or continue browsing by clicking one of these popular links:
Italy Tours
The Recipe Book or Recipes of the Month
The Newsletter
Testimonials
Thank you for visiting, and for any questions just call 617.247.4112 or 800.916.1152.
Veneto
Veneto is home to the wonderful city of Venice, and its cuisine is very much linked to the dishes of its past, often featuring one of the area’s four principal ingredients: polenta, rice, beans and baccalà. Both rice and polenta arrived in Italy via Venice, and quickly became important ingredients in the country’s diet. Fish dishes are predictably excellent along the coast and make good use of fish and shellfish from local lagoons, while inland, poultry and stockfish or baccalà are more popular. The radicchio from Treviso is another important local ingredient and is delicious simply grilled or incorporated into a risotto or frittata.
Traditional dishes:
Risi e Bisi: Rice with Peas (Pea Risotto)
Ingredients
- 400 g Carnaroli rice
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 100 g pancetta, diced
- 500 g fresh peas
- 2 liters vegetable broth
- 100 g Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tbsp butter
- Handful of parsley, finely chopped
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Heat a good drizzling of olive oil in a thick bottomed pan and add the onion and the pancetta and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add the peas and a cup of the broth and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the remaining broth and when it begins to simmer, throw in the rice.
- Cook until rice is ready, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.
- Adjust seasoning, sprinkle in the grated Parmesan and the parsley.
- Serve hot.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Pasta e Fagioli: Pasta with Beans
Ingredients
- 300 g dried beans
- 125 g cotica (pork skin)
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 1 celery rib
- Piece of Parmesan rind, scarped and rinsed
- 200 g mixed pasta
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Soak the beans overnight and scrape the cotica well and plunge into boiling water for a couple of minutes.
- Drain beans and place them in a large pan with the cotica, the carrot, onion, celery rib and Parmesan rind.
- Cover with slated water and bring to the boil.
- Once beans are cooked, remove just under half the beans from the pan and push through a sieve.
- Return to pan with the whole beans and once it comes back to the boil, add the pasta.
- Once past is cooked, check seasoning and remove from the heat.
- Remove the cotica and the Parmesan rind and cut into pieces so everyone gets a piece, placing them in the serving dishes.
- Serve the pasta e fagioli warm, not hot, with some freshly ground black pepper and a drizzling of extra-virgin olive oil.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Baccalà alla Vicentina: Dried Cod Vicentina Style
Ingredients
- 500 g dried cod
- 500 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 250 g onions, finely chopped
- 2 salted anchovies, rinsed and boned
- Handful of finely chopped parsley
- Flour for dusting
- 250 ml milk
- 25 g grated Grana cheese
Instructions
- Soak the dried cod in water for 3 days, changing the water three or four times a day.
- Remove as much of the skin as you can, remove the bones and cut into evenly sized pieces.
- Heat half a cup of olive oil in a terracotta pot and sauté the onion with the anchovies until onion is soft and transparent and anchovies have melted.
- Remove from the heat and throw in the chopped parsley.
- Place a few spoonfuls of this sauce at the bottom of a large pan.
- Roll the pieces of cod in flour and arrange over the sauce in the pan.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Place the rest of the sauce over the top.
- Pour in the milk, sprinkle over the grated Grana and add enough olive oil to cover the fish.
- Cover and cook over a very low heat for about 4 to 5 hours, turning the pan every so often, but never mixing the contents.
- Serve with polenta.
Number of servings (yield): 6
Zaleti: cornmeal cookies
Ingredients
- 350 g polenta flour
- 250 g all purpose flour
- A good pinch of baking powder
- 150 g butter
- 100 g sugar
- 2 eggs
- 100 g raisins, soaked in hot water
- 75 g pine nuts
- 1 cup milk
- Grated zest of a lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
Instructions
- Mix the two types of flour together and sieve in the baking powder.
- Cream the butter with the sugar and eggs.
- Stir in the raisins, pine nuts, milk, grated lemon zest and the vanilla and mix well.
- Stir in the flour, then form long oval shapes with your hand, each about 6 -7cm long.
- Place on an oiled cookie sheet and bake at 360ºF for about 20 – 25 minutes.
Mostarda Vicentina: Mustard and Fruit Preserve
In Vicenza, this sweet, hot preserve is traditionally made in the period running up to Christmas. Local delis keep it in enormous hand-painted ceramic bowls, and serve it into small take away containers with long-handled ceramic ladles.
Ingredients
- 1¼ kg pears
- 750 g apples
- Juice and grated zest two lemons
- ½ bottle of dry white wine
- Equal quantity of water
- Sugar
- 10 level tablespoons hot mustard powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 100 g candied orange peel
Instructions
- Peel and core the pears and apples and chop into pieces.
- Place in a pan with the lemon juice and grated lemon zest, the wine and the water.
- Cook for about 45 minutes or until the fruit is soft.
- Allow to cool slightly then puree the mixture leaving a few larger chunks of fruit whole.
- Add the same weight of sugar, the mustard powder dissolved in a little hot water, and the salt.
- Cook over a medium to high heat for 40 minutes, then add the chopped candied peel and continue to cook until mixture darkens and thickens, from 30 to 40 minutes.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes before pouring into warm, sterilized jars.
- This mostarda is heavenly eaten with mascarpone cheese and is a good accompaniment to roasted meats.
Number of servings (yield): 4-5 jars
Valle d’Aosta
Situated in north-west Italy, Valle d’Aosta is one of the country’s most mountainous regions. The area’s cuisine is based very much on local ingredients and as such, contains an abundance of vegetables such as cabbage, and makes much use of slow cooked stocks to prepare all types of soups that almost always include slices of stale rye bread. Chestnuts abound and local cheeses such as fontina and robiola are popular all over Italy. Game is excellent here and can include hare, pheasant and venison depending on the season .
Traditional dishes:
Zuppa alla Valdostana: Valdostana Soup
Ingredients
- 1 small savoy cabbage
- 2 tbsp butter
- 50 g pancetta, diced
- 50 g prosciutto crudo, diced
- 4 slices of country style bread
- 100 g Fontina cheese, sliced
- 1 liter beef broth, hot
- 1 clove of garlic
Instructions
- Remove leaves from cabbage, rinse well and cut into pieces, removing central the rib.
- Melt a tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan and add the pancetta and the cabbage.
- Cover and cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes. Toast the bread and cut into small pieces.
- Halve the clove of garlic and rub it over the inside surface of a large terracotta oven dish.
- Arrange a layer of bread at the bottom of the dish.
- Cover with some of the cabbage mixture.
- Add a little of the diced prosciutto and some of the Fontina cheese, lightly seasoning with salt and pepper along the way.
- Continue with other layers, finishing with a layer of cheese.
- Pour over the boiling beef broth and dot the top with the remaining butter.
- Bake at 350ºF for about 30 minutes or until the surface is golden brown.
- Serve immediately
Number of servings (yield): 4
Minestra di Castagne: Chestnut Soup
Ingredients
- 250 g dried chestnuts
- 250 ml milk
- 100 g rice
- 60 g butter
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Boil the dried chestnuts in water for 10 minutes then drain and discard water.
- Put them in a pan with the milk, the bay leaves and enough water to cover.
- Simmer until chestnuts are almost tender.
- Add the rice and the butter.
- Season with salt.
- Simmer until rice is cooked.
- Adjust seasoning and serve.
- (Some serve with a final sprinkling of sugar!)
Number of servings (yield): 4
Polenta al Forno: Baked Polenta
Ingredients
- 400 g polenta flour
- 500 ml milk
- 100 g Grana (cheese), grated
- 350 g mature Fontina cheese, sliced
- 100 g butter
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a thick bottomed pan along with a liter of water and bring to the boil.
- Salt, and slowly pour in the polenta flour, stirring continuously to prevent the formation of lumps.
- Cook the polenta, stirring continuously, for 45 minutes or until it is ready.
- Turn the cooked polenta out on to a clean work surface and allow it to cool.
- Once cool, cut into thin slices.
- In a large buttered ovenproof dish form a layer of polenta.
- Season with pepper and a sprinkling of Grana, dot with a little butter and cover with slices of Fontina.
- Repeat layers, finishing with a layer of Fontina dotted with a little butter.
- Bake at 350ºF for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve while warm.
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
Fonduta: Fondue
Ingredients
- 400 g Fontina
- 250 g whole milk
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 egg yolks, beaten
- White pepper
Instructions
- Cut the Fontina into thin slices and soak for at least 4 hours in the milk in a large thick bottomed pan.
- Place pan over a low heat, add the butter and stir with a metal whisk until the cheese has completely melted.
- Add the egg yolks and continue whisking over the heat until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Remove from heat, season with white pepper and pour into a fondue pot placed over a flame.
- Place at the center of the table.
- This fondue is normally eaten by dipping cubes of stale bread into the cheese, but you could also use lightly cooked vegetables.
- A final grating of white truffle turns this into a really special dish.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Blanc Manger: Vanilla Cream
Ingredients
- 2 sheets gelatin
- 500 ml cream
- 60 g sugar
- 1 vanilla pod
Instructions
- Place the gelatin in a small bowl of water and leave to soak for 10 minutes.
- Place the cream in a pan with the sugar and the opened vanilla pod.
- Bring to the boil, whisking well, then allow to cool a little.
- Squeeze the gelatin of extra water, add to the cream and stir until it has completely dissolved.
- Discard vanilla pod.
- Pour cream into individual molds and leave to cool for at least three hours in the refrigerator before serving.
Number of servings (yield): 6
Umbria
Snuggled between Toscana and Le Marche, Umbria is a beautiful verdant region of central Italy. Here the pig is king, with local butchers considered among the best in Italy for their superb salamis, porchetta, sausages, prosciuttos and cured meats of all kinds. Beef is also excellent and there is also a wide variety of game to be found on local menus. The lentils of Castelluccio are another of the region’s best loved products and truffles are a great favorite during the winter truffle season. A last word goes to the region’s famed chocolate, with Perugia’s chocolate festival popular among chocolate lovers all over Italy.
Traditional dishes:
Acquacotta dell’Umbria: Umbrian ‘Cooked Water’
Ingredients
- 3 onions
- 1 celery rib
- 8 leaves of fresh mint
- 1 kg tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 4 slices country style bread, toasted
- 50 g Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Finely chop the onions, celery and the mint.
- Place in a large terracotta pot along with the tomatoes, a drizzling of olive oil and about half the broth.
- Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring every so often, and adding a little more broth if necessary.
- Adjust seasoning.
- Place a slice of toasted bread in each serving dish, and season with a drizzle of oil, salt and pepper.
- Pour tomatoes on top and finish with a generous sprinkling of grated Parmesan.
- Serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Minestra di Farro: Farro (Emmer Wheat) Soup
Ingredients
- 200 g farro
- Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
- 50 g prosciutto crudo or pancetta, diced
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 rib celery, finely chopped
- 25 g grated pecorino cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pan and add the diced prosciutto.
- Sauté for 5 minutes then add the chopped vegetables and sauté for a further 5 minutes.
- Cover with water, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for at least an hour.
- Add the farro and cook for another 30 – 45 minutes or until the farro is tender, adding more water if necessary.
- Serve hot with a sprinkling of grated pecorino.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Spaghetti al Tartufo Nero: Spaghetti with Black Truffle
Ingredients
- 400 g spaghetti
- 2 good sized black truffles, thinly sliced
- 50 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 anchovy fillets (in oil)
- Juice from ½ lemon
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, and add the anchovy fillets, the truffles and the lemon juice.
- Sauté for a couple of minutes and keep warm.
- Cook the spaghetti in abundant, salted boiling water until al dente
- Drain (reserving some of the cooking water) and add to the truffles.
- Toss well together, adding a little of the pasta water if necessary.
- Serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Lepre alla Cacciatore Umbra: Umbrian Hare, Hunter Style
Ingredients
- 1 hare, cut in pieces
- Vinegar
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 100 g prosciutto crudo, diced
- Small sprig of rosemary
- 2 anchovy fillets
- Handful of capers, rinsed
- 1 chili pepper, diced
- Glass of dry white wine
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Wash the hare with vinegar, then heat a non stick pan and sear pieces on all sides.
- Heat a good drizzling of olive oil in a second pan and sauté the onion with the prosciutto until the onion is soft and transparent.
- Add the hare to the second pan, season with salt and pepper and sauté together for 5 minutes.
- Mince the rosemary with the anchovy fillets and add to pan along with the capers and chili pepper.
- Add the wine, and cook uncovered for 5 minutes until it has evaporated somewhat.
- Drizzle over a little more olive oil, cover and cook over a low heat for 2 hours or until hare is cooked and tender.
Rocciata di Assisi: Fruit and Nut Roll from Assisi
Ingredients
- 75 g mixed fruit and nuts (almonds, sultanas, walnuts, dried figs, prunes)
- Olive oil
- 150 g sugar
- 2 tbsp vin santo
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Grated zest 1 lemon
- 200 g flour
- Pinch of salt
- Icing sugar for decoration
Instructions
- To make the filling, dice all the fruit and nuts.
- Mix with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 100 g sugar, the vin santo, cinnamon and the lemon zest.
- Stir well and place to one side.
- In another bowl, mix the flour with the salt, add the remaining sugar and add enough water to form a soft pliable dough.
- Cover with a tea towel and leave to ‘rest’ for half an hour.
- Roll dough out thinly with a rolling pin to form a rectangle.
- Spread filling all over the surface.
- Roll dough into a swiss roll type formation and place on an oiled cookie sheet, coiling it if necessary.
- Using a pastry brush, paint the surface with a little olive oil.
- Bake at 350ºF for at least 30 minutes or until it becomes golden brown in color.
- Dust with icing sugar then serve.
Tuscany
One of the most popular regions in Italy with tourists, the gorgeous region of Toscana boasts a simple, peasant like cuisine that exalts the use of fresh local ingredients, from emmer wheat and pulses to olive oil and fresh herbs. Soups are popular here, with offerings like pureed chick peas or emmer wheat and porcini soup. Local pasta includes pici and pappardelle, but perhaps it’s the quality of Tuscan meat that stands out most. It’s famous Fiorentina – huge slabs of grilled T-bone steak, is a true joy, but pork, game and chicken are also excellent. Coastal towns offer good fish soups and inland areas produce some of Italy’s best pecorino cheeses. All of which taste even better if washed down with one of Tuscany’s fine red wines.
