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  Current Italy Travel & Cooking Newsletter RecipeAsparagus Rolls—Rotolini di AsparagiThis easy, tasty, spring time recipe, accented with classic Emilia-Romagna ingredients of prosciutto and parmesan cheese, comes from Epicurean.com Ingredients
Preparation Cook the asparagus in salted, boiling water for 15 minutes (or less depending on your taste). Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F/180 C. Grease an ovenproof dish with butter. Drain the asparagus and gently pat dry. Spread out the prosciutto on the counter, lay two large or three small asparagus on each slice, roll up and fasten each roulade with a toothpick. Place the rolls in the prepared dish, sprinkle with the parmesan, dot with the butter and bake for 10 minutes. Serve immediately. Buon appetito! Past Italy Travel & Cooking Newsletter RecipesAntipasti & SaladsNzalata D'Esta Sicilian Summer Salad: An Easy, Tasty LunchWhen I travel in Sicily, I often order a big Sicilian salad like the one in this recipe. It makes a nice light meal all on its own. Some Sicilian salads also have chopped boiled potato in them. One had chunks of cheese. This recipe comes from a great food and recipe site, italianfood.about.com. Writer Lyle Phillips says, “'Nzalata D'Està is a classic Sicilian summer salad, and as happens with many traditional recipes there aren't any proportions -- you go with what you like.” Ingredients The exact amounts are up to you, but you'll want:
Preparation In presenting it in Il Grande Libro della Cucina e dei Vini di Sicilia, Pino Correnti quotes an old proverb that sums it up: Buon appetito! Orange Salad (Insalata d'Arance)This typically Sicilian salad with its many contrasting tastes, is excellent as a side dish, or a separate course leading into dessert. It comes from the recipe section of bestofsicily.com Serves 6. Ingredients
Preparation Separate mint leaves from stalk. Clean the fennel well. Peel the oranges and lemon, and remove the tough heart of the fennel, as well as the stalk and leaves. Cut the fennel, oranges and lemon crosswise into thin slices. Toss together with almonds and mint leaves in a large bowl. Sprinkle with sugar, olive oil and Marsala wine, and toss again. Chill for a few hours. Toss again before serving. Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves. Spinkle dried coconut shavings over the top. A Savory Appetizer To Go With AmaroneThis very tasty Pumpkin, Sage & Gorgonzola Bruschetta recipe from Meg & Ted's web site at woolfit.com goes perfectly with Amarone. These Australian cooks and their friends love Italian food. Their 200+ mostly Italian recipes are divided into categories like "Time for a Quick Glass of Wine Before Dinner" or "Oh No, 5 Minutes of Cooking". Enjoy the amazing variety of interesting and every day Italian recipes at the fun loving woolfit.com Pumpkin, Sage & Gorgonzola Bruschetta
Directions Cut the pumpkin in to 1.5 cm (about 2/3 inch) cubes. Roughly tear up 3/4 of the sage leaves. In a baking dish, toss the pumpkin, sage and some olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast this in a moderate oven until it's tender but not squishy and slightly browned. I think this takes about 30 minutes. I can't remember. Slice the sourdough and toast it. Cut a clove of garlic in half and rub it on the toasted slices. Top each of the slices of sourdough toast with a good serving of the pumpkin mixture. Attractively arrange a couple of fresh sage leaves on top of it. Cut the gorgonzola into slices about 1/2 cm. (1/4 inch) thick, and put a slice on top of each bruschetta. The cheese should only cover about 1/3 of the area of the bruschetta. Put these under the grill if you're lucky enough to have one that works, otherwise stick them in the oven. When the cheese is warm, serve immediately. Potato and French Bean Loaf
Preparation Boil the peeled potatoes and the beans in salted water. Chop the carrot, garlic, onion and marjoram together finely, and fry a little oil. Add the potatoes and beans already mashed. Fry lightly for 5 minutes stirring the ingredients together well. Add the beaten eggs, grated parmesan cheese, 6 spoonfuls olive oil, 3 handfuls of bread crumbs, 5 pinches of oregano, and pout it all into a greased pan sprinkled with bread crumbs. Spread the mixture evenly in the pan. Sprinkle some bread crumbs over the top and cover with a sprinkling of oil. Bake in an oven at 220 C or 425 F for 30-40 minutes. Bake until golden brown and if necessary, raise the oven temperature to 250 C or 500 F for the last few minutes before serving. Simple! Flavourful! Healthy! Enjoy! Buon appetito! A New Way to Cook Apples: Savoury Winter AppetizerI made this recipe for roasted stuffed apples as an appetizer and loved the combination of savoury flavours. The recipe comes from the Val D'Aosta region north of Piedmont in the mountains near the Swiss border and is good as an appetizer or side dish with roasted or grilled meats. I saw it in a wonderful cookbook I've used before, Regional Foods of Northern Italy by Marlena de Blasi, Prima Publishing, 1997, page 224. Mele Farcite ArrostiteIngredients:
