tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350443302024-03-14T07:42:17.617+00:00Italian eats in Canary WharfWalking into my Italian kitchen in SE LondonFrancesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-67504552663073129302007-04-04T08:50:00.000+00:002007-04-06T07:14:57.457+00:00TortanoI'm back, once again, with a savory bread for Easter. In Campania there are basically two savory breads for Pasqua: tortano and casatiello. The main difference between the two is that to qualify as a casatiello the bread needs to be decorated with 6 raw eggs on the shell which will be secured on top of the bread before baking with a cross of dough. <br />I have followed the recipe that Maria Letizia published on Gennarino forum, living out not just the eggs on top but also the salame and the pepper in the dough. Salame in cooking is very "napoletano" and I really don't like the taste of cooked salame. In general, I am sorry to say, cucina napoletana is not in my likings, I really find it too heavy and greasy. And I have a strange relationship with pepper, I like spicy food but I am very sensitive to pepper, it spoils the taste of food, for me, I only like it on mussels! <br />Maria Letizia recipe has the peculiarity to spead the lard and give turns to the dough to achieve a semi puff pastry effect. I have seen other recipes where this is not done and in the filling, just to lighten up the dough, apart from grated cheeses, cubed cheese, cracklings and salame there are also boil eggs in wedges evenly distributed on the dough before rolling. <br /><br /><br />You will need <br /><br />600 g of bread flour<br />25 g of fresh cake yeast or 2 and half teaspoons of instant yeast<br />225 g lard (good lard!)<br />1 scanty tablespoon of salt<br />grated pecorino and parmigiano<br />150 g of provolone ( I used a caciocavallo)<br />If you decide to go with Maria Letizia recipe you'll need also 100 g of cubed salame napoletano to add with the cubed cheese, pepper and 6 eggs to secure on top of the bread. <br /><br />Sift the flour add the yeast, 1 tablespoon salt, 50 g of soft lard and enough water to make a soft dough (about 350 g of water, more or less). Let proof in a warm spot until it doubles in bulk <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYIOiqE9GPJoGCFGo8bjJ4vs-IykIOqw8vkB8XX1iLa8nkiPHFiyQkZnPaynknpK42kXxpoHn_Hc6Iks7T0uqnqUDLq_XJOQdTjK9Uk_Oa-wSHIe70lA5zHRckKXamvRj0d47/s1600-h/tort1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYIOiqE9GPJoGCFGo8bjJ4vs-IykIOqw8vkB8XX1iLa8nkiPHFiyQkZnPaynknpK42kXxpoHn_Hc6Iks7T0uqnqUDLq_XJOQdTjK9Uk_Oa-wSHIe70lA5zHRckKXamvRj0d47/s320/tort1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5049504083554057842" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I rolled out the dough to 1 cm thickness and spread 1/4 of the remaining lard with a spatula, sprinkle with grated pecorino and parmigiano. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8L2AmfMc6A3B0YXwgSlhFairk5GYAjJSmQqw5fVJzUUrz3bpbuVy2n96eXrqjAyWqjkvoeGh7T82cZ2aIYt6DKk7sW4ErmyXCxDGcMkRtAqVpFYcoCUfv-zNP0sGeqY9SyDg/s1600-h/tort2better.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8L2AmfMc6A3B0YXwgSlhFairk5GYAjJSmQqw5fVJzUUrz3bpbuVy2n96eXrqjAyWqjkvoeGh7T82cZ2aIYt6DKk7sW4ErmyXCxDGcMkRtAqVpFYcoCUfv-zNP0sGeqY9SyDg/s320/tort2better.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5049505518073134722" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I folded the dough in 3, like for puff pastry and let rest 20-30 minutes in the fridge. And you basically keep rolling the dough and folding until the lard it is used up, I manage in four times. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpn_cnARNT9XFiCWjrvdmJ9QoqrF-KD3w2z-_-rGUEjVPLkqySKBpptBwLVUkNUzipBzvsnssACGCkJfUpdzD9rPWfUJecintCgT8RlfGzJ15LP0qaSuzaD1gQ7IDwAIRpF0M0/s1600-h/tort3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpn_cnARNT9XFiCWjrvdmJ9QoqrF-KD3w2z-_-rGUEjVPLkqySKBpptBwLVUkNUzipBzvsnssACGCkJfUpdzD9rPWfUJecintCgT8RlfGzJ15LP0qaSuzaD1gQ7IDwAIRpF0M0/s320/tort3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5049506024879275666" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />When you roll the dough out the 4th time, after spreading the lard, distribute on top the cubed cheese. And roll up tightly starting from the longer side. <br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_09te9bxweU5GpA-wJgXD77Tih3qCz20Uh5FtqKa7lqgbgR0LHmzCJ2gxbumZOSBSqqwLhMz9wRDtTVIq2xhSRetwvEJzuZiuHeksq0Ntyl2y476VW9epuZiQ6R4klM1aR1UL/s1600-h/tort4.