Traditional dishes:
Crostini
Ingredients
- 50 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 500 g chicken liver
- 1 small glass of dry white wine
- 3 salted anchovies, rinsed and minced
- 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and minced
- 25 g butter
- 6 slices Tuscan bread (country style)
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the onion.
- Cook until onion is soft and transparent.
- Add the chicken livers and sauté for 10 minutes, adding a splash of white wine every so often.
- Remove livers and finely chop then place them back in the frying pan.
- Toss in the minced anchovies and capers and cook for about 10 minutes stirring often.
- Season with salt and pepper and stir in the butter.
- Toast the bread on both sides and top with the warm liver pâté.
- Serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 6
Ribollita: Hearty Tuscan Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 carrot, roughly chopped
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 celery rib, roughly chopped
- Tuscan extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
- Small bunch of fresh thyme
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 750 g cavolo nero, rinsed and cut into strips
- 250 g fresh beans (or 150 g dried beans, soaked overnight)
- 2 liters boiling water
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices stale Tuscan bread, toasted and rubbed with garlic
Instructions
- Heat a good drizzling of olive oil in a terracotta pot and add the chopped carrot, onion and celery.
- After sautéing for about 10 minutes add the tomatoes, the thyme and the chopped potatoes.
- Allow to cook for another 10 minutes.
- Add the cavolo nero and the beans, cover with the boiling water, season with salt and pepper and leave to cook over a low heat for 2 hours or until beans are cooked.
- Using a potato masher, reduce part of the soup to a purée leaving some of the beans and vegetables whole. (You could also whiz half the soup in a food processor then return to the pot.)
- Arrange the toasted bread in the bottom of 4 soup dishes and ladle soup on top.
- Season with more pepper, finish with a generous drizzling of olive oil and serve.
Number of servings (yield): 6
Pappardelle con la Lepre: Pappardelle with Hare sauce
Ingredients
- 700 g hare (or rabbit) meat
- 50 g butter
- 50 g pancetta, minced
- ½ onion, minced
- ½ celery rib, minced
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 glass of dry white wine
- 400 g pappardelle pasta
Instructions
- Cut the hare into very small pieces, almost mincing it.
- Heat the butter in a terracotta pot and add the pancetta, onion, celery and garlic and cook over a low heat until onion is soft and transparent.
- Add the meat, stirring well and season with salt and pepper.
- When meat has browned, sprinkle in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes before pouring in the white wine.
- Continue to simmer over a low heat until meat is cooked and sauce has reduced somewhat and adding a little water if necessary.
- Adjust seasoning.
- Cook the pappardelle in abundant salted boiling water until al dente.
- Drain pasta, add to the sauce and toss well.
- Serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Arista: Roast Loin of Pork
Ingredients
- 1 pork loin approx. 1.25 kg
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Few sprigs of fresh rosemary
- Few fresh sage leaves
- Few sprigs of parsley
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Mince the garlic and herbs together with a good pinch of salt and pepper and mix with a little olive oil to create a paste.
- With a sharp knife, cut a few slits in the pork loin and insert a little of the herb mixture into the slits.
- Rub the remaining herbs all over the outside of the meat and place in a roasting tin.
- Drizzle generously with extra-virgin olive oil and place in an oven preheated to 400ºF.
- After 10 minutes, lower heat to 350 ºF and continue to cook for a further 50 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Panforte: Spiced Christmas Cake
Ingredients
- 200 g almonds
- 100 g walnuts
- 100 g hazelnuts
- 150 g candied orange and lemon peel, chopped
- 100 g dried figs, chopped
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch white pepper
- Generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 75 g type 00 flour
- 175 g honey
- 100 g sugar
- 25 g icing sugar plus 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F, and line a buttered 24cm round cake tin with rice paper.
- (Otherwise, buttered, floured baking parchment will do.)
- Toast the three types of nuts under a hot grill, being careful not to burn them, then chop or whiz briefly in a food processor.
- Place nuts into a bowl and add the candied peel, the figs and all the spices.
- Sieve in the cocoa powder and the flour and mix well.
- In a small, thick-bottomed pan (or in the microwave), gently heat the honey then add the sugar stirring continuously until the honey is hot and the sugar is perfectly incorporated.
- Pour honey mixture immediately over the fruits and nuts and stir gently until well mixed.
- Spoon mixture into the prepared cake tin, smoothing the top with the spoon.
- Bake for 40 minutes until dry.
- Allow to cool slightly then remove cake from tin and place on a wire rack.
- Once completely cool, dust the top of the cake with the icing sugar mixed with the cinnamon.
- Alternatively, cake can also be covered with melted dark chocolate.
- Wrapped well in foil, this cake will keep for up to a couple of months.
Number of servings (yield): 1 cake
Cantucci: Tuscan Almond Cookies
Ingredients
- 300 g whole almonds with skin
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 150 g butter
- 500 g sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- Juice and grated zest of 1 orange
- 500 g all purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- Butter
Instructions
- Beat the eggs with the butter and sugar and the vanilla essence until they become light and frothy.
- Add the grated orange zest.
- Toast the almonds under a hot grill taking care not to let them burn and crush them roughly, leaving some larger pieces.
- Sieve the flour, baking powder and the salt into a large bowl and mix well.
- Stir in the egg mixture until all the ingredients are well combined then incorporate the crushed toasted almonds.
- Line a baking sheet with oven paper and form logs of cake mixture about 6 – 7 cm wide and 2 cm high.
- (You might find this easier to do if you dip your hands into a bowl of cold water while working.)
- Bake for 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 350°F then remove from oven. (Leave oven on.)
- Let them sit for about 5 minutes then, using a serrated knife, cut logs on the diagonal into 1 cm thick slices.
- Place the cantucci on the baking sheet, cut side down, and bake for a further 15 – 20 minutes, turning once during baking.
- Cool on a baking rack and store in an airtight tin.
- Accompany with a glass of vin santo.
Trentino-Alto Adige
This region lies to the extreme north-east of Italy and borders with Austria. In truth, the cooking of Altro Adige is almost completely Austrian in nature, with pasta, for example, making only a minor appearance in traditional cuisine. Next door in Trentino, however, the cuisine is more recognizably Italian with polenta appearing in its many guises. Pork is common (think of the wonderful speck), as are mushrooms and chestnuts, and the vast Alpine pastures ensure there are some fine cheeses such as the delicious Vezzena. Another of Trentino’s most prized products is the apple, with this region supplying most of Italy with a delicious range of varieties. Sweets and desserts are excellent and often Austrian in origin as can be seen by their names: strudel, zelten and krapfen.
Traditional dishes:
Polenta e Funghi: Polenta with Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 400 g yellow polenta flour
- 750 ml milk
- 750 ml water
- 500 g wild mushrooms
- Butter
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- White wine
- Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Gently clean the mushrooms and cut into pieces.
- Heat 50 g butter and a tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the garlic until it turns golden brown.
- Throw in the mushrooms, toss well for a couple of minutes then douse with the white wine.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook over a medium heat for about 20 minutes, adding a little water or broth if necessary.
- Stir in the chopped parsley.
- Meanwhile, pour the milk into a large pan and add 750 ml water.
- Bring to the boil, salt, and slowly pour in the polenta flour in a steady stream, stirring continuously.
- Cook the polenta over a low-medium heat for about 45 minutes or the time indicated on the packet, stirring continuously.
- Once ready, pour the polenta into 4 deep serving dishes.
- Create a well in the center of each serving and fill with the mushrooms and their juices.
- Serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Canederli allo Speck en Brodo: Speck Dumplings in Broth
Ingredients
- 4 small stale bread rolls
- 150g speck, diced
- 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups hot milk
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 50 g butter
- 75 g flour
- 1¼ liters beef broth, very hot
- 2 tbsp chives, chopped
Instructions
- Cut the bread rolls into small pieces and place them in a large terracotta pot.
- Add the speck and the parsley.
- Beat the eggs with the milk and pour over the bread mixture.
- Mix well and leave to ‘rest’ for 30 minutes.
- Melt the butter in a frying pan and sauté the onion until it is soft and transparent.
- Add the fried onion to the bread mix along with the flour and season well with salt and pepper.
- Mix well and form a series of small balls by rolling the mixture between your palms.
- Cook dumplings for about 15 minutes in a large pan of salted water, then drain.
- Divide the hot broth between the serving dishes, add the cooked canederli and garnish with the chopped chives.
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
Cervo al Ginepro: Venison in Juniper Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 kg cubed venison
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 rib of celery, chopped
- 2 cloves
- 8 juniper berries
- Small sprig of rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ glasses of dry red wine
- 50 ml olive oil
Instructions
- Place the venison in a large bowl with the vegetables, cloves, juniper berries, rosemary, bay leaves and wine and leave to marinade overnight in the refrigerator.
- The next day, drain the meat from the marinade.
- Heat the olive oil in a large terracotta pot.
- Sear meat until the venison has browned on all sides.
- Add the marinade and the rest of the ingredients to the pot.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook over a low heat for about 2 – 2 ½ hours or until the venison is tender.
- Remove the meat from the pot and keep warm, and discard the rosemary and bay leaf.
- Meanwhile, push the remaining juices and vegetables through a vegetable mill to make the sauce.
- Serve the venison hot and cover with the sauce.
Number of servings (yield): 6
Fritto di Mele: Fried Apples
Ingredients
- 4 apples
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Fine breadcrumbs
- Olive oil for frying
- Icing sugar
Instructions
- Peel and core apples and cut into slices.
- Dip them in the beaten egg, then in the breadcrumbs.
- Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan and fry the slices, two at a time until golden brown all over.
- Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
- Serve hot, sprinkled with icing sugar.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Kastanientorte: Chestnut Cake
Ingredients
- 1 kg chestnuts
- 25o g sugar
- 6 eggs, separated
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 500 ml whipped cream
Instructions
- Boil the chestnuts until cooked, then peel and push through a vegetable mill to obtain a purée, reserving a handful of whole chestnuts for the decoration.
- Beat the sugar with the egg yolks until pale and fluffy.
- Whisk three of the egg whites until they reach the soft peak stage.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the sugar mix, then incorporate the chestnuts. (Reserve three unused whites for other use).
- Place mix in a well buttered round cake tin and bake at 300ºF for about 45 minutes.
- Allow to cool.
- Once cool, slice the cake into two layers and spread about half of the whipped cream over the bottom layer.
- Place the other layer on top and spread remaining cream around sides and over the top of cake.
- Decorate with the reserved chestnuts.
Number of servings (yield): 1 cake
Sicilia
Sicilia, perhaps more than any other Italian region, wears its history on its sleeve, and this is especially true of its cuisine. Greeks, Saracens, Normans and Arabs all left their mark, meaning that today you can still find the ingredients and cooking styles they brought with them on their visits. Sicilians love their fish, their vegetables and their pasta, so expect to find dishes like pasta con le sarde, pasta alla Norma or pasta al pesto Trapanese, and also the island’s fabulous cous cous that can be eaten with fish, vegetable or meat sauces. Sweets and desserts are also sublime with good use being made of the island’s fine ricotta, almonds, pistachios and citrus fruits
Traditional dishes:
Caponata: Sweet and Sour Eggplant
Ingredients
- 1 kg eggplant
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 450 g peeled, seeded tomatoes (or use tinned tomatoes)
- Handful of fresh basil, chopped
- 1 celery rib, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon of capers, rinsed of salt
- 25 g sultanas (raisins)
- 50 g green olives
- 25 g sugar
Instructions
- Peel the eggplant and cut into a smallish dice.
- Heat 150 ml olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the eggplant until colored on all sides.
- Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
- Drain off most of the oil (if there is any left), leaving only a few tablespoons.
- In this oil, fry the chopped onion until it is soft and transparent.
- Add the tomatoes and basil and cook over a medium heat until the sauce has thickened somewhat.
- Season lightly with salt.
- In another pan, heat a drizzling of olive oil and sauté the chopped celery along with the capers, sultanas and olives.
- Add the tomato sauce to the celery mix and sprinkle over the sugar, stirring until sugar has melted.
- Stir in the fried eggplant and serve warm.
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
Sarde a Beccafico: Stuffed Sardines
Ingredients
- 1 kg fresh small sardines
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 150 g homemade breadcrumbs
- 50 g sultanas (raisins), soaked and roughly chopped if large
- 50 g pine nuts
- 3 salted anchovies, rinsed and bones removed
- Handful of parsley, finely chopped
- 1½ sweet red onion, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon of capers, rinsed of salt
- Juice and grated zest of 1 orange
- Pinch of sugar
- 2 bay leaves, crumbled
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Clean the sardines, removing the scales, the head and the backbone, but leaving the tail.
- Rinse and leave to drain on kitchen paper.
- In a frying pan, heat 100 ml of olive oil and add almost all of the breadcrumbs, leaving a handful to finish dish later.
- Sauté breadcrumbs until they are golden brown, stirring continuously.
- Place sautéed breadcrumbs in a bowl and mix with the sultanas, pine nuts, chopped anchovies, parsley, onion, capers, grated orange zest, the sugar and a little freshly ground pepper.
- Stuff the sardines with this mixture and roll them closed.
- Place rolled sardines in an oiled, ovenproof dish along with the crumbled bay leaves.
- Scatter remaining breadcrumbs over the top, drizzle with a little olive oil and cook for 15 minutes at 325 ºF.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle with the orange juice and serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
Pasta alla Norma: Baked Penne with Eggplant
Ingredients
- 400 g penne
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic
- 600 g peeled and seeded tomatoes (or use tinned tomatoes)
- 10 leaves of fresh basil, torn
- 1 large eggplant
- 50 g salted ricotta, grated
Instructions
- Heat a drizzling of olive oil in a pan and add the clove of garlic.
- Sauté until the garlic has turned golden brown then discard garlic.
- Add the tomatoes and the basil leaves and cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes.
- Salt to taste.
- Cut the eggplant into thin strips and fry in abundant olive oil until golden in color.