Directions: Cut a thin slice from the bottom of each apple, allowing them to sit up comfortably. Slice a 1-inch hat from the top of each apple. Remove and discard the cores. With a small, sharp knife or pointed spoon, enlarge the cavity of the apple a bit more, saving the bits and pieces. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt 1 ½ teaspoons of the butter in a medium-size sauté pan and add the onion and any bits of leftover apple, chopped finely, allowing them to soften a few minutes before adding the pancetta, sage, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Sauté until the pancetta gives up some of its fat and begins to take on some color. Add the raisins and honey and mix well. Allow the mixture to cool a bit, then use it to stuff the apples. Place the apples in a roasting pan just large enough to hold but not crowd them. Add the red wine and roast in the oven until the apples are swollen, their skins beginning to burst, and the point of a sharp knife easily pierces the flesh - about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the apples to a warm plate, reduce the accumulated juices, swirl in the final tablespoon of butter to gloss the sauce, and pour over the apples before serving. Enjoy!! Friulian Frico with Potatoes (Fric friulano con le patate)This is a recipe that Heather learned to make while on a cooking tour in Friuli. It is a typical dish of the region. Ingredients:
Preparation: Boil the potatoes, peel, drain and pass them through a ricer. In a skillet, brown a finely chopped onion. Add the pre-cooked potatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Cook everything together and slowly incorporate the fresh and aged cheeses. Mix all the ingredients at high heat, and then cook over moderate heat until browned on the bottom. At this point, slide it out onto a plate using a spatula (you do not want to break the frico) and invert the frico back into the pan so you end up with a browned side up (as you would if you were flipping a frittata). Continue cooking the frico until the underside is also brown. Frico should have a crunchy crust and soft inside. Cut into 4 wedges and serve. Tatra (a type of flan)from Hotel Real Castello in Verduno in Piedmont's Barolo wine country. This delicate appetizer is one we love in the Piedmont part of our Cooking, Wine & Walking Extravaganza in Piedmont's Barolo Wine Country, Cinque Terre/Portovenere & Tuscany's Brunello Wine Country.
Directions Mince the onion finely and lightly fry it on slow heat til it turns golden. Warm up the milk with the laurel leaf in it. Mince the sage and rosemary finely. Separately beat up 3 whole eggs and 3 additional egg yolks. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg as needed, the golden fried onion, minced sage and rosemary, grated parmesan, milk and whipping cream. Pour the mixture into a mould used for pudding that you have oiled and floured. Cook in a medium oven at 180-200 degrees C 350-375 degrees F) until it is firm. Suggested Wines: Arneis or Langhe Favorita both fresh, white wines from Piedmont Crostini in agrodolce: Sweet & Sour CrostiniFrom Luisa, owner of a great B & B with restaurant on the Cilento Coast, southern Italy.
Directions Cut the pieces of toast in 4 squares. Melt the 80 grams of butter in a frying pan. Add the sugar and caramellize. Add the pinenuts and toast them. Add the raisins and pancetta and vinegar. Cook and mix for 4 minutes. Fry the little pieces of toast in the 40 grams of hot butter. Lay them out on a serving plate and cover them with the sauce. Serve hot. "Pink" Risotto with Barolo Winefrom Hotel Real Castello in the town of Verduno in Piedmont, Italy, serves 4
Directions Brown the rice in the butter. Add the warm Barolo wine. Cook for about 20 minutes adding boiling broth little by little.
A few minutes before the cooking finishes, mix in the parmesan, add pepper and serve. PastaSpaghettini with Tuna and Anchovies: Perfect for a Quick MealFrom The Complete Book of Pasta, by Jack Denton Scott, (page 106) a book with 500 pasta recipes. He says, (You can) "team up tuna and anchovies in many ways and whip up a tasty dish in minutes. I had (this) on a Friday in Naples after returning late from the opera. It was ready in 20 minutes."
Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the tuna with its oil, breaking it up into small pieces. Mill in pepper liberally, add anchovies and capers and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Cook spaghettini al dente, omitting the salt from the cooking water. Drain well and toss right in the saucepan, with the tuna and anchovies, coating the strands of pasta well. Toss gently with wooden forks. Serves 4 to 6. Scott also quotes spaghetti lover, Christopher Morley: "No man is lonely while eating spaghetti-it requires too much attention." (front of the book) Simple and Savoury Sicilian Pasta Recipe: Spaghetti alla NormaFrom the Rough Guide to Sicily, 2005 edition, a great guide book with maps of most cities, very detailed information and interesting articles on everything from Sicilian literature, to history to the Mafia. Page 251. Serves 4. Ingredients
Preparation Spread the eggplant slices on a plate, sprinkle with salt and leave for 30 minutes. This removes bitter oils. Wash the slices under cold water, dry and then fry on both sides in a large frying pan until golden brown. Use low heat. Put to one side. Gently fry the garlic cloves in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 2 minutes. Then add chopped tomatoes, one tablespoon tomato puree, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for 30 minutes or until the sauce reduces slightly. Add half the chopped basil leaves to the sauce and stir. Cook the spaghetti in boiling water until al dente, drain and place in bowls. Spoon the tomato sauce on top of the spaghetti, add the slices of fried eggplant and top with grated ricotta and the remainder of the basil leaves. Eat with a robust red wine. A Very Tasty Pasta Recipe with OlivesChef Paolo in Portovenere on the Riviera is one of my favourite chefs: passionate about food, so knowledgeable and entertaining. He makes a wonderful fusilli alla Mediterranean pasta with fresh tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies, basil, garlic and of course, olive oil. Yummmmy!! One of Paolo's favourite sayings is "When in doubt, add more olive oil." Wouldn't you agree? Ingredients:
Method: Mushroom Lasagnafrom a great mushroom web site, mushroom-uk.com with mushroom recipes from all over the world, types of mushrooms, why they are good for your health and more. White sauce:
To make white sauce: put butter, flour and milk into a saucepan. Heat slowly, whisking continuously til the butter has melted. Then bring to the boil, stirring, until sauce has thickened. Take off the heat and stir in 3/4 of the cheese and beaten egg. Cover pan til required. Melt butter and cook onion and mushrooms for five minutes. Stir in marjoram and seasoning. Spoon a little cheese sauce into the base of an oiled, shallow, oven proof dish. Place layer of lasagna sheets on the sauce, then spoon on some of the mushroom mixture. Repeat layers, ending with cheese sauce on top. Sprinkle over remaining cheese and cayenne pepper. Cover with lightly greased foil and cook in the oven at 180 C (350 F, Gas no 4) for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes. Allow to stand for five minutes before serving. Then it will be easier to serve. Serves 4. An Explosive Pasta Recipe from the Bay of NaplesLooking for some pasta with spark and excitement? Spaghetti Vesuvio (Spaghetti with Mount Vesuvius sauce) may be your answer! The mozzarella cheese in the sauce turns into a molten flow that reminds you of the Vesuvius volcano in action. This recipe comes from Diane Seed, an internationally renowned Italian cookbook author and long time resident in Rome,
in her classic cook book, "The Top One Hundred Pasta Spaghetti Vesuvio (Spaghetti with Mount Vesuvius sauce)
Directions: Warm the oil and add the tomatoes with their juice, squashing them in the pan with a fork. Add the oregano and salt to taste and cook rapidly for 20 minutes. While the sauce is cooking, chop the mozzarella into small cubes. Cook the pasta, taking care to follow the directions
on the packet to avoid overcooking. When the pasta is ready, drain and add the freshly grated parmesan, the tomato sauce and diced mozzarella. Pasta di Alberto Bettrini of Da Amerigo
Melt 3 T of butter in saute pan to soften the leeks to transparency (10 minutes medium heat) Add stock and wine, reduce 3 to 4 minutes. Take off heat. Add balsamic vinegar, 2 T butter and pepper. Toss with cooked pasta and top with Parmigiano. Recipe from: Regional Foods of Northern Italy , Marlena De Blasi , page 110. Penne with Cauliflower Florets and OlivesThis recipe is from Signature Pasta (page 150) by Paolo Villoresi and Michel Negrin of Italian Cooking & Living Magazine, a book for pasta lovers--about 125 Italian pasta recipes with great colour pictures from simple to exotic submitted by 25 Italian restaurant men chefs--no women chefs! This one comes from Vancouver's Umberto Menghi. You can order the book on their web site. With this recipe, cauliflower will never be the same again! Lots of lively flavours to dance in your mouth! Serves 4 Ingredients:
Directions: Bring 5 quarts of water to a boil. Add cauliflower florets and salt, and cook for 5 minutes, or until the stems can easily be pierced with a knife; remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cool water and set aside. Reserve the pot of boiling water. Add the penne to the pot of boiling water and cook al dente. Drain. Meanwhile in a skillet large enough to hold the penne later, heat the olive oil. Add the drained cauliflower florets , olives and anchovies, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. The anchovies should have melted into the oil and the cauliflower should be shiny all over. Fold the penne into the sauce in the skillet, and cook for 1 minute, adjusting the salt and adding the pepper as needed. Sprinkle with Pecorino, and spoon onto 4 heated plates. Garnish with basil and serve hot. Salsa all'aglione: Sauce with garlicFrom Patrizia, owner of a great restaurant on Mama Margaret & Friends Tuscany cooking and wine tour Ingredients:
Directions: Put the crushed garlic into a non-stick pan. Add the oil, chili pepper and basil. Brown it all without burning it. Add the tomatoes you've put through a food mill or cut in little pieces and cook for five minutes. As with many chefs' recipes, some quantities are left up to the cook's taste and creativity! Stracci ai Funghi Porcini e Gamberetti (Squares of pasta with porcini mushrooms and shrimps)Paolo Monti of Portovenere, Italy is one of our favourite chefs on our Cooking, Wine & Walking Extravaganza Tour in Piedmont, Cinque Terre/Portovenere and Tuscany. Here is one of his great pasta recipes!