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_09te9bxweU5GpA-wJgXD77Tih3qCz20Uh5FtqKa7lqgbgR0LHmzCJ2gxbumZOSBSqqwLhMz9wRDtTVIq2xhSRetwvEJzuZiuHeksq0Ntyl2y476VW9epuZiQ6R4klM1aR1UL/s320/tort4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5049506806563323554" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Lenghten the roll to fit a 26 cm diameter (measured on top) tubed pan. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7NKUwotV6LqPfoIO-K4e6qjaALe0V_9EwyBB7IAj_lHvzxhnBYG25RxmSwokPUL1Z7WZhGj8ntoffjehQvha4iPwDl4ZNMcMYilZsKbsgdTJ0_tTqIiU8NHycREl_VC4IiKi/s1600-h/tort5.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7NKUwotV6LqPfoIO-K4e6qjaALe0V_9EwyBB7IAj_lHvzxhnBYG25RxmSwokPUL1Z7WZhGj8ntoffjehQvha4iPwDl4ZNMcMYilZsKbsgdTJ0_tTqIiU8NHycREl_VC4IiKi/s320/tort5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5049507979089395394" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Let proof until it reaches the top of the mold. Brush with egg wash and bake in a preaheated oven at 180 C. Covering it with aluminum if it gets dark too quickly. It with take about 50 minutes, test the doness with a long skewer. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSO722w_GOCj1RusmaXxT2HFQsL4BBiCciLOMXt_FH_2rcqnBm5QtFJu1Uu4xPDewQKRrPEQCCpNwEqUTBM59PtDn6GoB2gGO8pqk1SZ5QPi2p6B6n3MGxtP4V9TYYuGB7AXn/s1600-h/tort6.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSO722w_GOCj1RusmaXxT2HFQsL4BBiCciLOMXt_FH_2rcqnBm5QtFJu1Uu4xPDewQKRrPEQCCpNwEqUTBM59PtDn6GoB2gGO8pqk1SZ5QPi2p6B6n3MGxtP4V9TYYuGB7AXn/s320/tort6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5049507790110834354" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Let cool 5 minutes before unmolding and completly cool on a wrack before slicing. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhztcjBFP_at8FBcEkeKTfYIdh0jNHUzwzUMIO30feR00YMK_pRpuq_NTthayIA5u0fZ3TSGZ86r_ctcKvmzckRhFW2thJIwizS3vu69_iGegFTCHY-VgrbwWHoXcUtFfi6Bo/s1600-h/tort7.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhztcjBFP_at8FBcEkeKTfYIdh0jNHUzwzUMIO30feR00YMK_pRpuq_NTthayIA5u0fZ3TSGZ86r_ctcKvmzckRhFW2thJIwizS3vu69_iGegFTCHY-VgrbwWHoXcUtFfi6Bo/s320/tort7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5049509117255728850" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here how it come out<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzeXaRyx48Pglq4JzGv-Oi-jwnlOcXIPBvx1h3Rdwu_xLXIhKoePmyD4uv612WfZk_hviDyyj2Divrd35SdcbsvVL2eMEM0vfR4ToilRSKz0paw0Feavu80RZ0yw6KwdibEhm/s1600-h/tort10.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzeXaRyx48Pglq4JzGv-Oi-jwnlOcXIPBvx1h3Rdwu_xLXIhKoePmyD4uv612WfZk_hviDyyj2Divrd35SdcbsvVL2eMEM0vfR4ToilRSKz0paw0Feavu80RZ0yw6KwdibEhm/s320/tort10.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5049509628356837090" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />My impressions: the crust if really flaky, like for puff pastry, the crumb is really tender, soft, very good. But it is very, very rich. I tried it for the sake of trying a traditional food but to my taste is not something I could eat every day.Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-42025353866644359422007-03-21T10:23:00.000+00:002007-03-21T22:50:47.981+00:00Pizza al formaggio di PasquaThis year I decided to go on the Easter sweat and savory bread marathon. I finally succeed in getting a good pizza al formaggio. This cheese bread is very common in Umbria and Marche. I think something similar is also baked in Abruzzi (fiadone) and in Toscana (ciaccia, in Val D'Orcia with saffron and mixed spices). From what I read, this bread is called torta al formaggio in Umbria it's slightly denser in texture and traditionally without cubed cheese in it, just a mix of grated pecorino and parmigiano, in Marche it is called pizza al formaggio or crescia di Pasqua, it has more open crumbs and pieces of cheese which give the distinctive eyes to the crumb. <br /><br />I think the recipe I come out with it closer to the marchigiana version. I didn't have the proper mold, which would be a tall tin cake mold with a bigger diameter at the top (kind of a charlotte mold) so I used a regular cakes spring form 20 cm in diameter with a parchment paper collar. For a 20 cm diameter mold I noticed