- Remove and drain eggplant on kitchen paper. Add eggplant to the tomato sauce.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in abundant boiling salted water and drain as soon as it is cooked al dente.
- Toss pasta into the pan with the tomato sauce and the eggplant, toss together over a medium heat and serve immediately with the grated salted ricotta.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Pesce Spada alla Griglia: Grilled Swordfish
Ingredients
- 4 slices of swordfish
- 75 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
- 10 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- Salt
Instructions
- Whisk together the oil, vinegar, mint and a pinch of salt.
- Place the swordfish in a shallow dish and cover with the marinade, turning so fish is coated evenly.
- Leave for at least half an hour.
- Cook over a grill or barbeque until fish is cooked on the outside and opaque on the inside. (Don’t be tempted to overcook.)
- Serve hot, drizzled with remaining marinade and a final pinch of salt.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Sorbetto all’Arancia: Orange Sorbet
Ingredients
- 8 blood oranges
- 2 lemons
- 300 g sugar
- 600 ml water
- 1 egg white, well whisked
Instructions
- Remove the zest from one of the oranges and cut into julienne.
- Juice the oranges and lemons and filter juice.
- Place the sugar and water in a small pan with half the fruit juice and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the orange zest, remove from heat and leave to marinade for an hour.
- Filter and mix with the remaining juice and chill for at least 2 hours.
- Pour into an ice cream machine and when sorbet is almost ready, add the egg white.
- Once sorbet is ready, either serve immediately or freeze until ready to serve.
Number of servings (yield): 6
Sardegna
Perhaps surprisingly, the people of the island of Sardegna are not much of a seafaring bunch, and are more at home inland among the region’s wild mountainous regions. Towns near the coast, of course favor a fish based cuisine, with everything from simple red mullet and its roe to lobster on offer, whereas inland, lamb and pork rule supreme. The island’s famous ‘porceddu’, whole roast piglet, is one of it’s best known pork dishes, but all types of salami and pork products are common. The local sheep’s milk cheeses are second to none, with pecorino Sardo arriving on tables all over Italy, but younger cheeses and goat’s milk cheeses are also produced. Local bread is very good, and sweetmeats, seadas for example, normally involve the use of the island ricotta and delicious honey.
Traditional dishes:
Gnocchetti Sardi al Pomodoro: Gnocchetti Pasta with Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 400 g gnocchetti pasta
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 75 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 500 g tinned tomatoes, chopped
- Few leaves of fresh basil, chopped
- 50 g Sardinian pecorino, grated
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions until they are soft and transparent.
- Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 – 15 minutes.
- Season with salt.
- Toss in the basil and cook sauce until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in abundant, salted water.
- When pasta is cooked al dente, drain and add to the tomato sauce.
- Toss well, then serve with a good sprinkling of grated pecorino.
- As a variation, add a little crumbled sausage meat to the sauce while cooking the onion, and proceed with recipe as normal.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Linguine al Sugo di Aragosta: Linguine with Lobster Sauce
Ingredients
- 400 g linguine
- 1 lobster, cut into chunks
- 75 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 small chilli pepper, finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 450 g tinned tomatoes
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the onion, garlic and chilli pepper.
- When onion and garlic are soft and transparent, add the chopped lobster to the pan and sauté together for a couple of minutes.
- Add the bay leaf and the tomatoes.
- Season with salt.
- Cook over a medium heat until the lobster is cooked and the sauce has thickened.
- Meanwhile, cook the linguine in abundant, salted water until pasta is cooked al dente.
- Drain, and add the linguine to the pan with the lobster and toss well together.
- Serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Gallina col Mirto: Boiling Fowl with Myrtle
Ingredients
- 1 boiling fowl (or chicken)
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 carrot, roughly chopped
- 2 celery ribs, roughly chopped
- Handful of parsley
- 6 juniper berries
- Myrtle leaves
- Salt
Instructions
- Rinse hen and pat dry.
- Fill a large pan with lightly salted, boiling water.
- Place boiling fowl in the boiling water along with the onion, carrot, celery, parsley and juniper.
- Cover pan and simmer until boiling fowl is tender.
- Drain fowl and while it is still steaming hot, place on a large serving dish lined with myrtle leaves.
- (Reserve broth, freezing if necessary until you need to use it.)
- Cover fowl with more leaves and wrap the whole dish in kitchen foil.
- Leave to cool in this way, and serve cold the following day.
- This dish can also be prepared by steaming the fowl over a bed of myrtle and leaving it to cool, covered, in the cooking pan.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Sarde Impanate e Fritte: Fried Sardines
Ingredients
- 1 kg very fresh, small sardines
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 75 g flour
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Salt
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Clean the sardines, removing the scales, the head and the backbone, but leaving them joined at the tail.
- Rinse and leave to drain on kitchen paper.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan.
- Dip the sardines into the beaten egg then into the flour and fry until golden brown on both sides.
- Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately with a sprinkling of salt and a few lemon wedges.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Seadas: Sweet Fried Ricotta Ravioli
Ingredients
- 250 g flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon of shortening
- 200 g ricotta
- Grated zest of 1 orange
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 shot glass of mirto or grappa
- 200 g chestnut honey
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Icing sugar
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, the grated zest of the orange and lemon and the mirto.
- Place the flour and the salt in a large bowl, and rub in the shortening.
- A little at a time, add enough hot water to obtain a pliable dough.
- Roll the dough out thinly and cut out a series of 10 cm circles.
- On half of them, place a spoonful of the ricotta filling and place the remaining circles on top, pressing firmly with your fingers or the tines of a fork to seal around the edges.
- In a small pan, heat the honey until just melted.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a deep pan and fry the seadas until golden brown on both sides.
- Drain on kitchen paper then cover in the melted honey and finish with a sprinkling of icing sugar.
- Serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Puglia
The hot southern area of Puglia has a Mediterranean style of cuisine that reflects its geography and culinary history. The region’s superb olive oil is present in every facet of cooking here, and many an antipasto has been created from a simple selection of raw vegetables dipped in a small bowl of local oil. Fish is abundant, and the freshness of the catch is often celebrated by eating fish raw, be it swordfish, sea bream, shellfish, octopus or the delicious orange flesh of sea urchin so popular along the shores near Bari. Cheese is also excellent, with mozzarella, scamorza and burrata representing some of the favorites, and the region’s vast selection of pasta is of exceptional quality. Meat normally means lamb or goat, simply grilled, but no visit to Puglia is complete without having tried the area’s tasty bread.
Traditional dishes:
Favetta: Fava Bean Purée
Ingredients
- 500 g shelled fava beans (broad beans)
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Blanch the beans in salted boiling water, and drain as soon as they are tender, 2 – 5 minutes, depending how old they are.
- Run under cold water then remove their outer shells.
- In a food processor, whiz the fava beans with the garlic, lemon juice, thyme leaves and slowly add as much oil as you need to obtain a rich, smooth cream.
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve with some braised chicory.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Insalata di Arance: Orange Salad
Ingredients
- 4 large oranges
- Few crisp lettuce leaves
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Peel orange and cut into segments, taking care to remove any pith and membrane.
- Arrange the crisp salad on a serving dish and season lightly.
- Place the orange segments on top, season with salt and pepper and garnish with a drizzling of extra-virgin olive oil.
- Delicious served with grilled salmon.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Orecchiette con Cime di Rapa: Oricchiette with Broccoli Rabe
Ingredients
- 700 g broccoli rabe
- 500 g fresh orecchiette pasta
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 3 salted anchovies, rinsed and chopped
- Pinch of dried chili pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Trim and rinse the broccoli rabe and cook in boiling salted water until tender.
- Drain and reserve the cooking water.
- Heat a generous drizzling of olive oil in a pan, add the garlic and sauté until garlic turns golden brown.
- Discard garlic and add the chopped anchovies.
- Add the roughly chopped broccoli rabe and the chilli pepper and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring the broccoli cooking water back to the boil, add a little more salt if necessary, and cook the pasta until it is al dente.
- Drain pasta and add to the broccoli.
- Toss well together and serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
Seppie Ripieni: Stuffed Cuttlefish
Ingredients
- 1 kg cuttlefish, cleaned and boned
- 100 g homemade breadcrumbs
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 tbsp of capers, rinsed
- 1 salted anchovy, rinsed and chopped
- Handful of parsley, finely chopped
- 25 g pecorino cheese
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- To make the filling, mix the breadcrumbs with the garlic, the eggs, parsley, capers, anchovy, parsley and pecorino cheese.
- Season to taste with salt and parsley.
- Stuff the cuttlefish with the filling and close each one with a toothpick.
- Place cuttlefish in an oiled ovenproof dish, drizzle with a little olive oil and cook for 40 – 45 minutes at 350ºF.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Torta di Mandorla: Almond Cake
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 300 g sugar
- 100 g butter
- 250 g flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 300 g ground almonds
- Icing sugar for decoration
Instructions
- Beat the eggs with the sugar and the butter until they are light and fluffy.
- Sieve in the flour with the baking powder and the salt, then add the ground almonds.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture then pour batter into a round buttered cake tin.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 360ºF for about 30 minutes or until cake is cooked in the center.
- Allow to cool and serve with a dusting of icing sugar.
Number of servings (yield): 1 cake
Piedmont
Bordering France in the north, Piemonte’s cuisine undoubtedly has a French quality to it, but is perhaps best known for its excellent rice and risottos. Pasta here plays second fiddle to the local qualities of rice, namely those from Vercelli and Novara. Beef here is superb, as are the cheeses, many of which are made with the milk from herds that graze on Alpine pastures. The region hosts the now world famous Slow Food Exhibition which takes place in Torino, and also ‘Cheese’, which is held in the town of Bra. The small town of Alba is known for its excellent white truffles – the zone also offers a delicious range of mushrooms, while Torino is appreciated for its coffee culture and its mouth-watering gianduia chocolates. The red wines of Piemonte are some of the best in the world and would make a good accompaniment to a hearty dish of bollito misto, the local boiled meat dish.
Traditional dishes:
Bagna Caôda: Hot Garlic Dip
Ingredients
- 2 bulbs of garlic
- 250 ml milk
- 100 g plump, salted anchovies
- 200 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 50 g butter
- Selection of sliced vegetables (cardoons, Jerusalem artichokes, carrots, endives, spring onions, peppers)
Instructions
- Peel the garlic, and place in a terracotta pot with the milk.
- Simmer until the garlic is cooked and has lost some of its strong flavor.
- Drain cooked garlic and push through a sieve.
- Discard milk.
- Rinse the anchovies, remove any visible bones and crush in a mortar and pestle.
- Place garlic and crushed anchovies in the terracotta pot along with the oil and the butter.
- Cook over a low to medium heat for 15 minutes.
- Place the oil mixture at the center of the table over a source of heat (like you would a fondue) and with long forks, dip vegetables in this delicious garlicky oil.
- Serve with lots of crusty bread.
Risotto alla Piemontese: Risotto Piemontese Style
Ingredients
- 350 g Carnaroli rice
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- ½ glass of dry white wine
- 1¼ liters of homemade meat broth
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 50 g grated Grana or Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Melt about two thirds of the butter in a large pan and cook the chopped onion until it is transparent.
- Add the rice and cook for two minutes until all the grains are coated in butter and are translucent.
- Pour in the wine and cook until it has evaporated.
- Add the broth, a ladleful at a time, waiting until the broth has been absorbed before adding any more.
- When rice is cooked al dente and the risotto is nice and creamy, taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Remove from the heat, beat in the remaining butter and stir in the grated Grana or Parmesan cheese.
- Leave to rest for a minute then serve.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Bollito Misto: Mixed Boiled Meats
Ingredients
- 1 kg beef (shoulder or brisket)
- 500 g neck or breast of veal
- Small veal’s tongue
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 onions, roughly chopped
- 2 thick celery ribs, roughly chopped
- ½ calf’s head (or substitute with 500 g beef, veal or pork meat)
- 1 cooking hen or chicken, about 1 kg
- 500 – 600 g cotechino (pork sausage)
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Bring a very large pan of salted water to the boil.
- Slip in the beef, veal and tongue and the roughly chopped vegetables.
- Allow to simmer for about an hour.
- Add the calf’s head and the hen or chicken and continue to simmer for another hour or until all the meats are cooked and fork tender.
- Meanwhile, cook the cotechino separately by pricking the skin with a knife and simmering it in a small pan of water until cooked – 15 to 20 minutes.
- When all meats are cooked, remove large pan from heat and add the cooked cotechino.
- Keep warm until ready to serve.
- Traditionally, these boiled meats are served with a selection of green and red sauces, mustard and horseradish.
Number of servings (yield): 6-8
Brasata al Barolo: Beef Braised in Barolo Wine
Ingredients
- 1 kg boneless beef chuck roast
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 celery ribs, roughly chopped
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- Sprig of rosemary
- 4 cloves
- Small sprig of fresh thyme
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 large bay leaf
- Small piece of cinnamon
- 4 grains of black pepper
- 6 juniper berries
- 1 bottle of young Barolo wine
- 50 g flour
- 50 g butter
- Splash of brandy
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Place the meat in a large terracotta pot or Dutch oven along with the chopped vegetables and all the spices.
- Pour in the Barolo.
- Cover and leave to marinade in a cool place, preferably not in the refrigerator, for 24 hours, turning the meat every so often to ensure it marinades evenly.
- Once fully marinated, remove beef from wine and spices, pat dry then coat in flour.
- Heat the butter in a large terracotta pot or Dutch oven and sear the beef on all sides.
- Remove the chopped carrots, onions and celery from the wine and add to the meat.
- Cook for a further 5 minutes, then strain the wine from the spices and add.
- Place the spices in a small muslin bag and add to meat.
- Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 2 ½ – 3 hours, occasionally turning the meat and skimming off any froth that floats to the surface, adding hot water as necessary if the sauce dries out.
- Remove meat from pot and keep warm.
- Pass the sauce through a food mill, vegetables and all, add a splash of brandy, adjust seasoning and cook over a medium heat until it reaches desired thickness.
- To serve, slice the beef, cover with sauce, and accompany with mashed potatoes or polenta.