Directions Wash and clean the fresh mushrooms, cut the tough part of the stem off, slice in strips abou 1/2 cm. (1/4"). Saute the mushrooms with a little oil for a minute, add the shrimps, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add a splash of white wine, the chopped tomato, chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste, a little chicken or vegetable stock, and a knob of butter. Simmer for 1 minute. Add the freshly cooked pasta, stir gently for 1 minute and serve immediately. VegetablesTomatoes Filled with Cream Cheese, Basil and Olive Oil: an easy way to make the simple tomato an elegant dishFrom: San Domenico of Imola: The Aesthetics of Food and Wine
Recipes by Chef Valentino Marcattilii, Rizzoli, 1998, page 48. Ingredients
Preparation Drop the tomatoes into a bowl of boiling water and allow them to stand for just a few seconds. Remove, cool and peel the tomatoes. Cut the tops off to form a lid. Using a scoop, empty them of seeds and pulp. Turn the tomatoes upside down and allow as much liquid as possible to drain. Finely chop the basil. In a bowl combine the cheese with the beans and chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper. Fold together. Stuff the tomatoes with the mixture and replace the top. Add the parsley and the rest of the basil to the salad and arrange it on four plates. Place a tomato in the middle of each plate and dress with olive oil, salt, pepper and the onion rings. Serve immediately. Enjoy!! Bell Pepper Rolls or Involtini di PeperoneThis is a classic Piemontese recipe easy to make and one you find in our Mama Margaret & Friends Piedmont cooking lessons. This version comes from the Italian antipasto recipe section of about.com which has 80 vegetable antipasti-appetizer recipes! I like a mix of yellow, red, orange and green peppers to make a colourful presentation. Ingredients: For the peppers:
For the sauce:
Preparation: Cut the roasted peppers into strips of the same width, and peel them. Neapolitan Pan-Sautéed Asparagus-"Asparagi in Cassuola".Cavalcanti, the great 19th century Neapolitan gastronome developed this Neapolitan recipe. To serve 4 you'll need: Ingredients:
Preparation: Wash the asparagus and cook them in bunches, upright in lightly salted boiling water sufficient to reach up to where the stalks shift from white to green, so the bases will be boiled while the tips are steamed. While the asparagus is cooking prepare the remainder: Sauté the prosciutto in the butter or oil with the mint leaves, and when it is cooked keep it warm. When they are cooked (5-8 minutes, or until the tips begin to droop), cut away and discard the white parts, and heat the asparagus through well in the sauce, turning the spears gently to coat them thoroughly. SPRING MEANS ASPARAGUS: A FABULOUS RISOTTO RECIPEThe Riviera is famous for its wonderful array of vegetable dishes. Here's an interesting twist to make a Fabulous asparagus risotto from one of my favourite Riviera chefs, Fausto from Rapallo. He gives one of the best cooking lessons I've ever seen. This comes from his book, "Ogni Volta Che Cucino...Scopro di Avere Un Sacco di Amici"--Every Time I Cook, I Discover I Have Loads of Friends. Stampa Le Mani, Recco, 1997. You'll see why in this recipe! Fresh asparagus is essential for a good result. It can only be prepared when asparagus is in season.
Directions Clean the asparagus, wash it well and boil in salted water. Lift from the water but keep the water. Saute the chopped onion in oil, add the rice and fry slightly. Pour in the white wine and season with salt. Using the water in which the asparagus was cooked, add this gradually to the rice. When the rice is almost ready--the grains are still firm--add the tips of the asparagus and finish cooking. Serve hot sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
Meat, Fish & Chicken DishesPollo alla Romana Con I Peperoni—Roman Chicken With Peppers from The Food of Rome and Lazio: History, Folklore and Recipes, Oretta Zanini de Vita, Alphabyte Books, 1994, page 67.Ingredients
Preparation Saute the prosciutto in a skillet in 2 tablespoons olive oil, add the chicken, and cook it uniformly. Continue cooking over a lively flame, moistening with the wine. Cut the sweet peppers into strips and roast them in the skillet with the oil and remaining garlic. When both chicken and peppers are done, combine them, mix well, and serve. The peppers may be omitted and the dish will still be authentically Roman.