that the amount of flour I should use it's in the range of the 350 g flour. As a preamble I should also add that as starter I have been using a biga which I have been refreshing daily for the last 20 days, it not like a stiff wild starter but it's working fine. If you don't have a wild starter, or a biga like mine sitting in your kitchen, you could make 12 hours before a "biga" starter mixing about 50 g strong flour and 30 g water and the tip of a knife of yeast, and let it proof covered at room temperature overnight<br /><br />330 g strong bread flour (the one I used had a 12,9% protein content) <br />80 g biga refreshed daily (or at least a 12 hour biga)<br />70 g grated cheese grana or parmigiano and pecorino <br />65 g of emmental cheese (or better a young pecorino) cubed<br />2 whole eggs<br />1 yolk<br />30 g lard (if you don't have it make a mix of butter and oil)<br />15 g oil<br />25 g butter <br />1/2 teaspoon salt <br />1/2 teaspoon Saf Gold or other yeast (if you use fresh caked yeast about 10 g)<br /><br />I kneaded the biga in chunks with 80 g of flour and enough water to make a medium soft dough. Left to double in bulk (it took about 2 and half hours). Meanwhile I beated the eggs and the yolk with the grated cheeses and the salt. Left to rest at room temperature. I soften the butter and lard and mixed with the oil. <br />Once the dough was doubled in bulk I put it in the stand mixer in chunks with the remaining flour, the egg mixture, the fats and the yeast, I had to add more water, sorry I didn't measure. When it was almost ready I added to the running machine the cheese in cubes. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7b3q0SAFKxvb0TqcIkOjiOBEKIetXVvOYh4ku7yYrxO1dnZjJt3FyBrDxOKfYyfVEuSpOMBGrzBwdKioQ5gDPG_vJXCQkz2OlCO5TYrFMDPdx_zjyARQ-VzpKVqNTZ0poIJst/s1600-h/pizza+impasto+bene.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7b3q0SAFKxvb0TqcIkOjiOBEKIetXVvOYh4ku7yYrxO1dnZjJt3FyBrDxOKfYyfVEuSpOMBGrzBwdKioQ5gDPG_vJXCQkz2OlCO5TYrFMDPdx_zjyARQ-VzpKVqNTZ0poIJst/s320/pizza+impasto+bene.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044400021238436786" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />As I previously said I used a regular spring form, buttered and reinforced with a parchment collar. The dough before rising was a little less the half of the height of the mold. <br />I covered loosely with wrap and let it proof in a warm place until it reached the rim of the mold. It took 6 hours.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnf2suLhD-vfGsuJ54AFJNAwnrXyO5i7BkPCUetr2umoX5Y03pJ5CahMCzsP9PNW569HJg-SDFAZkkfJBxA22hznYObNmu_KdXpkEja1xs69tbZSp93bWb8bOukUnozwfvUASj/s1600-h/lievitata.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnf2suLhD-vfGsuJ54AFJNAwnrXyO5i7BkPCUetr2umoX5Y03pJ5CahMCzsP9PNW569HJg-SDFAZkkfJBxA22hznYObNmu_KdXpkEja1xs69tbZSp93bWb8bOukUnozwfvUASj/s320/lievitata.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044400029828371394" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> I covered it looosely with foil and baked in a preheated oven at 170 C with vent (I don't have a static option) after 30 minutes I uncovered and let it cook and get a nice golden color about other 15 minutes. I tested the cooking with a long skewers. Let cool on a rack. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTKzXg_dwbIJfiNa1wxn9xeOqt72xLTeb1RPKDFesiHEdv2CqL3zL83n2n3HFkLGnZok5kypobrhugrJBy7AGoF_Prl3imFrfM-CY08ZsyyneCBaXnnyubxvP5nDfNuqrNeg3/s1600-h/pizza2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTKzXg_dwbIJfiNa1wxn9xeOqt72xLTeb1RPKDFesiHEdv2CqL3zL83n2n3HFkLGnZok5kypobrhugrJBy7AGoF_Prl3imFrfM-CY08ZsyyneCBaXnnyubxvP5nDfNuqrNeg3/s320/pizza2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044402817262146514" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It is usually eaten on Easter with salumi or by its own. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TOw_H3-MZylcGBYnH35xebvbSTjLq1bKEZHHa3Wx3Q63KWfHssrEe27-nC39Om-xHaNOeQzfToXEeK_UuFwEm1Hd-Yp2tywknogbZW-0BucVWxGhOu0JS9oj0zKDhm9R0AtD/s1600-h/pizza3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TOw_H3-MZylcGBYnH35xebvbSTjLq1bKEZHHa3Wx3Q63KWfHssrEe27-nC39Om-xHaNOeQzfToXEeK_UuFwEm1Hd-Yp2tywknogbZW-0BucVWxGhOu0JS9oj0zKDhm9R0AtD/s320/pizza3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044402821557113826" /></a>Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-22760930849842360792007-03-15T09:32:00.000+00:002007-03-21T15:53:53.240+00:00Pizza dolce di Pasqua from Pesaro<a href="http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/9468/interaji9.