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
Zabaione
Ingredients
- 8 large, fresh egg yolks
- 8 dessertspoons of caster sugar
- 8 dessertspoons of Marsala or other dessert wine
Instructions
- In a deep bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Little by little, add the Marsala, whisking continuously until it is has been completely absorbed by the eggs.
- Place the bowl over a bain marie, making absolutely sure that the water is hot but that it never boils.
- Continue whisking the mixture over the bain marie for 10 -15 minutes or until it becomes thick and velvety.
- Serve immediately in pretty wine glasses and accompany with dry cookies.
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
Molise
A small region rich in farmland, Molise has some excellent produce to offer. Its extensive pastures ensure a delicious range of cheeses with mozzarella, scamorza, caciocavallo, burrata and pecorino among the favorites. Polenta is commonly used in the north, the south preferring pasta such as lasagnelle, fusilli, taccozze and cavatelli. A variety of fish dishes and soups are to be enjoyed along the coast.
Traditional dishes:
Riso e Verza: Rice with Savoy Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 savoy cabbage
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 200 g rice
- 50 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Small pan of hot water
- Handful of grated Parmesan cheese
- 50 g pancetta, fried, drained and cut in small pieces
Instructions
- Clean the cabbage carefully and chop finely.
- Heat the oil in a large terracotta casserole and cook the onion until it becomes transparent.
- Add the cabbage and cook for a further five minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and the rice, salt to taste and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Start adding the hot water, a little at a time until the rice is cooked and the mixture is still loose.
- Remove from heat, and leave for a couple of minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Sprinkle over the grated Parmesan, stir and garnish with the crispy pancetta.
- Serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
Tagliolini di Campobasso: Tagliolini from Campobasso
Ingredients
- 300 g fresh tagliolini
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- ½ chili pepper
- 75 g prosciutto crudo
- 1 small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, ready to cook the pasta.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the sliced onion and the chilli pepper.
- Cook over a low heat until the onion becomes soft and transparent, stirring often with a wooden spoon.
- Meanwhile cook the pasta in the boiling water.
- Cut the prosciutto into thin strips and add to the frying pan.
- Cook for a couple of minutes, add a little of the pasta water.
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- As soon as the pasta is cooked, drain and place it in the pan with the onion.
- Toss together well, add the parsley and serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Agnello e Piselli: Lamb with Peas
Ingredients
- 75 ml olive oil
- 1 onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 small bunch parsley, finely chopped
- 1 kg lamb (leg or shoulder), cut into small chunks
- 1 glass dry white wine
- 800 g fresh peas (subsequently shelled) or 300 g frozen peas
- 6 eggs
- 100 g grated Pecorino cheese
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan or terracotta pot and add the onion and half the of parsley.
- Cook over a medium heat until onion begins to change color.
- Toss in the chunks of lamb and cook for a few minutes stirring often to stop it sticking to bottom of pan.
- Pour in the wine, season with salt and pepper and cover with a lid.
- Once lamb is well on its way to being cooked (after 40 minutes or so), add the peas.
- Adjust seasoning and continue to cook.
- Meanwhile, beat the eggs with the grated pecorino, salt and pepper and the remaining parsley.
- Once the peas are cooked, add the egg mixture to the lamb, simmer for 5 minutes, then put in an oven preheated to 300 ºF until a golden brown crust forms on the surface.
- Remove from oven, allow to sit for 5 minutes, then serve.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Capone Imbottito: Stuffed Capon
A capon is a young cockerel that has been castrated and fattened, an antique practice that yields particularly tender meat. Of course a good quality free range chicken could be substituted but will take a bit longer to cook.
Ingredients
- 1 capon, 3 – 4kg, with giblets
- For the stuffing:
- 25 ml olive oil
- 300 g homemade breadcrumbs
- Pinch of salt
- 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
- Handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 50 g Parmesan
- 4 eggs, beaten
- For the sauce:
- 50 ml olive oil
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- Cup of water
- 200 g tomato concentrate
- ½ liter of water
Instructions
- To make the stuffing, chop giblets into small pieces.
- Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan and gently fry the giblets.
- Once cooked, mix with the breadcrumbs, salt, garlic, parsley, Parmesan, and beaten egg.
- Sprinkle the cavity of the capon with a pinch of salt, add the stuffing and sew the opening closed.
- Place the capon in a large terracotta pot along with 50ml of olive oil, the onion and the cup of water.
- Cook uncovered over a medium heat until the water has almost completely evaporated, turning capon from time to time to give it a nice golden brown color all over.
- This stage normally takes 40 – 50 minutes.
- Next, mix the tomato concentrate with the ½ liter of water and add to pot.
- Cover and cook over a low heat until an obvious layer of oil has formed on the surface of the tomato sauce. (3 hours or more, depending on size of bird.) This is a sign that the capon is perfectly cooked.
- Glaze capon with a few spoonfuls of the sauce and serve with slices of the stuffing and perhaps some fried polenta chips.
- (Traditionally the sauce would have been used to flavor pasta – usually a long pasta like spaghetti or bucatini – for the first course of the Christmas dinner, but it can just as easily be kept for Boxing day. Skim some of the oil from the sauce and simmer, uncovered, over a medium heat until it has reduced somewhat.)
Number of servings (yield): 6-8
Pere sott’Aceto: Pickled Pears
Hardly a recipe really, but these pears are quite delicious served with cheese or as an accompaniment to meat dishes.
Ingredients
- Firm ripe pears
- White wine vinegar
Instructions
- Wash and dry pears well (do not peel or remove stalk) and place in a wide mouthed terracotta jar.
- Cover with white wine vinegar.
- Cover and leave for at least a couple of months in a cool dry place.
- When ready to use, rinse pear, then slice and season with extra-virgin olive oil and salt.
The Marches
Like many other regions, Marche’s geography has resulted in two principal different types of cuisine. Along its Adriatic coasts, fish of course, rules supreme, and is often to be found cooked as fish soup, brodetto, a dish which has as many variations as there are towns that cook it. Inland, you can find pork, rabbit and lamb, and the area’s truffles and cheeses are also excellent. Local pastas include vincisgrassi and passatelli, and the deep fried stuffed olives from Ascoli are a real treat.
Traditional dishes:
Olive all’Ascolana: Stuffed Fried Olives
Ingredients
- 1 kg of large green olives in brine
- 150 g ground pork meat
- 75 g prosciutto crudo, finely chopped
- 4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 100 g breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp tomato sauce
- 4 eggs
- 50 g flour
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the olives and remove the stone, trying not to break up the flesh.
- Heat a drizzling of olive oil in a pan and brown the ground pork, stirring often to break it up and brown all over.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Place pork in a bowl and mix with the chopped prosciutto, Parmesan, a grating of nutmeg, 1 tablespoon of breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce, salt, pepper and two of the eggs to help bind the mixture.
- Mix well and use to stuff the olives.
- Beat the two remaining eggs with a little salt and pepper.
- Roll the stuffed olives in a little flour, then in the beaten egg, and finally in the remaining breadcrumbs.
- Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan and fry the olives until golden brown all over.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and allow to drain on kitchen paper.
- Serve immediately, arranged in a pyramid shape on a pretty serving dish.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Brodetto: Fish Soup
This particular brodetto is from Le Marche, but there are as many different versions as there are towns.
Ingredients
- 500 g cuttlefish
- 1 ½ kg mixed fish (red mullet, sole, cod, monkfish, scorpion fish, scampi)
- Olive oil, chopped
- Small onion, finely chopped
- Fish stock, hot
- Few stands of saffron
- Small glass of water
- Small glass of white wine
- 75 g flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- 8 small slices toasted stale bread, lightly rubbed with garlic
Instructions
- Clean and de-bone the cuttlefish and cut it into pieces.
- Clean the other fish and cut into chunks.
- Roll chunks of fish in the flour, shaking gently to remove excess, and place to the side.
- Heat a good drizzling of olive oil in a large pan, and sweat the onion until it is transparent then toss in the chopped cuttlefish.
- Cook for a few minutes over a low heat until cuttlefish begins to color, then pour in enough hot fish stock to cover, add the saffron, cover and leave to simmer away gently for about 5-10 minutes.
- Remove cuttlefish from broth.
- In a second large pan arrange the floured fish and the cuttlefish pieces in layers, being careful to ensure that the most tender fish are at the top.
- Pour over the hot cuttlefish broth from the other pan, add the water and wine, season with salt and pepper and bring to a lively simmer.
- Cook this way for 15 – 20 minutes then carry pan to the table to serve.
- Place two small slices of toasted bread in each bowl, cover with a serving of fish and pour over the broth.
- Eat immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Passatelli di Urbino: Bread Pasta
Ingredients
- 200 g spinach
- 300 g beef fillet, diced
- 75 g grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 eggs, plus 2 yolks
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 75 g breadcrumbs
- 1 liter of meat broth
Instructions
- Trim and rinse spinach and cook it without adding any extra liquid.
- Once cooked, squeeze dry.
- In a food processor, whiz together the spinach, beef, Parmesan, butter, eggs, abundant nutmeg and a good pinch of salt.
- Stir in the breadcrumbs to form a thick paste.
- Using a pasta machine if you have one, or rolling out by hand, create lots of very thick spaghetti shapes, and place on some oiled, greaseproof paper.
- Bring the meat broth to the boil and cook the passatelli.
- As soon as they float to the surface, they are ready.
- Drain, and serve immediately with some grated Parmesan cheese.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Coniglio in Porchetta: Stuffed Rabbit
Ingredients
- 1 large rabbit (with liver etc.)
- Vinegar
- Bunch wild fennel fronds
- 50 g pancetta
- 200 g ground veal or pork
- 75 g salami
- 100 g sausage meat
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 egg
- 25 g lard
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- ½ glass of dry white wine, mixed with an equal quantity of water
Instructions
- Wash the rabbit with a mix of water and vinegar.
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil and blanche rabbit in it briefly, about 1 minute.
- Drain and place rabbit on a clean tea towel to dry off.
- Quickly blanch the fennel in the same water, and the rabbit liver also.
- Pat dry.
- Place the fennel, pancetta, ground veal, salami, sausage meat, and the garlic in a food processor and whiz together.
- Place mixture in a bowl and work in the egg, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Stuff the inside of the rabbit with the filling and secure with kitchen string.
- Place in a large ovenproof dish, spread the upper side of the rabbit with the lard and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour wine and water mix around rabbit.
- Cook rabbit in an oven preheated to 360ºF for about 1 ½ hours or until meat is tender, adding a little white wine or water if necessary, to stop it drying out.
- Before serving, remove string, cut rabbit into pieces and accompany with slices of stuffing.
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
Lombardia
Stretching from the province of Sondrio in the north to Mantova in the south, Lombardia is the most populated region in Italy. Given its size, its cuisine is varied but always tends to reflect its peasant roots. Dishes are simple but delicious and include hearty specialties such as polenta, ossobucca and cassoeula along with favorites like risotto and fried breaded veal cutlets. The region has some fine cheeses – gorgonzola, crescenza, taleggio and mascarpone – and the shores of Lake Garda produce some wonderful olive oil. This is also the region that provides us with our much loved Christmas cake, panetone.
Traditional dishes:
Cotolette alla Milanese: Veal Cutlets, Milanese Style
Ingredients
- 4 veal chops on the bone
- 50 g flour
- 1 egg
- 75 g breadcrumbs
- 75 g unsalted butter
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 lemon, quartered
Instructions
- Flatten the chops slightly with a meat mallet and season with a little salt and pepper.
- Dip chops into the flour, then into the beaten egg and finally into the breadcrumbs.
- Heat the butter in a large frying pan and cook the chops until golden brown all over, approx. 6 minutes either side.
- Serve immediately, a lemon quarter next to each breaded chop.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Cassoeula: Rich Pork Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 small onion
- 3 carrots
- 1 rib of celery
- 1 large savoy cabbage
- 50 g butter
- 500 g pork chops
- 100 g pig skin, chopped
- 1 pig’s trotter, halved, cooked in boiling water for ½ hr
- Pork ears, tail, cheek etc as available
- 1 ladleful meat broth
- 2 tbsp tomato concentrate
- 4 small pork sausages, cut into pieces
Instructions
- Slice the onion and roughly chop carrots and celery and discard larger tougher cabbage leaves.
- Chop cabbage into pieces.
- Heat the butter in a large pan and fry onions.
- Add the pork chops, the skin, the pig’s trotter (previously boiled), the ears, tail, cheek, carrots and celery and cook together for 5 – 10 minutes.
- Add the meat broth and tomato concentrate and season with salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook over a low heat for about two hours, adding a little hot water if necessary.
- Add the chopped sausages along with the chopped cabbage and cook for a further 30 minutes.
- Serve immediately and accompany with some polenta.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Risotto alla Milanese: Risotto Milanese Style
Ingredients
- 400 g Carnaroli rice
- 75 g butter
- 50 g beef-marrow, or finely chopped pancetta
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 1.5 liters meat broth, kept very hot
- 1/3 teaspoon powdered saffron
- 60 g grated Parmesan or Grana
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Melt 50 g of the butter in a thick bottomed pan then add the beef-marrow (or pancetta) and the onion.
- Sauté until onion is transparent.
- Add the rice and stir well until rice is coated with oil and is translucent.
- Add the broth, a ladleful at a time, waiting until the broth has been absorbed before adding any more.
- After about 10 minutes, add the saffron dissolved in a little hot broth then continue cooking.
- When rice is cooked al dente and the risotto is nice and creamy, taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Remove from the heat, beat in the remaining butter and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese.
- Leave to rest for a minute then serve.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Vitello Tonnato: Cold Sliced Veal
Ingredients
- 1 kg boneless veal topside
- 1 liter white wine
- 1 carrot, roughly chopped
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 celery rib, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- Small bunch of parsley
- 1 lemon
- 150 g best quality tuna in oil
- 25 pickled capers, plus a few extra for garnish
- 250 g good quality mayonnaise
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 small anchovies under oil, drained
Instructions
- Place the veal in a large terracotta casserole dish, pour in the wine and add just enough water to cover veal.
- Throw in the carrot, onion, celery, the two cloves of garlic, bay leaf, most of the parsley, and the zest of the lemon.
- Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 1 ½ – 2 hours. Meanwhile, prepare the mayonnaise.
- Place the tuna, capers, mayonnaise and a teaspoon of lemon juice in a mixer and whiz briefly a couple of times on ‘pulse’ to combine ingredients.
- The sauce is ready.
- When veal is ready, remove from heat and allow to cool in its liquid.
- This keeps the meat moist.
- When it has completely cooled, remove from the casserole dish and drain well before cutting into thin slices.
- Arrange the slices veal on a serving plate, cover with the tuna mayonnaise and garnish with a little chopped parsley, the anchovies and a few extra capers.
- Chill in the refrigerator for an hour before serving.
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
Polenta ai Quattro Formaggi: Polenta with Four Cheeses (actually five!)
Ingredients
- 50 g gorgonzola
- 50 g stracchino
- 50 g pecorino
- 50 g gruyère
- 75 g grana
- 500 g polenta flour
- 2½ liters water
- ½ glass milk
- 1½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Cut all the different cheeses into pieces and divide into two parts.
- Bring the water and milk to the boil in a large pan and add salt.
- Slowly pour in the polenta flour, stirring all the time to avoid lumps forming.
- Cook over a low heat, still stirring, for about 40 minutes, or until polenta has cooked and thickened.
- About half way through cooking, toss in one half of the cheese and proceed as normal.
- Once cooked, pour the polenta into an oiled ovenproof dish, cover with the remaining cheese and cook in an oven preheated to 350ºF for about 15 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Liguria
Liguria is a beautiful strip of countryside that unites sea and mountains and whose cuisine is much appreciated for its simplicity and delicacy. Vegetables here are some of Italy’s best, as are the wild greens and herbs that are used for filling ravioli and producing the area’s famous pesto. Meat plays a less important role in Ligurian cuisine as, surprisingly, does fish, but rabbit is commonly found, normally made into coniglio alla ligure, and fish along the coast, as a tasty fish soup called ciuppin.
Traditional dishes:
Trofie al Pesto: Pasta with Pesto
Ingredients
- For the trofie:
- 350 g flour
- Salt
- For the pesto:
- 30 fresh basil leaves, washed and patted dry
- 200 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 30 g pine nuts
- 50 g Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- To make the pasta, place the flour on a clean work surface and form it into a hillock shape, with a well in the middle.
- Add a good pinch of salt and enough tepid water to obtain a pliable dough.
- Pull very small pieces of the dough off and roll them with your thumb, one by one, along the work surface to form tiny twists of pasta.
- Make the pesto by placing the fresh basil, the olive oil, garlic, pine nuts and a pinch of salt in a food processor and whiz briefly.
- Add the grated parmesan and whiz again until you have a well mixed cream.
- Cook the trofie in abundant boiling, salted water.
- Drain as soon as they are cooked al dente, reserving a little of the pasta water.
- Dress the trofie with the pesto, adding as much of the cooking water as necessary to obtain a creamy sauce.
- Serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Coniglio alla Ligure: Rabbit Ligurian Style
Ingredients
- 1 rabbit, cut into small pieces
- ½ onion, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 sprig each of rosemary, thyme, marjoram, sage, finely chopped
- 50 g black olives
- 30 g pine nuts
- Chilli pepper
- 1 glass dry white wine
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Heat a good drizzling of olive oil in a large terracotta pot and toss in the chopped onion, garlic and herbs.
- Stir them around for a couple of minutes then add the olives, the pine nuts and the pieces of rabbit.
- Cook until the rabbit has begun to get a little color, turning often so it browns evenly.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour in the wine, let it evaporate a little then add half a glass of water.
- Cover and cook over a low heat until rabbit is tender, about 40 to 50 minutes.
- Check seasoning and serve.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Pansooti con Preboggion: Stuffed Ligurian Pasta
Ingredients
- For the pasta:
- 400 g flour
- Pinch of salt
- 120 g water
- 2 tsp white wine
- For the filling:
- 700 g baby chard and borage
- 2 eggs
- 50 g grated Parmesan cheese
- 150 g ricotta
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt
- For the walnut sauce:
- 500 g walnuts with shells
- 50 g ricotta
- 50 g extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Slice of bread, soaked in milk
- 50g butter for serving
Instructions
- Rinse the baby chard and borage and cook it in its own water until tender (5 – 10 minutes).
- Once cooked, squeeze out any extra moisture and chop finely.
- Put the chopped chard and borage in a bowl, and mix with the eggs, grated Parmesan, ricotta and minced garlic and salt to taste.
- Prepare the pasta by mixing the flour and salt with the water and white wine and work until you have a smooth pliable dough.
- Roll out pasta either by hand or using a pasta machine until you have a very thin sheet of pasta.
- Cut out a series of 6 cm squares.
- Place a little ball of filling at the center of each piece of pasta and fold over one half of the pasta square to cover the filling and make a triangle shape.
- Press well along the two edges with your fingers to ensure pasta doesn’t open while cooking.
- Prepare the walnut sauce by shelling the walnuts and blanching them for a minute or two in boiling water.
- Drain, then peel off the thin skin that covers the nuts.
- Place the nuts in a food processor with ricotta and olive oil, a pinch of salt and the slice of soaked bread slightly squeezed of excess milk and whiz together.
- Cook the pansooti in abundant salted boiling water and remove when they float to the top of the pan.
- Drain, toss with the butter and mix gently with the walnut sauce.
- Serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Focaccia
Ingredients
- 20 g fresh yeast
- 400 g flour
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 75 ml Ligurian extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Melt the yeast in a little tepid water.
- Place the flour in a bowl and stir in the fine salt.
- Pour in the oil and the yeast, and mixing quickly, add as much tepid water as you need to form a loose, smooth pliable dough.
- Kneed for two minutes then place in a clean, oiled bowl, cover with a clean damp tea towel and leave until it has doubled in size, approx. 1 – 2 hours.
- Punch the dough down and place it in a well oiled cookie sheet, pressing dough so it reaches into the corners.
- Cover again, and leave to rise for about another hour or so.
- Press your fingers all over the surface of the focaccia to form small indentations, drizzle over the remaining oil and sprinkle with the sea salt.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 420ºF for about 20 minutes or until the surface is pale gold in color.
- Serve immediately or re-heat in a warm oven before eating.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Latte Fritto: ‘Fried Milk’
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, plus two egg yolks
- 150 g sugar
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 liter whole fat milk
- 150 g flour
- 100 g breadcrumbs
- Olive oil for frying
- Icing sugar for decoration
Instructions
- Beat together the four eggs, the sugar and the lemon zest until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy.
- Slowly incorporate the flour and milk.
- Cook this mixture over a very low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring continuously as you would polenta.
- Pour this mixture into an oiled shallow tin, cover with tin foil and leave to cool overnight.
- Cut resulting firm cream into diamond shapes.
- In a bowl, beat the two egg yolks and, in a deep frying pan, heat the olive oil.
- Dip the diamonds into the egg yolks and then into the breadcrumbs and fry in the hot oil until golden brown on all sides.
- Remove from frying pan and place on some kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
- Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4
September Newsletter 2011
Fresh Recipes, New Kitchen Ideas, Food News & Fun Things To Do In Sunny Italy
September is here, but here on the Amalfi Coast beach business is busy, café tables are full and cooking guests are still arriving as the season of fall begins its turn. Hand-woven baskets hang from the trees in our garden calling for workers hands to fill them with grapes, soon olives and then chestnuts. And although the basil is as big as ever, we know that the days are getting shorter. We are slow to kiss August away, but with it brings September, the ninth month in the Gregorian calendar year and with it are all the foods of the season.
The perfect recipe for September, A Roman Holiday with Chef Eugenio!
Learn autumn recipes in the Eternal City, click here.
Lauren
Table Talk
September is a strange month, a dreamy month, a bittersweet time of endings and beginnings. Gone are the long, scorching, days of July and August, but here come perfect, late summer days, warm when the sun is high in the sky, but decidedly cooler when dusk arrives and the moon slips out from behind the mountainside. Soon all that wonderful summer produce will be gone too – zucchini, eggplant, peppers – and people seem convinced they need to eat as much of it as possible before it disappears for good, filling up at the market and transforming these fabulous fresh ingredients into zucchini alla scapece (fried then marinated in a mixture of garlic, mint and vinegar), stuffed zucchini and eggplant boats, eggplant (or zucchini) parmesan, mixed baked peppers with olives and capers or a velvety orange mixed pepper sauce to add to risottos.
September also marks the beginning of harvest time, which means you’re pretty much guaranteed to find food festivals and sagras all over the country celebrating an abundance of local produce. From mushrooms, tomatoes and sweetcorn to nuts, peppers and frogs (that’s right – frogs), each festival has its protagonist and each sagra represents the perfect way to spend an evening in the company of locals, wandering round Italy’s towns and villages and sampling its local cuisine. And this is where you discover just how much difference there really is between the food from one area and that from another, each equally delicious, but often worlds apart. But just in case the enticement of a never-ending series of food festivals isn’t enough to prompt you to travel (and what better excuse could there be?), there are plenty of other events to tempt you, like the Regatta on Venice’s Grand Canal, Asti’s Palio and the intriguing Feast of San Gennaro, the patron saint of Naples, where each 19th September, crowds gather outside the city’s Duomo to see if the much hoped for miracle of the liquefying of the blood of San Gennaro has taken place, meaning the city is in safe hands, and will be protected for another year. Fingers crossed!
Garden To Table Recipes
Cavolfiore Alla Romana ~ Cauliflower Roman-Style
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 3/4 cup fine breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 eggs slightly beaten
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup olive oi
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º F.
- Prepare cauliflower by breaking into small pieces and cook in salted boiling water until half done (about 5 minutes).
- Mix eggs, cheese, salt, pepper and milk together.
- Roll each floret in batter and then dip in breadcrumbs.
- Place on well-greased cookie sheet and drizzle oil over the top.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown, toss flower over to brown all sides.
Pasta Con Le Noci ~ Pasta & Walnuts
Featured in Cooking Vacations September 2008 Newsletter
This dish is often made in Liguria, and is based on what has become known as one of the modern ‘superfoods’: the simple walnut.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 400g rigatoni
- 100g walnuts, shelled weight
- 50ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp sugar
- Cinnamon and nutmeg
- 50g grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Whiz walnuts briefly in a food mixture or crush them using a mortar and pestle. Don’t over crush them – it’s nice to leave some slightly larger pieces too.
- Place in a small bowl.
- Bring a pot of well-salted water to the boil for the pasta. (It’s important to salt the water a little more than normal as no salt is added to the walnut sauce apart from that already present in the Parmesan cheese.)
- As soon as you have added the pasta to the boiling water, heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic to the oil and when it turns golden brown, remove.
- Sprinkle in a little cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg. Add about a third of a cup of pasta water* to the bowl with the chopped walnuts to moisten them slightly, then add the walnuts to the hot oil. Stir well and keep warm.
- As soon as the pasta is cooked al dente, drain, and then throw into the frying pan with the nut mixture.
- Add a little pasta water if the sauce seems too dry.
- Toss well.
- Stir in the Parmesan, check seasoning and serve immediately.
- (*Plain tap water won’t do the trick here. As the pasta cooks, it releases its starch into the cooking water, giving it more of a ‘binding’ quality and making it ideal for lengthening pasta sauces, a technique often used in Italy.)
Ciambelle Al Vino Bianco
From Chef Rossi’s Cooking Vacations program, Roma. Click here to learn more.
Number of servings (yield): 3-4 dozen
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups Sugar
- 1 2/3 cups White Wine
- 1 2/3 cups Vegetable Oil
- 6 2/3 cups 00 Flour
- 1/3 cup Raisins
- 3 ½ tbsp Pine nuts
- 2 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 1 Egg, beaten, to brush on top
- Sugar
Instructions
- First prepare the pastry.
- Mix everything together to form a smooth dough.
- Allow to rest for about one hour before using.
- Roll out coils of about 10 inches then press the ends together to form rings.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place the rings at least 1 inch apart.
- Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle a little sugar.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180º C (350º F) for about 35 minutes until golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving.
- Served at the end of the meal, break the rings and dip in wine.
- Store in an airtight container.
Food Notes
September food is exciting. As a fan of seasons and seasonal cooking, I love the way September lets you know on no uncertain terms that things are changing. Few months mark the transition from one season to another quite like September, the sudden arrival of wild mushrooms, pumpkins and game a sure sign that fall is in the air. Another clue is in the scent of burning leaves. Towards the end of the month, each trip through the hills brings the smoky tang of smoldering leaves and branches, the first clean up operations on the way after the hot, summer weather. No idea why, but it’s a comforting scent that makes you feel all is right with the world, that it’s time to concentrate on other things, clean up the garden, plant some autumn bulbs and decide what winter veggies need growing.
In the kitchen, it’s a busy month, the month of canning and preserving. Tomatoes are everywhere. Some we preserve peeled and uncooked, other are transformed into passata, some are first oven-roasted with shallots, garlics and herbs then canned, and yet others dried in the sun and stored under oil with a few flecks of chili and garlic, capers and a sprinkling of dried oregano. Plums are also outside drying, and those we don’t dry are swiftly made into jam. The bramble patch near the house has had a bumper crop of blackberries this year, and the resulting dark blue, black jam is just breathtaking. And what to do with all the windfalls? Apples and pears lie scattered around the trees – so more jams, jellies and applesauce are to be made, this last product a hugely versatile ingredient to have stocked away in the freezer as it goes so well with pork, or can be made into cakes, muffins, crumbles and cobblers or simply stirred into morning yogurts. And who can resist turning a few handfuls of ripe fruit into a delicious liqueur? This year has seen plum liqueur, damson gin, blackberry gin, and the two old favorites, bay leaf liqueur and fennel liqueur. We always think it will be impossible to get through such a well-stocked larder, but what do you know, a winter of serious eating and entertaining friends can wipe out the contents of even the largest store cupboard (which is just the way it should be!), and make you glad you worked so hard in September to fill the shelves.
We hope that you too find the time to preserve a little of your summer to savor with friends and family during the winter months, because however hard it seems at the time, you’ll always be glad you did.
Buon appetito!