Oven Baked Fish Bourgeois StyleThis recipes is from "A Passion for Piedmont" by Matt Kramer, page 63. Kramer says "It is an old, and still wonderful, dish much fancied by upper-middle-class Piedmontese in the late 1800s. Here, white sauce (besciamella or bechamel) comes into play, flavoured with finely chopped Italian parsley. Only in Piedmont do you still come across this sort of rich, simple goodness. Any sort of firm-fleshed white fish, such as halibut, bass, Chilean sea bass, or flounder, works perfectly for this dish." Ingredients
For the sauce:
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Preparation Place the fish in a saucepan just large enough to hold it. Add enough milk to just barely cover the fish. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat so the milk barely simmers. Poach in the simmering milk until the fish is very firm and bright white, about 10 minutes per inch thickness of the fish. Remove the fish from the pan and set aside to drain. Reserve the poaching milk for making the white sauce. To make the sauce, place a heavy-bottomed medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the butter and, when melted, whisk in the flour. Whisk constantly for 3 minutes to allow the flour to fully absorb the butter. Then, whisking constantly, dribble in the milk to create the white sauce. It should be thick, but not gluey. (The amount of milk added determines the consistency.) Remove the sauce from the heat. Whisk in the garlic, capers, and parsley and season with pepper and nutmeg. Place the poached fish in a baking pan. Spoon all of the sauce over the fish. Bake, uncovered, until the sauce begins to bubble slightly, about 8 minutes. Serve immediately. Grilled veal chops & radicchio with lemon-caper sauce.From epicurious.com/bonappetit/menus/vday_07
Preparation Whisk 3 tablespoons olive oil and next 5 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or heat heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush veal chops with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place veal chops on grill or in skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium. Transfer to platter. Brush radicchio lightly with some of sauce. Place leaves on grill or in batches in skillet and cook just until slightly wilted but not brown, pressing lightly to flatten, about 45 seconds to 1 minute per side. Divide radicchio and veal chops between plates. Spoon sauce over and serve. Makes 2 servings. Pesce alla Ligure Fish Ligurian StyleThis recipe comes from my favourite book on Riviera recipes and food culture, Fred Plotkin's "Recipes from Paradise: Life and Food on the Italian Riviera" published by Little, Brown & Co, 1997, on page 325. Liguria is one of Italy 's 20 regions, starting at the French border and following the sea down to Tuscany . Fred lives part of the year in Camogli. This is a simple but always delicious preparation that relies on the freshness of fish being used. Choices of fish are orato (gilthead), branzino (sea bass), or triglis (red mullet). You may also use a small red snapper or another pink or white-fleshed fish that is not too delicate in flavor. Ingredients
Preparation Preheat over to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C. Carefully gut, clean, and scale each fish leaving the head and tail intact. If you choose to, place a little fresh marjoram, tarragon, or rosemary in the cavity of each fish. Then place the fish in a baking dish large enough so that the fish fit in snugly but without pressing up against the sides or against one another. Combine the wine and oil in a bowl or measuring cup and then pour this mixture over the fish. Add the olives and optional salt to the liquid. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily at the touch of a fork. When the fish is cooked, toss on the garlic and parsley and serve the fish on a plate to which the olives and some cooking liquid have been added. Want to add some spice to your sole?Here is Chef Valentino's recipe, Fillet of Sole with Spicy Broccoli Rabe, from "San Domenico of Imola", Rizzoli, Milan, 1997, page 105. Fillet of Sole with Spicy Broccoli Rabe
In a large pan heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and chilli pepper and saute over low heat until the garlic is golden, about 3 minutes. Remove the garlic and chilli pepper. Add the broccoli with the hot water and, stirring occasionally, cook about 10 minutes. In the pan, divide the broccoli into four mounds. Arrange four sole fillets over each mound and sprinkle with the chopped parsley and a few drops of oil. Cover the pan and allow to cook about 10 minutes. Using a wide spatula, transfer the mounds to four plates. Check the seasoning of the small amount of cooking liquid left and spoon it over the sole. Serve immediately. Seafood Ragufrom Italian Cooking and Living Magazine, July 2001, page 53.
Directions: Wash the mussels thoroughly. Pull off the beards with a knife. Rinse the clams. Place the mussels and clams in a bowl. Add water to cover and stir in 2 tablespoons salt. Soak 30 minutes. Drain and rinse. Place the mussels and clams in a 12 inch saute pan over medium heat with 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook until mussels and clams open, about 10 minutes. Discard any unopened ones. Remove the mussels and clams. Strain the cooking juices through a filter-lined sieve, set aside. Shell the mussels and clams. King Prawns with Mint and BasilFrom Paolo Monti, our comical and very hospitable chef friend at Grand Hotel Portovenere in Portovenere, Italy
Directions Grill or fry the prawns in very little olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on the plate. In a separate pan fry lightly the crushed fennel seeds, add crushed garlic, tomato and saffron. Cook 2 to 3 minutes. Splash with white wine. Partially evaporate. Add equal quantities of basil and mint, saute and pour over the prawns. This sauce is also suitable for any boneless white fish filet and swordfish. Turkey Breast Filets with Bell Peppers & Black Olives