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/9468/interaji9.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Another sweat bread for Easter. This recipe is from Pesaro in the Marche region. I saved this recipe quite a few years ago from the forum of la Cucina Italiana, posted by Gisellla Mancini. I scaled down the recipe a little bit to adjust it to my limited consumption. <br />Gisella explains that traditionally the fat used was lard, she usually prepares it on Good Friday to be eaten for Pasqua. <br /><br /><br />330 g of flour (I used one with 9.5 protein contempt)<br />2 large eggs<br />50 g of old dough (or make a "biga" starter the night before with some flour water and the very tip of a knife of yeast)<br />70 ml milk<br />1 and 3/4 of a teaspoon of instant yeast (I use Saf gold, but you can use 15 g of fresh cake yeast)<br />1/3 of a glass wine of dry marsala<br />lemon zest<br />25-30 g of rasins<br />25-30 g of chopped candied fruit (optional)<br />70 g of coarsely chopped walnuts<br />100 g sugar<br />50 g of extra virgin oil<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br /><br />Gisella didn't give many directions on the execution. I basically sifted the flour, added the instant yeast, salt, sugar, the old dough in chunks, all other ingredients exect raisin and walnuts in my stand mixer, when the dough roughly combined added the walnuts and raisin. It's like a dense cake batter. I poured the content in a spring for pan, 20 cm diameter, and, just to be safe, I made a collar with parchment paper. It took maybe 3 hours to get to the rim, it doubled in bulk, I baked it in a preheated oven a 170 C (I have a ventilated oven!), after 10 minutes I covered it to prevent fast browing. It took maybe 40 minutes to be fully cooked, I tested with a long skewer. I let it cool on a grate and waited one day to cut it. <br /><br /><a href="http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/1095/fettame3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/1095/fettame3.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />It tastes more like a cake, than a brioche dough, not too sweet, a very pronounced hint from Marsala, I don't mind it but I would consider cutting it down.<br /><br />Edited to add this: I exchanged some e-mails with Gisella, very likely I misunderstood her directions and I should have been a little more conservative with the liquids, it's more like a soft brioche dough. Maybe next time I will cut a little bit on marsala and add only the milk necessary. To compliment me, Gisella told me that my pizza dolce looks better than hers!Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-4711770596652320652007-03-05T08:32:00.000+00:002007-03-05T09:51:38.635+00:00Tagliatelle con il ragu'I am talking about ragu' alla bolognese. This ragu' is not meant to be cooked with spaghetti! <br /><br />This is something so obvious to me. Any sauce will have a better kind of pasta to go with...the roughness of egg pasta and tagliatelle is the perfect match for this sauce. <br /><br />This is how I make it. <br /><br />First of all I use a very large saute' pan for starting the sauce, in order to sweat and brown all the ingredients properly. <br /><br />I prep a good quantity of onions, carrots and celery. For about 800 g of meat I use 2 medium onions, some amount of carrots and half of the celery, everything in macedoine size (.5 cm). <br />I start sweating the onion with evoo and a knot of butter, as soon as it soften, I add the celery, and after a couple minutes the carrots. I like to add a little bit of minced pancetta. Here, it really makes a difference to use some chicken liver in the ragu'. Clean a couple livers from tough parts and chop with a chef knife. Since the liver has the tendency to tie up to other ingredients, push the vegetables on the side and add the liver in the center of the pan. As soon as it changes color, make sure to break it with the wooden spoon, mix with the other ingredients. <br />Again I push the vegetables on the sides and start browning the meat in the center. I keep my heat on high, make sure I have enough fat to brown