With Love From Italy
Mastro Giovanni Russo & The Omaggio Alla Madonna Di Positano
September in Positano celebrates Mastro Giovanni Russo collection of hand-made stones depicting the magic, history, myths and stories of Positano. Giovanni, whose works include the Madonna di Positano, Neptune, and the old Saracen towers are just a sample of works on display now through September 30 at Viale Pasitea, 126, Positano.
Guggenheim in Lucca
Starting 18th September, a selection of seldom seen works on paper from the Peggy Guggenheim Collection will be on view at the Lucca Center of Contemporary Art in an exhibition entitled ‘Revealing Papers’. These works are by some of the greatest artists of the twentieth century – Kandinsky, Moore, Picasso, Rivera, Matta, Arp, Fontana and others – and often feature a more experimental side of artists’ work as well as offering a unique opportunity to relive important moments of artistic history.
www.luccamuseum.com
La Vigna di Dionisio
The Vines of Dionysus: ‘Vines, Wines and Cults in Magna Grecia’ is the title of this interesting exhibition held until 20th November in Bari’s Palazzo Simi, which takes visitors on a journey through the world of cult and excess of Dionisis (or Bacchus) and is illustrated by a collection of invaluable pottery and carvings from the major archeological sites in southern Italy.
www.archeopuglia.beniculturali.it
The Many Faces of Power
This exhibition is open through the end of October at the Musei Capitolini in Rome and features a fascinating collection of Roman portraits spanning the Republican Age to late antiquity, illustrating how important the tool of portraiture was in guaranteeing notoriety and prestige to the characters portrayed. From portraits in terracotta and bronze to the marble and bronze production in the Imperial Age, discover the many techniques adopted to preserve men’s image and ensure their ‘presence’ long after they had passed.
http://en.museicapitolini.org
Isabella Zocchi
Every so often it’s nice to see what Italy’s up and coming designers are creating, and Isabella Zocchi’s playful shoes and accessories are worth keeping an eye on. Her eye for color and detail is quite unique and though she is only 35, she already has an international following, with her 2011 summer collection being selected by the Los Angeles based High Heel Shoe Museum.
http://collezioni.isabellazocchi.com
Italian Feasts & Celebrations
This month, we take a look at some great food festivals to suit all tastes this September in Italy.
Festa del Miele del Delta del Po: Porto Viro, Province of Rovigo, 11 September. We think this sounds like a great way to pass a Sunday – discovering more about the wonderful world of honey from the Po Delta. Attend talks on Apiculture explaining how to turn a hobby for beekeeping into a business, visit the local Apiculture Museum, take in the work of local artists and of course, sample numerous delicious specialties made with the area’s delicious honey. Last but not least, find out which honey wins the prize for the year’s best honey.
13th National Sagra del Gorgonzola: Gorgonzola, Milano, 17 – 18th September. If you had to choose a handful of Italian products known around the globe, Gorgonzola would almost certainly be among them and this festival offers visitors the opportunity to learn more about traditional production methods as well as local peasant traditions from centuries past. Special workshops will be set up for kids to teach them more about milk and honey products after which there is a whole host of dishes to be enjoyed, all featuring this wonderful cheese.
Festa dell’Alpeggio: Chiareggio, Sondrio, 17 – 18th September. The small town of Chiareggio is situated in the Valle del Mallero on the Italian-Swiss border and one look at the glorious green pastures that carpet the surrounding mountainsides should explain why local cheeses are so good, including the star of this sagra, the much loved ‘Alpeggio’ cheese. As well as offering a sample of various different Alpeggios, the town has organized guided tours and treks including stop offs at a number of Alpeggio producers to find out more about local artisan cheese making. Learn how to milk a cow, take in a photographic exhibition, eat your fill of traditional specialties at one of the local restaurants and end your evening gathered round a bonfire listening to traditional tales and stories.
Sagra del Nocciola: Prepezzano di Giffoni Sei Casali, Salerno, 23 – 25th September. The prized IGT (indicazione geografica tipica) hazelnuts which grow on the hills of Giffoni south of the Amalfi Coast, are considered some of the best in Italy, and are much loved by local pastry chefs who transform them into a series of wonderful sweets. During the sagra, you’ll be able to sample many recipes from yesteryear as well as those more commonly found today, so you can decide whether nonna’s recipes really are more delicious after all!
Italy On A Plate
By Germaine Stafford
Germaine continues her roundup of what’s happening in the culinary world in Italy and gives you her chef of the month, book recommendation, and a list of seasonal foods for September.
What’s in Season?
Sea Bass
Mussels
Venison
Partridge
Wood Pigeon
Guinea fowl
Duck
Grouse
Garlic
Ceps
Chanterelles
Mushrooms
Spinach
Sweet corn
Onion
Kale
Beetroot
Squashes
Marrow
Pumpkin
Apples
Pears
Restaurant Of The Month
Ristorante San Pietro, Cetara
Let’s imagine it’s a warm September day and you’re lucky enough to be enjoying a trip along the Amalfi Coast. You’ve taken photographs from the hills above Positano, enjoyed chocolate-dipped candied orange peel in Amalfi and gone shopping for hand-painted pottery in Vietri sul Mare. Now it’s lunchtime and you’re on the lookout for a great little eatery where you can try out local specialties. Look no further. The little town of Cetara is a great place to stop off, and is also the coast’s busiest fishing center, with anchovies and tuna fish two of the most popular catches.
Ristorante San Pietro has always been a good restaurant, an
it just keeps getting better. A mere stone’s throw from the beach, it is clearly a fish restaurant, though there are also a number of meat dishes offer as well as a full vegetarian menu and even gluten-free. Here, ingredients arrive straight from the sea and are cooked with intelligence, respect and by a team with a thorough knowledge of their raw ingredients. This fish is combined judiciously with other produce from the coast – Sfusato lemons, smoked provola from the Monti Lattari, pane biscottato from Agerola, to create dishes such as fresh anchovies with smoked provola and lemon leaves; bread salad with crunchy vegetables, tomato, tuna, salted anchovies and prosciutto; mixed salted fish smoked with lemon leaves and goat’s milk ricotta; and provola with eggplant and silver scabbard fish, each more delicious sounding than the last. Both the Menu Cetarese and the Menu Tradizionale are full to bursting with traditional dishes given a new, light touch by Chef Francesco Tammaro; vermicelli with colatura di alici (a pungent fish sauce that is used sparingly to give a wonderful depth of flavor to dishes); paccherino with fresh anchovies and wild fennel; risotto with tuna bottarga and squash flowers; tuna with tomatoes, capers and olives; and fish soup using a host of local rock fish. But there’s also a Menu Creativo with offerings such as rock fish soufflé with mussel ragù and fried seaweed; baby squid with pane biscottato, arugula and potatoes; pressed octopus with tuna bottarga and annurca apples; old fashioned gnocchi stuffed with steamed tuna, with broccoli ragù and tuna colatura; and local fish cooked in a ‘coffin’ of salt.
Desserts include the coast’s intriguing eggplant with chocolate; cookies stuffed with chocolate and lemon; and deconstructed mille foglie with goat’s milk ricotta and rum. Weather permitting, you can sit out on the terrace, there’s a great wine list featuring some of the Region’s best and staff are unfailingly polite and helpful – this is the kind of place you’d be mad to miss!
Further Information:
Ristorante San Pietro
Piazza San Francesco, 2
84010 Cetara (SA)
Tel: +39 089 261091
Web: www.sanpietroristorante.it
Book Of The Month
Apples for Jam: Recipes for Life
By Tessa Kiros and Andrews McMeel Publishing
September can be a dreamy month, the bulk of summer behind you, these last few warm days all the more precious, knowing, as we do, that their time is limited and fall is just around the corner. It is in this spirit of embracing the passing pleasures in life that we have chosen Kiros’ Apples for Jam, which, although not exclusively an Italian cookbook, reflects much of the lifestyle Tessa leads with her husband Giovanni and two daughters in their home in Tuscany. Kiros is well known for her charming, evocative cookbooks, where memories, hopes and ingredients combine to form a delicious medley of recipes meant not only to nourish friends and family but also to convey an authentic spirit of place.
On the whole, the book’s dishes are very simple to prepare and make good use of seasonal ingredients, and parents with young children will be delighted to find so many child-friendly ideas, from fried mozzarella sandwiches, bright pink beetroot gnocchi and chicken croquettes, to fizzy orangeade, pomegranate and apple jellies, baked cinnamon apples with buttermilk ice cream, and rosehip semolina puddings. There are plenty of dishes that could be used for weeknight dinners – watercress omelette, creamy spinach with feta, fish pie, sautéed chicken with bay leaves and juniper berries, squashed zucchini – but also those that could be served at informal dinner parties or gatherings with friends – prawn and spinach brown rice risotto, gratinéed celery with tomato and Parmesan, cabbage salad with orange and lemons or baked pumpkin with butter and brown sugar.
As with all Kiros’ books, images are beautiful, with the added attraction that recipes in this case are organized by color. So use Apples for Jam for inspiration, make the best of these last few days of summer and create your own dreams and memories in the kitchen.
September 2011
Cavolfiore Alla Romana ~ Cauliflower Roman-Style
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 3/4 cup fine breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 eggs slightly beaten
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup olive oi
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º F.
- Prepare cauliflower by breaking into small pieces and cook in salted boiling water until half done (about 5 minutes).
- Mix eggs, cheese, salt, pepper and milk together.
- Roll each floret in batter and then dip in breadcrumbs.
- Place on well-greased cookie sheet and drizzle oil over the top.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown, toss flower over to brown all sides.
Pasta Con Le Noci ~ Pasta & Walnuts
Featured in Cooking Vacations September 2008 Newsletter
This dish is often made in Liguria, and is based on what has become known as one of the modern ‘superfoods’: the simple walnut.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 400g rigatoni
- 100g walnuts, shelled weight
- 50ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp sugar
- Cinnamon and nutmeg
- 50g grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Whiz walnuts briefly in a food mixture or crush them using a mortar and pestle. Don’t over crush them – it’s nice to leave some slightly larger pieces too.
- Place in a small bowl.
- Bring a pot of well-salted water to the boil for the pasta. (It’s important to salt the water a little more than normal as no salt is added to the walnut sauce apart from that already present in the Parmesan cheese.)
- As soon as you have added the pasta to the boiling water, heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic to the oil and when it turns golden brown, remove.
- Sprinkle in a little cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg. Add about a third of a cup of pasta water* to the bowl with the chopped walnuts to moisten them slightly, then add the walnuts to the hot oil. Stir well and keep warm.
- As soon as the pasta is cooked al dente, drain, and then throw into the frying pan with the nut mixture.
- Add a little pasta water if the sauce seems too dry.
- Toss well.
- Stir in the Parmesan, check seasoning and serve immediately.
- (*Plain tap water won’t do the trick here. As the pasta cooks, it releases its starch into the cooking water, giving it more of a ‘binding’ quality and making it ideal for lengthening pasta sauces, a technique often used in Italy.)
Ciambelle Al Vino Bianco
From Chef Rossi’s Cooking Vacations program, Roma. Click here to learn more.
Number of servings (yield): 3-4 dozen
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups Sugar
- 1 2/3 cups White Wine
- 1 2/3 cups Vegetable Oil
- 6 2/3 cups 00 Flour
- 1/3 cup Raisins
- 3 ½ tbsp Pine nuts
- 2 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 1 Egg, beaten, to brush on top
- Sugar
Instructions
- First prepare the pastry.
- Mix everything together to form a smooth dough.
- Allow to rest for about one hour before using.
- Roll out coils of about 10 inches then press the ends together to form rings.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place the rings at least 1 inch apart.
- Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle a little sugar.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180º C (350º F) for about 35 minutes until golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving.
- Served at the end of the meal, break the rings and dip in wine.
- Store in an airtight container.
Lazio
Although Lazio is home to capital city Rome, its cuisine is nevertheless very simple and rooted in tradition. The hills surrounding Rome provide (over and above various wonderful mineral waters), excellent lamb and sheep’s milk cheese such as Pecorino Romano and ricotta. The region’s vegetables are also first-rate with artichokes, chicory, wild mixed salad greens, peppers and asparagus among those most often found on menus. Offal is popular, as is lamb, and in Rome you can find local versions of gnocchi (alla Romana) and pizza (pizza bianca). Worth a visit are Rome’s numerous produce markets where you’ll find just about everything under the sun.
Traditional dishes:
Carciofi alla Giudea: Artichokes Jewish Style
Romans love their artichokes, and this recipe with its roots in the city’s Jewish cuisine, is a delicious and foolproof way of enjoying them. The trick is to fry the artichokes twice, which ensures they open up just like you see them served in traditional trattorias all over Rome.
Ingredients
- 8 young, globe artichokes
- 2 lemons
- Extra-virgin olive oil for frying
- Salt
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl with chilled water and add the juice of one lemon.
- Cut the other lemon in half and have it to hand to rub the cut surfaces of the artichokes as you prepare them.
- This prevents them from oxidizing.
- Clean the artichokes, removing most of the stem and the outer leaves – usually about 3 layers.
- Trim and be sure to remove any visible choke with a knife or spoon, then rub cut surfaces with the lemon halves and place them in the bowl of lemon water.
- Heat about 4 inches of olive oil in a deep pan over a medium heat.
- Remove artichokes from water, pat dry then fry two at a time, taking care to keep them pushed under the surface of the oil and turning them so they cook on all sides.
- After about 10 minutes, remove and drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
- Allow to cool.
- Heat the oil once more adding a little more to ensure it’s deep enough, but this time over a hotter flame until oil is almost smoking.
- Fry the artichokes again, the same way as before, two at a time and ensuring they remain under the surface of the oil and turning often to ensure they cook evenly.
- After 3 minutes or so, you should see that the artichokes have opened and are nicely crisp.
- Remove, drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately with a quick sprinkle of salt.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Ingredients
- 400 g spaghetti
- 150 g guanciale or pancetta, diced
- 3 eggs
- 50 g pecorino cheese, grated
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, heat a drizzling of olive oil and cook the guanciale over a slow heat for 15 minutes or so.
- Cook the spaghetti in abundant, boiling salted water.
- Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a small bowl with the grated pecorino cheese.
- When the spaghetti is cooked al dente, drain, reserving a little of the cooking water.
- Take the pancetta off the heat, and add the spaghetti and the egg mixture, stirring well to warm up the eggs.
- If mixture is too dry, add a little of the cooking water.
- Season generously with freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Saltimbocca alla Romana: Veal Saltimbocca
Ingredients
- 8 very thin escalopes of veal
- 8 paper thin slices prosciutto di Parma
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ glass of dry white wine
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Place veal escalopes between two sheets of greaseproof paper and pound with a meat hammer until paper thin.
- On each veal escalope, place a slice of prosciutto then a fresh sage leaf, and, using a toothpick, secure the three layers together, keeping them flat.
- Dip each one in the flour so it is lightly coated.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the escalopes over a medium heat, for about two minutes each side.
- Turn up the heat, pour in the white wine and boil to evaporate it.
- Lower heat and simmer for another couple of minutes until sauce has thickened.
- Remove escalopes and place in a serving dish, remove the tooth picks and drizzle with the pan juices.
- Serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Pollo con Pepperoni: Chicken with Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 free-range chicken, cut in pieces
- 1 glass of white wine
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 chili pepper, finely chopped
- Pinch of dried marjoram
- 4 large tomatoes, skinned and chopped
- 4 large peppers
- 50 ml extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra
- Salt
- Few leaves of fresh basil, torn into pieces
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan and brown the chicken pieces turning to cook on all sides.
- When the chicken is golden brown, add the white wine and simmer until wine has evaporated.
- Add the chopped garlic and chili pepper, the dried marjoram and the chopped tomatoes.
- Salt to taste and cook over a medium heat, covering the pan with a lid.
- Meanwhile, cut the peppers into long strips.
- In a separate pan, heat a little olive oil and sauté the peppers until almost tender.
- When the chicken is almost completely cooked, add the strips of pepper to the pan and cook a further 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from heat, check seasoning and adjust if necessary, and add the fresh basil.
- Leave uncovered and wait 5 minutes before serving.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Torta di Ricotta: Ricotta Tart
Ingredients
- For the shortcrust pastry:
- 300 g plain flour
- Small pinch of salt
- 150 g chilled unsalted butter, diced
- 150 g castor sugar
- Finely grated zest of a lemon
- 3 egg yolks, beaten
- Extra egg yolk (beaten) for glazing
- For the filling:
- 300 g ricotta
- Small glass of lemon or orange liqueur
- 2 tbsp coarsely grated plain chocolate or plain chocolate drops
- Pinch of vanilla
- Pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
- Naturally, shop-bought pastry can be used but there’s no doubt that homemade is better.
- Sieve flour and salt into a large bowl and add the butter.
- Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs then stir in the sugar and the grated lemon zest.
- Add the beaten egg yolks and work the mixture gently until it forms a ball.
- Cover pastry and leave to rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
- In the meantime, mix together all the ingredients for the filling until you obtain a smooth cream.
- Put to one side.
- Divide the pastry in two parts: 2/3 for lining the pie dish and 1/3 for the decorative strips on top.
- Roll out the larger piece of pastry and line a buttered and floured 25cm (10 inch) pie dish.
- Spread the ricotta mixture over the pastry base.
- With the remaining pastry make a series of strips for the latticework decoration on top.
- Once complete, brush the pastry with the extra beaten egg.
- Place the tart in an oven preheated to 200°C and cook for 50-60 minutes.
- Allow to cool before moving it gently onto a serving plate.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
This small region borders both Austria and Slovenia, a fact reflected in the area’s cooking, with dishes like goulash, cabbage soup, strudels and presnitz often to be found on local menus. Soups are popular in mountainous zones and make good use of local vegetables and pulses, and pork turns up here in the form of the delicious Prosciutto di San Daniele or various cuts that are simply boiled and served with vegetables. On the coast, expect to find excellent fish soups and risotto, and what better to enjoy them with than one of the area’s good white wines.
Traditional dishes:
Goulash
Ingredients
- 800 g stewing beef, cubed
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large onions, sliced
- ½ tablespoon paprika
- Salt
- 500 g tinned tomatoes, chopped
- 500 g potatoes
- ½ glass water, boiling
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan, and brown the chunks of beef.
- Add the sliced onion and continue to cook, stirring often, until the onions have softened.
- Sprinkle in the paprika and season with salt.
- Cook for another couple of minutes then add the tomatoes and a half a glass of boiling water.
- Cook covered over a low to medium heat for about half an hour.
- Meanwhile, peel and cut the potatoes into chunks and add them to meat.
- Continue cooking over a low to medium heat until the meat and potatoes are cooked.
- Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Cialzons: Spinach Pastries
Ingredients
- For the pastry:
- 400 g flour
- 4 eggs
- For the filling:
- 500 g spinach
- 1 tsp parsley, finely chopped
- 1 slice stale rye bread, crumbled
- 50 g dark chocolate, grated
- 50 g raisins, steeped 15 mins in a little hot water
- 50 g candied citrus peel, finely chopped
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 egg
- Salt
- 50 g dried ricotta, grated
- 100 g unsalted butter
Instructions
- Clean spinach well and cook it with the parsley without adding any water.
- Once cooked, squeeze out any excess liquid.
- Mix with the crumbled rye bread, the grated chocolate, the raisins, the citrus peel, the cinnamon, the sugar and the egg, stirring until ingredients are mixed well.
- Meanwhile, prepare the pasta by mixing the flour with the eggs to obtain a pliable dough.
- Roll dough out thinly and using a glass or tumbler, cut out a series of circles.
- Place a spoonful of filling to one side of each circle, then fold over to create a half moon shape.
- Roll the round edge a little towards the inside to create the typical cialzon shape.
- Cook the cialzons in abundant, salted boiling water, and remove them as they float to the surface as this means they are cooked.
- Place in a large bowl, creating layers, and sprinkling each layer with a little grated ricotta.
- After the last layer, melt the butter and pour over the bowl of cialzons and any remaining grated cheese.
- Serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Strudel: Apple Strudel
Ingredients
- 1 pack frozen puff pastry
- 1 kg apples
- 40 g sultanas (raisins), soaked in a little hot water
- 40 g pine nuts
- 50 g chopped walnuts
- 100 g sugar
- Grated zest of ½ lemon
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 100 g breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, beaten
- Icing sugar for garnish
Instructions
- Peel the apples, cut into small dice and place them in a bowl.
- Add the sultanas, pine nuts, chopped walnuts, sugar, grated lemon zest and the cinnamon.
- Roll out the puff pastry thinly into a large rectangle.
- Sprinkle the pastry all over with the breadcrumbs and spoon the apple mixture over the whole surface of the pastry.
- Brush the edges of the pastry with a little beaten egg.
- Next, starting with a longer edge, begin to roll the pastry into a log shape and once the log is formed, carefully press the last edge closed.
- Place the strudel on a greased cookie sheet and brush the top with the rest of the beaten egg.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 400ºF for thirty minutes.
- Before serving, dust with icing sugar.
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna is often thought of as lying at the heart of Italy’s food culture with the town of Bologna being referred to as Bologna la grassa – Bologna the fat one, a sly allusion to the delight its inhabitants take in food. This region is the home of fresh pasta – think of delicious tortellini in brodo and a whole series of handmade ravioli, anolini, and cappelletti – and also of Parmegiano Reggiano, and of balsamic vinegar from Modena. The region’s pork products and salumi are excellent and are much appreciated throughout the whole of Italy, from the exquisite prosciutto di Parma and culatello to numerous salamis and the great favorite, mortadella. Emilia-Romagna also has several official truffle towns and is one of Italy’s principal truffle and mushroom producers. Markets here are great fun to visit, especially Mercato delle Erbe and Mercato di Mezzo.
Traditional dishes:
Piadina Romagnola: Romagnola Flatbread
Ingredients
- 1 kg flour (type ‘0’)
- Pinch of salt
- Small pinch bicarbonate of soda
- 150 g shortening
- Water or milk
Instructions
- Sieve the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl.
- Rub in the shortening until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Stir in just enough water or milk to obtain a firm dough, but try not to overwork dough as this will cause the formation of bubbles during cooking.
- Leave dough to ‘rest’ for an hour or so covered with a clean tea towel.
- Divide the dough into large egg-sized rolls then roll each one out with a rolling pin until it is about 30 cm in diameter.
- (It should be about 5 mm thick.)
- Cook each piadina over a hot griddle, making holes in the surface with a fork, and cooking until it is cooked in the center.
- Make sure you turn them so they cook evenly and on both sides.
- To serve, fold them in half and stuff with cheese, ham or vegetables.
Number of servings (yield): 6
Tortellini en Brodo: Tortellini in Broth
Ingredients
- For the pasta:
- 500 g flour
- 3 egg, beaten
- For the filling:
- 150 g minced pork
- 150 g minced veal
- 150 g minced chicken breast
- 100 g prosciutto crudo
- 100 g mortadella
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 60 g grated Parmesan cheese
- Butter
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1½ – 2 liters beef broth
Instructions
- Start by making the filling.
- In a frying pan, melt a tablespoon of butter and cook the pork, veal and chicken.
- If necessary, add a little more butter.
- Season meat with salt and pepper then mix in the prosciutto crudo and mortadella to obtain a moist paste.
- Stir in a grating of nutmeg and 30 g grated Parmesan cheese.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour with the beaten eggs and roughly half a cup of water until you obtain a pliable dough.
- Roll out dough very thinly and cut into small squares.
- Place a little meat filling on one side of each pasta square and close to form a triangle.
- Taking the two outside points of the triangle, pull them back until they touch and press firmly to obtain the classic tortellini shape.
- Cook the tortellini in the simmering beef broth.
- Once cooked (when they float to the surface of the stock they should be ready), take the pan off the heat and leave broth and tortellini to rest for a couple of minutes.
- Ladle broth and tortellini into serving dishes and garnish with a last sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.
- Serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 6
Lasagna alla Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 packet of egg lasagna
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 300 g minced beef
- ½ glass dry white wine
- 250 g tinned tomatoes
- 500 ml béchamel sauce
- 75 g grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pan and cook the chopped carrot and onion.
- Add the minced beef and cook until browned, stirring often so it doesn’t form lumps.
- Pour in the wine and stir until wine evaporates.
- Salt to taste, add the tomatoes and cook for about half an hour.
- Season with a little freshly ground pepper.
- Meanwhile, quickly par cook the lasagna in boiling, salted water if it is the type that requires par cooking.
- If not, continue as described below.
- Butter a rectangular ovenproof dish, and begin forming layers of pasta, a few spoonfuls of the meat ragù, a little béchamel and a dusting of grated Parmesan until you have used all the ingredients.
- Finishing with a layer of pasta covered with béchamel and Parmesan.
- Cook in an oven preheated to 400ºF for half an hour or until surface is golden and crunchy.
- Leave to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
Gnocco Fritto: Fried ‘Gnocchi’
Ingredients
- 15 g fresh yeast
- ½ glass of tepid water
- 1/3 glass milk
- 300 g flour
- 25 g shortening, softened
- Pinch of salt
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Melt the yeast in the warm water then add the milk.
- Sieve the flour into a large bowl, form a hollow in the middle and in it place the softened shortening, the pinch of salt, then slowly add the water and yeast mixture stirring continuously and incorporating little by little all of the flour, adding a little more flour or water as necessary.
- Kneed dough until it is well mixed and pliable.
- Leave dough to ‘rest’ for a couple of hours, covered with a clean tea towel.
- Roll dough out until it is about ½ cm thick, then cut it into fat diamond shapes with each side measuring about 6 cm.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pan and fry the gnocchi until they are golden brown and swollen.
- Drain on kitchen paper and serve alongside a selection of cut salamis, hams and mortadella.
- (You could even dip them in Nutella or chocolate sauce to transform them into a sweet.)
Number of servings (yield): 4
Calabria
Calabria, along with Sicilia represents Italy’s deep south, and although it can appear a harsh, Spartan land, it is also a land rich in history and traditions, a fact reflected in the many influences visible in it cuisine. Again, pork is an important part of the local diet with salami, capocollo, and soppressata staples in every household. Vegetables are also central, with eggplant a particular favorite and the sweet red onions from Tropea appearing in many different dishes, and the area has some delicious cheeses, such as pecorino, mozzarella and caciocavallo. Calabria’s vast coastline offers up a variety of excellent fish and shellfish: mussels, swordfish, tuna, sardines and anchovies, and as often as not, meals are finished with a few dried nuts and perhaps some dried stuffed figs. And don’t forget its famous red hot chili peppers!
Traditional dishes:
Caciocavallo ai Ferri: Grilled Caciocavallo Cheese
Quick and easy, this grilled cheese is a favorite with kids and adults alike.
Ingredients
- 800 g fresh caciocavallo cheese
Instructions
- Cut the caciocavallo into 1cm thick slices and place on a hot non-stick grill pan or griddle (better if it’s the ridged type).
- When the cheese has turned golden brown and formed a slight crust, turn it over and cook the other side.
- Serve immediately with a selection of pickles or with baked potatoes.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Maccheroni alla Soppressata: Maccheroni with Soppressata
Soppressata is a type of Italian dry cured salami, and the Calabrian version is often red from the addition of the region’s renowned chili pepper.
Ingredients
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 fresh sage leaf, finely chopped
- Few fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 50 g Calabrian sopressata, finely diced
- 150 g tinned tomatoes
- Salt
- Pepper
- 200 g maccheroni
- 50 g grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat a drizzling of olive oil in a small frying pan and add the onion, garlic, rosemary and sage.
- Cook for about 10 minutes or until the onion becomes transparent.
- Add the diced sopressata, then the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook for a further 15 minutes.
- Cook the maccheroni in abundant, salted boiling water, drain and add the sauce.
- Mix well and serve immediately with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Spaghetti alla Cipolla Rossa: Spaghetti with Red Onion Sauce
The wonderful red onions from the Calabrian town of Tropea are famous throughout Italy (and beyond!) and are a true pleasure with which to cook.