Saute the sliced turkey in the butter. Meantime, saute the onion in another pot in a drop of oil, together with the peppers and olives. Cover the pot and simmer the greens for at least 20 minutes. After 10 minutes add the turkey and the wine, leaving the lid ajar. When the wine is almost completely evaporated, check seasoning, stir the meat, cook for a few minutes more and serve. Serves 6. Rotolo di manzo (Stuffed Beef Roll)This recipe is from a wine bar and restaurant in Florence, Italy with cooking, wine and Italian language experiences all in one place. See number 39 on the list of "who, what, when, where, how much" summaries. Ingredients:
Directions With a sharp knife, carefully butterfly cut the slice of meat horizontally so that it doubles in size. Or ask the butcher to do this for you. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and make a large, thin omelet by cooking in a large frying pan with a little butter. Wash the spinach and quickly blanch in salted boiling water. Drain well and squeeze out the excess water. On your working surface, lay the slice of meat open and season with salt and pepper, place the omlette on top - trim if necessary - then the slices of mortadella and finally the spinach. Roll up the meat and tie with kitchen string. In a large casserole pan, heat the oil and quickly sear the meat roll on all sides over fairly high heat. When evenly browned, added the wine, let it evaporate a little, turn the heat down to medium, add salt, and cook for about 5 minutes. Cover and continue cooking for another 15 to 20 minutes turning the meat 2 or 3 times. Stuffed Butternut Squash with Zucchini Chips Ingredients
Preparation • Preheat oven to 200 C/ 400 F. • Cut each butternut squash in half and scoop out seeds and discard. Then scoop out the flesh and reserve it. Blanch the squash shells in simmering salted water for 5-7 minutes until they are al dente. Drain, cover, and leave to cool. • To make the filling, finely chop the scooped out flesh of the squash and place in a medium bowl with the onions, chopped zucchini, and garlic. Heat a pan with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and add to the vegetables. Cook gently for about 5 minutes. When cooked, set aside and leave to cool. • Turn the oven down to low (250 F), so the stuffed squash will cook at a falling temperature. • Add the ricotta and the herbs to the cooled squash mixture and season generously with salt and pepper. • To serve, place each squash on a plate, garnish with the arugola salad and Parmesan cheese, and season to taste. Arrange the crispy zucchini skins, inserting some of them in to the top of the stuffed squash for dramatic effect and placing more around the plate. DessertsA Classic Tuscan Dessert Made EasyTuscan Chef Pino Luongo makes cooking easy with his short list of ingredients and few steps. Here's his recipe for Schiacciata con L'Uva that you see in Tuscan bakeries everywhere from his book, A Tuscan in the Kitchen, page 230. It's so easy I might even make it! Schiacciata con L'Uva—Grape Tart Grape Tart olive oil Preparation Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Roll out half the dough and lay it in the bottom of an oiled, 1 inch deep tart pan. Place a single layer of grapes on the crust and fill in any extra spaces with extra grapes. Roll out the remaining dough and lay it on top of the tart. Brush a little olive oil on the top of the crust and sprinkle with sugar. Place in the oven and bake for about half an hour. When the crust looks crisp and light brown, it's done. Let cool to room temperature before serving. Pasta Frolla--Dough for Pies and Tarts 2 cups pastry flour Make a crater in the flour and in the centre add all the other ingredients. Mix well. Work the dough until it is the consistency of paste, but a bit firmer and very smooth. Don't worry if it sticks to the bottom of the table; just add a bit more flour as needed until not sticky. Divide the dough in two equal parts and roll out each half to a circle 1/8 inch thick—one for the bottom crust and one for the top. This dough can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated. Buon appetito!
A Simple, Delicious Lemon Recipe Fabulous Lemon Semifreddo RecipeA friend loves anything with lemon in it and so do I, so when I invited her over for her birthday dinner, I searched the Net for a semifreddo with lemon. On epicurious.com I found this heavenly desert recipe! I doubled the amount of lemon peel. I used normal white sugar. I substituted a good splash of limoncello, the Italian lemon liqueur, for the raspberry sauce. Divine!! Easy to make too! Serves 8-10 Ingredients
Preparation Puree raspberries with syrup in a blender. Strain puree into medium bowl. Discard seeds. Cover and chill. May be made 2 days ahead but keep it chilled. Line a 7 to 8 cup loaf pan or other mold with 2 layers of plastic wrap, leaving long overhang. Freeze pan. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Add ¼ cup powdered sugar. Beat until stiff but not dry. Using same beaters, beat whipping cream and remaining ¾ cup powdered sugar in large bowl until peaks form. Fold in lemon peel and cinnamon. Fold large spoonful of cream mixture into whites, then fold whites back into cream in 2 additions. Fold in cup of amaretti. Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap overhang and then foil. Freeze at least 4 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead, but keep frozen.) Remove foil and open plastic. Turn semifreddo on to a platter. Remove pan. Peel off plastic.
Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup amaretti. Chocolate Zabaglionefrom Kitty at recipezaar.com where you'll see 105 Italian chocolate recipes! This is good chocolate variation of a simple dessert recipe for Valentine's Day. Ingredients
Preparation Half fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to the simmering point. Place the egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl and whisk until the mixture is pale and all the sugar is dissolved. Add the cocoa and Marsala . Place the bowl over the simmering water. Whisk until the consistency of the mixture is smooth, thick and frothy. Pour quickly into tall heatproof glasses, dust lightly with cocoa or confectioner's sugar, serve immediately with almond cookies. Pears With Chocolate Sauce and More From PiedmontAs well as pears and chocolate, this recipe calls for espresso coffee, cinammon, lemon and hazelnuts (Piedmont is famous for hazelnuts). Yummmmy!!