the meat. I like a mix of pork and ground beef. If the pan is large enough the meat will not release its own juice. As soon as I see it browning I break with the spoon any lumps and mix it with the other ingredients. I usually start with half of the meat, brown, mix with the vegetagles, put at at sides and keep going with the rest of it. <br /> <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbumU8ouO4QMqrUKRLQI1i8-tN3-8UCuZ2qQdj24KqhwcTMfOoDWXni8dhHxZ4eao3ACG6xqM0l-RFMqAUNQL8YRxt5KB27ARV8ckGKtnrTWwVUk4AR_EH3zhUxEj1eazEXaC/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbumU8ouO4QMqrUKRLQI1i8-tN3-8UCuZ2qQdj24KqhwcTMfOoDWXni8dhHxZ4eao3ACG6xqM0l-RFMqAUNQL8YRxt5KB27ARV8ckGKtnrTWwVUk4AR_EH3zhUxEj1eazEXaC/s320/1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038363631590831842" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />At this poing I add a little bit of tomato paste, like a couple tablespoons and brown. This is something my chef instructor at the FCI used to do and I kept the habit: he tought that browing the tomato paste will avoid the metallic taste that often this industrial tomato paste has. Then I deglaze with red wine (warm), making sure to scrape all the "sucs" from the bottom of the pan. I would add something like 400 ml of hot whole milk, a little at a time, more or less dipends if I feel I need more. When it looks nice and creamy, I pour the sauce in a taller pot, I add a big can of peeled tomatoes (whick I usually crush by hand), if I feel I need the sauce to be a little more runny I add some hot water. I add some coarse salt and a bay leaf. I bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 hours<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xWLmzqFEAmj7OgPJwfynq4gM6mf80mGvraXvni4HfYkFPFh3cPncZemajgQl0kHwcgwVKKk94paK9mnqhdAhmJFf3fGdnanSWxm6BoaCguVtZSZhgN54bngwkI2KXtHbtQdu/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xWLmzqFEAmj7OgPJwfynq4gM6mf80mGvraXvni4HfYkFPFh3cPncZemajgQl0kHwcgwVKKk94paK9mnqhdAhmJFf3fGdnanSWxm6BoaCguVtZSZhgN54bngwkI2KXtHbtQdu/s320/2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038363635885799154" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />For tagliatelle. <br /><br />Usually there is the rule of 100 g flour to one egg. But I find so much difference in the protein levels of flour that i usually beat the eggs on the side and start adding to the flour the 90% of it. Then I usually wet my hands in the remaining eggs while I am kneaking the dough. Tagliatelle dough, in particular, should feel pretty stiff. <br />I wrap the dough in plastic paper and let rest for half an hour. The most of the times I use the imperia machine to roll my dough. If I find the dough too humid, I will dust it with rice starch or any other starch rather than flour. Let rest the sheet of pasta until it doesn't feel any more humid but not dry to the point it will crumble. It is better to let it rest on a pasta board. Cut in tagliatelle leave to dry a little bit before forming the nests<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DcxX_Yu6I2fYyonaPlp9RPEkKJzrqlzKCBJrcIc-O84xw280Jeo93nkNchB1G2zsWCB4aSfTJ2Ls_zMtW5ekd7CXfiVgtO8Ka0GJYJDJxDK7R5rSXQ3XNNIRkZNQ6pSejRyu/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DcxX_Yu6I2fYyonaPlp9RPEkKJzrqlzKCBJrcIc-O84xw280Jeo93nkNchB1G2zsWCB4aSfTJ2Ls_zMtW5ekd7CXfiVgtO8Ka0GJYJDJxDK7R5rSXQ3XNNIRkZNQ6pSejRyu/s320/3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038363640180766466" /></a>Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-6300899400435063692007-02-26T08:42:00.000+00:002007-03-21T16:00:01.517+00:00Fugazza or Fugassa vicentinaFugazza or fugassa, not to be confused with the ligurian savory focaccia, is not well known as pandoro di Verona. <br />In the past was prepared mainly for Easter, nowadays it is possible to find it in pasticceria at all times. <br /><br />This has been my first attempt to fugassa. It's not as buttery and rich as pandoro but a good breakfast option. I didn't have any vanilla sugar so I boiled a vanilla stick in the water for the initial starter and I really think the vanilla sugar would have been a better choice. Anyway, I am really pleased with the result, not bad at all. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfl3A1L0kKKrOm1V1AwQf4zQJxXBLNDlywvxb_l5V-Aha38ubUkLZkxyHQB1aIwea3mMBBbUkYQ4-65iRzCuJERnkzsDNOtueRFN6TYmo3xQbGMctGctJQAhnWf-YGlGob7bib/s1600-h/2blog.