Ingredients
- 4 red onions from Tropea
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Small handful of parsley, finely chopped
- Few fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
- 2 small salted anchovies, rinsed and minced
- 400 g spaghetti
Instructions
- Heat a good drizzling of olive oil in a frying pan and add the chopped onion.
- Cook for about 10 minutes.
- Toss in the chopped parsley and basil and cook for a few more minutes.
- Check the seasoning.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in abundant, salted boiling water.
- Drain and add to the onion sauce.
- Toss well together and serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Pesce Spada alla Menta: Swordfish Perfumed with Mint
The swordfish caught off the shores of Calabria is some of Italy’s best, and this simple recipe exalts its wonderful flavor.
Ingredients
- 800 g fresh swordfish cut into 4 slices
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 100 g homemade breadcrumbs
- 50 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 50 ml white wine vinegar
- Small handful of fresh mint, finely chopped
- Salt
Instructions
- Cut the cloves of garlic in half, and rub the slices of swordfish with the open end of the garlic.
- Salt each slice of fish lightly on both sides then press into the breadcrumbs.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the swordfish for about 5 minutes, turning it halfway to cook both sides.
- Drain on kitchen paper, then arrange on a serving dish.
- Sprinkle fish with the white wine vinegar and cover with the chopped mint.
- Leave for at least half an hour before serving.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Campania
Over the years, the cooking of Campania has come to represent what the rest of the world considers to be Italian cuisine. Campania is a fertile, volcanic region that boasts a variety of excellent produce, from tomatoes from San Marzano, artichokes and peppers to buffalo mozzarella, Italy’s classic dried pasta and an abundance of fish and seafood. In the hinterlands and mountain areas, pork products are common and in coastal areas you can find unusual products such as the potent anchovy sauce of the small town of Cetara, la collatura di alici. Neapolitans are also famous for their splendid sweets and desserts, with babà, pastiera and sfogliatelle only a few of the delicious sweetmeats on offer.
Traditional dishes:
Arancini di Riso: Fried Rice Balls
These rice balls are a favorite street food, available at stands and shop fronts all over Naples. But they’re also a great way to use up left over rice or risotto from the day before.
Ingredients
- 500 g Arborio rice
- 25 g butter
- 3 eggs
- 50 g grated Parmesan cheese
- 100g prosciutto cotto or salami, diced
- 200 g mozzarella or fior di latte, diced
- 100 g breadcrumbs
- Olive oil for frying
Instructions
- Cook the rice in abundant, salted boiling water.
- Drain well and mix in the butter.
- Leave to cool a little.
- Beat the eggs with the Parmesan cheese and stir into the rice.
- Leave to cool completely.
- Once the rice has cooled, take a little and place it in the palm of your hand.
- Press a little proscuitto and mozzarella into the center and cover with some more rice.
- Roll into a ball shape, making sure the filling is well enclosed in the rice, and ensuring the arancini are firm and compact.
- (Otherwise they tend to open during frying.)
- Roll the rice balls in the breadcrumbs and fry in abundant, hot olive oil.
- Drain quickly on kitchen paper, then serve.
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
Gattò di Patate: Baked Potato Pie
Who would have thought plain old potatoes could taste so good?
Ingredients
- 1 kg floury potatoes
- 100 g butter, softened
- 2 eggs plus 1 yolk, beaten together
- 100 g grated Parmesan cheese
- Handful of parsley, chopped
- ½ – 1 glass milk
- 50 g breadcrumbs
- 100g prosciutto cotto (or salami)
- 250 g mozzarella or fior di latte
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes (complete with skin) in abundant, salted boiling water.
- Once cooked, drain, peel and push through a potato ricer or mash with a potato masher.
- Add half the butter, the eggs, Parmesan, and the parsley.
- Stir well with a wooden spoon, adding just enough milk to obtain a thick, smooth purée.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Divide the mixture into two, and leave to cool for half an hour.
- Grease a rectangular ovenproof dish with a little olive oil and dust with a few of the breadcrumbs, turning the dish upside down to remove excess crumbs.
- Spread out half of the potato mixture in the bottom of the dish, then scatter the prosciutto and mozzarella on top.
- Spread the rest of the potato mixture on top and smooth the surface.
- Scatter the top with remaining breadcrumbs and dot with remaining butter.
- Cook for 45 minutes in an oven preheated to 180ºC.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes then serve.
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
Vermicelli con le Vongole: vermicelli with Clams
A real favorite in Campania, you’ll find this dish everywhere from Napoli to Salerno.
Ingredients
- 500 g vermicelli
- 1¼ kg clams
- 2 large cloves garlic, halved
- 250 g tomatoes, skinned and chopped (or tinned)
- 100 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small chilli pepper, crumbled
- Handful of parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Soak the clams for a couple of hours in lightly salted water, after which rinse well under cold running water.
- Place in a pan with a drizzling of olive oil and toss over a high heat until all clams have opened.
- Discard those which remain closed, and filter the juices that have formed in the pan.
- In a large frying pan heat the remaining olive oil and add the garlic.
- Once garlic has turned golden brow, discard.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, crushing the larger pieces with the back of a fork.
- Sprinkle in the chilli pepper, salt to taste and cook for a further 5 – 10 minutes.
- Add the clams from the other pan along with the filtered juices and the chopped parsley.
- Meanwhile cook the vermicelli in abundant, boiling salted water until al dente.
- Drain, reserving a little of the cooking water.
- Add the vermicelli to the other pan and toss all the ingredients well, adding a little of the cooking water if vermicelli are too dry.
- Serve immediately with a final garnish of chopped parsley.
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
Coniglio alla Ischitana: Rabbit Ischitana Style
Ingredients
- 1 rabbit, cut into pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small chilli pepper, finely chopped
- 1½ glasses white wine
- 250 g tomatoes, chopped
- Handful of parsley, finely chopped
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Heat a drizzling of olive oil in a terracotta pot.
- Add the garlic and chilli pepper and brown the pieces of rabbit, turning often, so they color on all sides.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour in the white wine and cook the rabbit over a medium heat for about half an hour.
- Add the tomatoes and parsley and continue cooking until rabbit is cooked, another 10 – 20 minutes.
- Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4
La Torta Caprese: Chocolate Caprese Cake
Ingredients
- 150 g butter
- 250 g sugar
- 6 eggs, separated
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 300 g almonds, ground
- 250 g dark chocolate
Instructions
- In a bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until it becomes pale and fluffy.
- Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each one.
- Stir in the salt, the vanilla essence and the ground almonds.
- Melt the chocolate over a bain marie and stir into the cake mix.
- In another clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they reach the soft peak stage.
- Very delicately, fold the egg whites into the cake mixture and pour the mixture into a buttered floured 9” round cake tin.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 320ºF for 45 minutes.
- Leave to cool for 10 minutes then remove to a wire rack and leave until completely cool.
Number of servings (yield): 1 cake
Heirloom
Italian Cooking and Living
Photograph Italian Culinary Institue,
All Rights Reserved Courtesy of Cooking and Living
June / July 2005 Issue
As I write my story, I am still in awe about what happened to me on my journey to Italy. I will begin my story with my grandmother, Lucia Scuncio, whom I did not know. She died of influenza when my mother, Philomena, was only 5 years old. I knew of her only in a photograph that I was given two years ago by a distant cousin, and that her grave number was 1648. The journey started here.
After doing research in the archives, I discovered her death certificate and learned that she died September 30, 1913. The same week, my daughter Gina told me she was expecting a baby and that her due date was September 30. Chloe Lucia was born September 30, the date my grandmother died. The nurse who took care of my daughter and our miracle baby was named Lucia.
These coincidences sent me on a mission to Italy. After spending two wonderful weeks in Sorrento with my husband and daughter, we decided to visit Prata Sannita on the last Wednesday of the vacation, a small town in Caserta where my grandparents were born. As we approached the paese, my heart and soul were in a state of disbelief that I would be visiting the place where my grandparents were born.
We traveled to City Hall to inquire about my grandparents, Pasquale and Lucia Scuncio. As we asked for the birth certificates of my grandparents, a young woman behind us in line spoke out. She told us she was Maria Rosa Scuncio. “I am your cousin,” she said. She was there at the exact same time getting a certificate for her daughter, Antonella.
The feelings that we all experienced that moment are unexplainable. It was a miracle, a gift from God. Everyone was crying, and this moment in time reunited a family. I knew in my heart that my grandmother had taken me by the hand—from the moment I was given her photograph to my destination in Prata Sannita.
We visited six Scuncio families, going from house to house. I saw the house where my grandfather was born. We had dinner at Maria Rosa’s house with everything fresh from their land— antipasti, pasta, meats, cheese, wine; and most of all a warmth and love none of us had ever experienced.
As we left for Sorrento that night, the tears of joy and love overwhelmed us. It was a place in time that God gave to me to find my roots. My daughter Lauren now visits my family often. She has also fallen in love with Italy and has a passion of her own, called Cooking Vacations—a venture she is pursuing to help people visit this beautiful part of our universe. Our family now calls one another frequently —we share recipes and photographs, and we visit often. My life circle is now complete.
BlogTalkRadio – Angela Miller Interview
International Cooking Vacations with Lauren Birmingham Piscitelli
Listen to internet radio with Angelia Miller on Blog Talk Radio
Basilicata
Basilicata is the small region tucked between Campania, Puglia and Calabria. It is historically one of Italy’s poorest regions and its simple but tasty cuisine reflects this fact. In Basilicata the pig is king, and pork products abound: salami, capocollo, soppressata, sausages, but lamb and goat are also popular. Some smaller artisans have turned once more to rearing cows on the hillside pastures and there are some excellent cheeses available, with burrata and cow’s milk mozzarella two of the most popular, providing the perfect accompaniment to Basilicata’s delicious durum wheat bread.
Traditional Dishes:
Pane Cotto: Cooked Bread
There are lots of different recipes for pane cotto in various regions, but all have their roots in the need to make the best of a few simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- 200 g stale bread
- 50 g leeks, finely chopped
- 1 liter of water
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 pinch dried chilli pepper
- Parsley, finely chopped
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Grated Parmesan (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a drizzling of olive oil in a terracotta pot.
- Add the leeks and chilli pepper.
- Cook for a few minutes over a medium heat until the leeks have become transparent.
- Pour in the water and bring to the boil.
- Once boiling, salt to taste and add the eggs, stirring energetically with a wooden spoon.
- Place the stale bread in 4 soup plates, add a handful of parsley to the soup and check seasoning again.
- Pour soup over bread and serve immediately.
- (You could also add a little grated Parmesan if desired.)
Number of servings (yield): 4
Minestra Ricca: Rich Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 100 g potatoes
- 100 g fresh cannelloni beans
- 100 g zucchini
- 100 g celery
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 liter vegetable broth
- Chopped parsley
- 4 slices stale bread
- Chili pepper
Instructions
- Dice the potatoes, zucchini and celery.
- Heat a drizzling of olive oil in a pan.
- Add the vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat then add the vegetable broth.
- Simmer for 1 ¼ hours, adding a handful of chopped parsley after about 45 minutes.
- Check seasoning.
- To serve, arrange a slice of stale bread in each plate and cover with the minestra.
- For those who like it, a final pinch of chili pepper is normally added just before eating.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Lagane con Lenticchie: Homemade Pasta with Lentils
Here you can of course substitute the homemade pasta with shop bought pasta and still have a tasty, healthful dish. Also, it used to be that lentils had to be soaked overnight, but this is mostly no longer the case, however read the instructions on the packet just to make sure.
Ingredients
- 400 g durum wheat flour
- 100 g small green lentils
- 1 small onion, minced
- 50 g pancetta, diced
- Small sprig of rosemary
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons tomato passata
- 400 ml of water
- Salt
Instructions
- Mix the flour with a pinch of salt and just enough water to make a smooth pliable dough.
- Roll dough out thinly and cut into long tagliatelle type lengths.
- Set pasta out on a clean tea towel and leave to one side.
- Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a pan and add the onion, bacon and rosemary.
- Cook for 10 minutes over a medium heat.
- When the onion starts to turn golden brown, discard the rosemary and add the lentils.
- Add the tomato passata, a good pinch of salt and about 400 ml of water.
- Simmer until lentils are tender, adding more water if necessary.
- Cook the pasta in abundant salted boiling water, removing as soon as it floats to the surface.
- Toss the pasta with the lentils (it doesn’t matter if the end result is a little soupy).
- Serve immediately with some freshly ground pepper and a final drizzling of extra-virgin olive oil.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Agnello con Funghi: Lamb with Mushrooms
A very simple recipe that is fast to prepare and quite delicious. Accompany with roasted or mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
- 1 kg lamb (shoulder or leg)
- 600 g mixed mushrooms
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 dried chilli pepper, chopped
Instructions
- Cut the lamb into small pieces and, using a piece of kitchen paper, wipe the mushrooms clean.
- Heat a drizzling of olive oil in a terracotta pot.
- Add the lamb and the chilli pepper and cook the meat until it is browned on all sides.
- Toss in the mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes or so, then cover pot and place in an oven that is preheated to 160ºC.
- Cook for about an hour, every so often turning the lamb and mushrooms in the juices that form, and adding a very little bit of water if necessary.
- Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
Melanzane Imbottite: Stuffed Eggplant
You can prepare these eggplants in advance and cook them at the last minute or cook them in tin foil over a barbeque in the summer, for a great accompaniment to grilled meat.
Ingredients
- 4 large eggplants
- Salt
- 100 g black olives, pitted and finely chopped
- Handful of capers, rinsed and finely chopped
- Handful of grated pecorino cheese
- Handfuls of fresh basil and mint, finely chopped
- Pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, and place them in a little salted water.
- Leave for about half an hour, then rinse and pat dry with a clean tea towel.
- Using a sharp knife, make a series of deep criss-cross cuts in the flesh without, however, puncturing the skin.
- In a small bowl, mix together the olives, capers, pecorino cheese and chopped mint and basil and season with pepper.
- (Don’t add any more salt as the olives, capers and cheese are already very salty.)
- Place the eggplants in an oven proof dish and spread the olive caper mixture over the top.
- Drizzle with olive oil and cook in a preheated oven at 160ºC for about an hour.
- Serve either warm or cold.
Number of servings (yield): 4
Perugia & The Chef’s Villa