Directions Toast the shelled hazelnuts on a baking sheet until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Rub off the papery skins and let cool completely. Coarsely chop and set aside. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Add the lemon juice and cinnamon and let boil, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Carefully lower the pears into the sugar syrup, reduce the heat to medium, and poach until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the pears and let cool completely. ( If desired, save the syrup for another dessert.) To make the chocolate sauce, combine the coffee and cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the chocolate and butter, stirring continuously. When the chocolate sauce is completely melted and smooth, set aside until needed. The sauce should be served hot, so either keep warm or reheat over low heat just before serving, stirring until smooth. To serve, slice the pears in half lengthwise. Scoop out the cores. Slice each pear half into four lengthwise slices and fan out the slices on individual serving plates. Spoon one quarter of the hot chocolate sauce around each serving, with a little of the sauce covering part of the pear slices. Sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts and serve immediately, while the sauce is still warm.
Warm Chocolate Cake with Caramelized BananasYou'll impress your friends with this one from San Domenico in Imola, near Bologna, one of Italy's top restaurants. Book is "San Domenico of Imola", Rizzoli, 1997, page 149. You can dine here with me on our Food Lovers' Adventure in Bologna's Countryside Sep 7-13, 2003. Buon appetito! For the cake:
For the profiterole sauce:
Directions for the cake: In a small pan combine the chocolate and the melted butter. Melt the chocolate over low heat. Remove from the heat. Cut the banana into thin slices. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a non-stick pan. Add the sliced banana, sprinkle with sugar and cook over medium heat until caramelized. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. In a bowl, whisk the eggs until pale and light. Still whisking, add the sugar and flour. Fold in the chocolate and butter mixture, then carefully stir in the sauteed bananas. Lightly butter four ramekins or small aluminum foil containers, sprinkle with flour. Add batter until they are 3/4 full. Transfer to a preheated oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Turn out the cakes onto four plates and serve warm with profiterole sauce. Directions for the sauce: In a saucepan combine the sugar and water. Bring to the boil over low heat. Stir in the cocoa and return to the boil. Stir in the cream and return to the boil. As soon as the sauce starts to boil, remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Leave to cool and refrigerate. The sauce is ready. White Chocolate Delightfrom Roberto Rossi at Ristorante Il Silene, Localita Pescina, in Seggiano, Tuscany, Italy
Directions: Put the white chocolate in a pot double boiler style, or in a dish in hot water to melt. Whip the cream stiff and put it in the fridge. Beat up the egg yolks with the sugar and add the melted white chocolate. Mix it all together so it is homogeneous. Soften the gelatin sheets in cold water, melt them in a frying pan, add the above mixture and mix. At the end add the stiff whipped cream, folding it in from bottom to top to get a frothy mixture. Pour into moulds and put in the fridge for 2 or 3 hours. From Mama Margaret & Friends Cooking, Wine & Walking Adventure Tour in Tuscany's Brunello Wine Country Ricciarelli (Sienese Almond Cookies)from Judy Witts of Divina Cucina at divinacucina.com in Florence, Italy Judy says these diamond shaped cookies are shaped like the almond eyes of the madonnas of Renaissance painters.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Directions Grind the almonds. (Judy uses a nut grinder and likes the Zylos one). Add the powdered sugar. Combine the baking powder with the flour and fold in. Beat the egg whites until stiff and mix into the almond mixture. Add the almond extract and blend until you have a soft paste. Place some powdered sugar on a clean, dry surface. Form one tablespoon of dough into a small ball, roll in the sugar, and then form on traditional diamond shape, flattening the cookie with the palm of your hand. Place the cookies on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden. Ricciarelli are fabulous with tiny cubes of candied orange peel rolled into them and dipped in chocolate. Makes about 16 cookies. Baked Pears in White WineServes 6
Directions Combine the sugar, wine, cloves and cinammon in a covered, non reactive casserole in which all the pears can be arranged standing upright. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add the pears, standing them up. Cook covered over low heat until the pears are tender, about 40 minutes. The liquid should have reduced considerably and started to carmelize. Remove the pears from the pot and reduce the liquid to a syrup over high heat. Pour the syrup over the pears and serve lukewarm or at room temperature. From Matt Kramer's, "Passion for Piedmont", William Morrow, 1997, page 277. Sadly out of print! Sweet Ricotta Mousse wtih Macerated Berriesfrom Italian Cooking and Living Magazine, April 2001, page 31. For the mousse:
For the berries:
To garnish, 6 mint sprigs. Directions: For the mousse, place the ricotta in a bowl. Using a whisk beat in the sugar nad grated orange peel until perfectly smooth. Cover and refrigerate until needed, up to 12 hours. For the berries, rinse the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries under a very light spray of water, and shake dry in a colander. Hull the strawberries and cut them into halves if they are small, or quarters if they are large. Combine the berries and sugar in a bowl, toss gently to coat. Pour on the liqueur, set aside 30 minutes (up to 2 hours) to develop the flavour. When you are ready to serve, spoon the ricotta mousse into 12 small glass goblets or dessert bowls. Using a slotted spoon, top with the berries. There should be just a touch of the macerating liquid in each goblet. Garnish each with a mint sprig and serve. I love berry juices so I poured it all on! No slotted spoons for me. Is that quick n easy, or what? It's heavenly!! An Italian Recipe Site for Chocolate Dessert LoversLove chocolate biscotti, cake, mousse, tiramisu, cookies, semifreddo all'Italiana? You'll love the 56 Italian chocolate dessert recipes at recipezaar.com Enjoy, enjoy! Buon appetito! Bicerin: A Coffee and Chocolate Treat from Turin's Traditional CafesHere's a decadent way to enjoy your morning shot of espresso-and perhaps a romantic one for the Sunday morning before Valentine's Day. Easy to make too! From "A Passion for Piedmont" by Matt Kramer, William Morrow & Company, 1997, page 262. In Turin, the capital of Piedmont, in the morning or early afternoon, in the elegant, turn of the century cafes, you'll see people drinking Bicerin in little glasses inside a metal cup holder. In the Piedmontese dialect Bicerin means "little glass". It's been a fond tradition in Turin since the 1700s. Serves 4 to 6.