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfl3A1L0kKKrOm1V1AwQf4zQJxXBLNDlywvxb_l5V-Aha38ubUkLZkxyHQB1aIwea3mMBBbUkYQ4-65iRzCuJERnkzsDNOtueRFN6TYmo3xQbGMctGctJQAhnWf-YGlGob7bib/s320/2blog.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035764414023194818" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />You will need<br /><br />380 g of bread flour <br />140 g vanilla sugar<br />90 g butter <br />25 g of fresh cake yeast (or 2 and half teaspoons of instant yeast, I used the gold saf instant)<br />lemon and orange zest (I read that it was used Spumador, a liquor with orange and lemon flavor, impossible for me to find)<br />1 teaspoon salt<br /><br />For topping <br />extra granulated sugar, 10X sugar and almond slices<br /><br />First dough<br />I combined 130 g of flour with 1 and half teaspoons of instant yeast, added enough lukewarm water to make a stiff dough, put to rise in a warm place for half an hour. <br /><br />Second dough<br />Whip one egg with 40 g of vanilla sugar and 30 g of soft butter, add 120 g of flour. In the stand mixer I kneaded this second dough, with the first one, added in chunks. Let rise for 1 and half hours in a warm spot. <br /><br />Third dough<br /><br />Whip one egg with 50 g of vanilla sugar and 30 g of soft butter, add 120 flour. In the mixer incorporate the second dough in chunks fot the third dough. Let rise for 2 and half hours. <br /><br />Fourth dough<br />Mix one teaspoon of instant yeas, 10 g of flour and a little bit of water. Whip one yolk (reserve the white) with 50 g of sugar and 30 g of soft butter, add lemon and orange zest and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the yeast mixture. Incorporate in the mixer the third dough in chunks. Let rise for one hour. <br /><br />Punch down, work the dough a little bit and form a tight ball. Put on a buttered and floured pan, make a dip cross with a sharp knife and surround the dough with a 20 cm ring (I used a spring form pan ring). cover loosely and let proof for about 2 and half to 3 hours. <br /><br />Slightly whip the reserved egg white and brush the top of the dough, dust with granulated sugar and afterwords x10, sprinkle with shaved almonds. I should have used pearl sugar but sometimes I have an hard time to find it, in Italy you can buy in any supermarket. Here I used a coarser sugar than granulated (the kind suggested for jams) and 10 X, it worked fine anyway. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5huLFkN0wwEunXigCMOIBrMdgerN9wBNi1PvXM9j4fIoUDNtm1oS1aohn1Wj8RYgIW997m6eOt_CQSVmSUe2jcnwv2qLjwqXWxImk027mpVdOIs9Syeeg_37pV1iAWRVPmYUX/s1600-h/1eg.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5huLFkN0wwEunXigCMOIBrMdgerN9wBNi1PvXM9j4fIoUDNtm1oS1aohn1Wj8RYgIW997m6eOt_CQSVmSUe2jcnwv2qLjwqXWxImk027mpVdOIs9Syeeg_37pV1iAWRVPmYUX/s320/1eg.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035776401276917986" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Bake in a preheated oven at 180 Celsius for about 40 minutes, cover with foil if it gets too dark. Check the cooking with a long skewer. <br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98LYvmcKaan-DOut4fneez_suZWsYL5X11j0NgpB5ZHtxJpiokHa_o-pQlITiXL9DGMJmPBpKmd2IL47mWIcj8ow49bXc-iPs6U4J0E6qyrTw9NuaQ1Vfgup1m1N8wPOvCrzP/s1600-h/3blog.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98LYvmcKaan-DOut4fneez_suZWsYL5X11j0NgpB5ZHtxJpiokHa_o-pQlITiXL9DGMJmPBpKmd2IL47mWIcj8ow49bXc-iPs6U4J0E6qyrTw9NuaQ1Vfgup1m1N8wPOvCrzP/s320/3blog.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035764418318162130" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Edited to add this: Federica, a friend from an Italian cooking forum, told me that in fact-as I suspected-the fugazza traditionally it's not baked in a mold but it has a round shape. Apart from the shape I still think that this bread tastes really good.Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-7644807127747304772007-02-13T13:52:00.000+00:002007-02-13T14:09:29.301+00:00Riso con la zuccaThis month on Egullet we are talking about food from Veneto. A lot of recipes with rice. <br /><br />I decided to start with risotto con la zucca. I took the inspiration from Oretta Zanini De Vita and her collection of regional recipes. I decided to cook part of the squash in the rice, part saute' in the pan and added to the finish plate for decoration. Look nicer and I like to feel the different consistency of the squash, soft with the rice and and firmer the saute' one. <br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA1KmHja5VI8coZNshka6onsmBsberT3HqMdwgYlqLNhWbjXMBkjvIoluiuq0lX5Mq-xkMxhzKIKts2E429mPKyMhLl7hbQmOiXjoMUxQxbQ_8LWT8HVS2qBkaTPmKNdHT4JYT/s1600-h/Last+Roll+-+1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA1KmHja5VI8coZNshka6onsmBsberT3HqMdwgYlqLNhWbjXMBkjvIoluiuq0lX5Mq-xkMxhzKIKts2E429mPKyMhLl7hbQmOiXjoMUxQxbQ_8LWT8HVS2qBkaTPmKNdHT4JYT/s320/Last+Roll+-+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5031021220713489730" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Sweat some finely chopped white onion with oil and butter (a tablespoon a person) add some small diced squash (I used kabocha since I didn't have the chioggia squash) and the rice (80-100 g) a person, toast the rice for some minutes, it should not get any color, start adding chichen stock and keep stirring, adding more hot stock when the previous have been absorbed. Meanwhile, in a small pan, saute' some more diced squash, adjusting salt at the end. <br />When the rice is almost done add a little bit of chopped parsley and little grana padano. Leave the rice "all'onda", add some butter for "mantecare" and let rest a couple minutes. <br />Plate the risotto and top with some of the saute' squash, if you like dust with a tenuos quantity of cinnamon.Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-13830414007765369792007-02-04T12:22:00.000+00:002007-02-04T12:36:26.327+00:00SanguinaccioBy the name of sanguinaccio is often meant a chocolate cake with pork blood, in Naples it refers to a chocolate cream that nowadays doesn't cointain any blood, only chocolate. It's often served with <a href="http://canarywharfitalian.blogspot.com/2007/02/chiacchiere.html">chiacchiere</a> around Carnevale.<br /> <br />This recipe was posted on the Cucina Italian forum by Lydia Capasso from Naples. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCSQlwZDn6lB8S-_DcUw5trCWuGwYwuoD-sm3NxYaVVEVFefTg5z1HnM0f4B8ljwhf2ZJwwjAr1F-gP9fv8VHbWnh-2sMd11N-0WDBvDux9Uv0vwohwW3utSSln0AErk2Knoe/s1600-h/Library+-+2372.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCSQlwZDn6lB8S-_DcUw5trCWuGwYwuoD-sm3NxYaVVEVFefTg5z1HnM0f4B8ljwhf2ZJwwjAr1F-gP9fv8VHbWnh-2sMd11N-0WDBvDux9Uv0vwohwW3utSSln0AErk2Knoe/s320/Library+-+2372.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5027655537038455378" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />1.1 l milk<br />400g sugar (for my taste is too much I use 260 grams)<br />100g bitter cocoa powder<br />100g bittersweet chocolate<br />75g wheat starch (or cornstarch)<br />2 tablespoons of flour<br />vanilla extract<br />cinammon<br />1 tablespoon of butter<br />dark rum half a small liquor glass<br /><br /><br /><br />Dissolve the starch and the flour with a little bit of cold milk, taken from the total (separately), then pour into a pot, add the sifted cocoa, the remaining milk and the chocolate in pieces, the sugar and butter. Bring to a boil, stirring with a whisk, let cook 5 minutes. I pass it through a chinoise or a tamis, and when lukewarm I add the vanilla and rum. <br /><br />Stir to let cool and then refrigerate.<br /><br />I serve it in small liquor glassed with a dust of white chocolate.Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-75465943746051055612007-02-04T12:04:00.000+00:002007-02-04T12:34:44.992+00:00Chiacchiere<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPLKMrUBtXgD4LH1GbG_94zvTOW940biaGRd4qMjmYz_PghZgHYsfChTwy086Q3MaLiVA6ZY8e7XlYND9wkiT7dO18v2YK0P5_7EC1ETamGe4i1q0ynzUgD0OVFfL4gx3IkSX1/s1600-h/Library+-+2400.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPLKMrUBtXgD4LH1GbG_94zvTOW940biaGRd4qMjmYz_PghZgHYsfChTwy086Q3MaLiVA6ZY8e7XlYND9wkiT7dO18v2YK0P5_7EC1ETamGe4i1q0ynzUgD0OVFfL4gx3IkSX1/s320/Library+-+2400.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5027652036640109122" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Yesterday I had friends over for dinner and I took the chance to make chiacchiere for the year (chi sound in Italian is ki). They are so good an addictive that I only make once a year, in fact they are a classical fried threat for Carnevale. <br /><br />Chiacchiere means chit chats, my idea is because they are crunchy and when you eat them they produce a noise that make you think of chit chatting. The name varies all around Italy, I am not even sure I can recall all of them: bugie, frappe, sfrappe, crostoli, galani, cenci. <br /><br />The recipe I follow was posted by Sergio Salomoni on the Cucina Italiana forum some years ago.