In a small, heavy bottomed sauce pan, heat the milk very hot, but do not let it boil. Slowly add the grated chocolate to the coffee, whisking constantly to ensure it's fully blended. Whisk in the sugar. Finally, add the hot milk. Check for sweetness and modify as desired. Serve hot. Tasty dessert for Olympic Times--"Coppa Torino"- Turin CupThis chestnut trifle was invented in Turin in the 19 th century and is traditionally served in individual champagne glasses. It comes from "Flavours of Italy: Piedmont ", by Dettore and Ganugi, Time Life Books, 1999, page 117 For the Confectioner's Custard:
To prepare the confectioner's custard, place the egg yolks, sugar, flour, lemon peel, and salt in a small saucepan. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until they are pale and creamy. Add the boiling milk in a very thin stream, while stirring continuously. Place over a very low heat and continue stirring until the custard thickens; this will take only a few minutes. Do not let it boil or it will curdle. Remove from the heat and leave to cool, stirring at intervals to prevent a skin forming. If preparing the custard well in advance, cover with a piece of plastic wrap, resting it on the surface of the custard. Place a slice of sponge cake in the bottom of each glass or dish. Sprinkle with the rum diluted with 2-3 tablespoons of water. Cover with a 3/4 in/2 cm thick layer of cool confectioner's custard. Sprinkle with the pieces of marrons glaces and top with whipped cream, drawn into peaks. Decorate each serving with a candied cherry and serve. Pesche Ripiene-Stuffed PeachesYou'll find this recipe all over Italy in the summer, from Piedmont where they use Moscato wine to Sicily where they use sweet Marsala. I got this recipe in 1995 when I enjoyed Tasting Places' great cooking tour in south west Sicily and have made it every summer since. I've added some tips of my own. Serves 6
Directions Pre-heat the oven to 375 F/ 190 C. Arrange the peaches in an oven proof dish. Fill all the peaches evenly with the mixture. Surround with the rest of the wine. Cover loosely with foil and bake until tender, about 30 minutes, basting occasionally. Remove the foil and raise the heat of the oven for a few minutes to make the tops of the peaches slightly crisp. Serve hot or cold. I like to serve them at room temperature on a warm summer night, so you can really taste them. Panforte from mangiabenepasta.com(Serves 8-10)
Directions Finely chop the almonds and walnuts. You can do this in a food processor, but do not allow to form a paste. Transfer the nuts to a large bowl. Add the orange and lemon peel, ½ tsp. of cinnamon, coriander, and pepper. Mix until well blended. Stir in ½ cup of flour. Set aside. Heat the honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the 5 TB. of sugar and stir until it is incorporated. Do not boil. Transfer the honey to the bowl with the nuts, mix well but gently. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.(about 180 degrees C). Grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch tart pan and line the bottom with waxed paper. Spoon the batter into the pan. Combine the remaining flour and cinnamon and sift evenly over the top. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the panforte from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap in foil to store. Panforte is best eaten at least a week after it has been baked. Before serving, combine the confectioners sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Zabaione al Barolo--Zabaglione with Barolofrom Piedmont, Italy, Serves 6 to 8
Directions Place the egg yolks, wine and sugar in the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water (not boiling or you'll set the eggs) or in a heavy-bottomed, non reactive, copper lined saucepan set over very low heat. Whisk constantly until the zabaione is fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately in glasses or shallow bowls, accompanied with plain cookies. Note: This variation employs Piedmont's famous Barolo or Barbaresco wine. For once, it really pays to use the real thing, as the flavour of the wine does shine through. From Matt Kramer's, "Passion for Piedmont", William Morrow, 1997, page 273. Sadly out of print! Almond Nougat--Torrone--Semifreddofrom myrecipes.com and originally from Sunset Magazine, December 2007
Preparation 1. Set a bowl of ice water near the stove. Put the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. With a whisk or electric mixer, beat until thick and pale yellow, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the hot milk. Pour the mixture into a 1 to 2 quart. saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it's thick enough to coat a metal spoon and reaches about 165° F on an instant-read thermometer, 4 to 5 minutes. 6. For the chocolate sauce: In a small saucepan, bring remaining 1/2 cup cream to a simmer. Put the 1/4 lb. chocolate in a bowl and pour hot cream over it. Let stand until chocolate is softened, about 3 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Enjoy! Buon viaggio! Buon Appetito! 
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