<br /><br />500g Flour 00 type (you could use also a AP flour, better with low protein content)<br />50g sugar<br />50g softened butter<br />3 small eggs (or 2 large eggs and 1 yolk)<br />a small glass of grappa (or even white wine, as I did this time)<br />a small glass of dry marsala<br />a pinch of salt<br /><br />I halved the recipe using 1 egg and one yolk and I manage to fry a big tray of chiacchiere<br /><br /><br /><br />Work the ingredients adding the grappa and marsala a little at the time to adjust the necessary liquid content to get to a smooth, pretty stiff dough. Should be like a pasta dough.<br /><br />Let rest covered for one hour. After the resting time, cut and roll the dough with the imperia (or pasta) machine. I like to stop at the third last thickness, or second last of my pasta machine. Some people like it thinner. I do not let dry the sheets of dough but immediately go on cutting and frying.<br /><br />With a serrated pastry wheel I cut rectangles of about 4 inches x 2.5 (10 cm x6 cm) and cut in the middle of each rectangles without getting to the hedges, lengthwise. But you can cut longer and thin strips and tie them, or you can be creative.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKC-OrU9H5d-nsPDQ40QjsOTfRPkoqk_vOnfZ9KpkekTxF2hXn_jQrTuM6640PdzBqkNgLGs6BXpr2c7_uq6fj5OHiA4YaO7eZaao-CyVUX_ppZzfb37rOgiEY-K-ZO5SeCz1/s1600-h/Library+-+2377.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKC-OrU9H5d-nsPDQ40QjsOTfRPkoqk_vOnfZ9KpkekTxF2hXn_jQrTuM6640PdzBqkNgLGs6BXpr2c7_uq6fj5OHiA4YaO7eZaao-CyVUX_ppZzfb37rOgiEY-K-ZO5SeCz1/s320/Library+-+2377.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5027652032345141810" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Deep fry in planty of oil ( I use peanut oil), but many Italians for Carnival, where excesses are permitted, will use lard, because fried stuff come out perfectly dry and not oily. I find that if you do that you need a very good lard, otherwise you'll have an aftertaste.<br /><br />Chiacchiere are very easy to make, you need to be just a little careful in frying, the oil should be hot but not to the point where the chiacchiere will burn as soon as you put them in. So, not french fries temperature, maybe around 160 C. My suggestion is to fry no more then 3 chiacchiere at the time and turn them after few seconds, they should be of a nice golden colour, not dark.<br /><br />Drain them on paper and when they are all done dust with powdered sugar. If you plan to eat them immediately they don't need to be covered, I do only if I want to keep for several days. Do not refrigerate.<br /><br /><br />Before trying them wait until they are cold and powdered with sugar.<br /><br /><br />You can serve with <a href="http://canarywharfitalian.blogspot.com/2007/02/sanguinaccio.html">sanguinaccio</a>, as they do in NaplesFrancesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-60659695119625851062007-01-27T09:13:00.000+00:002007-02-04T13:25:44.020+00:00Baciocca LigureI am very found of savory torte from Liguria. From a search on internet have seen that there are so many versions of baciocca, with or without a "pasta matta" shell, with eggs, with pesto. Pasta matta is a dough made simlpy with flour, some tablespoons of oil, salt and enough water to form a dough. It is left to rest and then stretched very thin, a little bit like a strudel dough (see my recipe for apfelstrudel). <br /><br />This baciocca was posted many years ago by A. Segreti, a lady from Chiavari, on the Cucina Italiana forum. The first time I tried it was because I had some extra cream and I was looking for a simple recipe to finish it up. I really didn't expect to turn out so good. Now, every time I have some extra cream I remember about this baciocca. <br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixaCfrmd4MCciCgqoLx7Ar2S0ZUTk_Y80TBzMPNeUO9EkBk_h4nwHcySTS618sk5-r2FoyDI6YY5Zg6WljPHGTl5o7Mj1NWm_U29fTfQxhNdB-_2eAgvRdfygKxW-lza2vxNVZ/s1600-h/IMG_2235.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixaCfrmd4MCciCgqoLx7Ar2S0ZUTk_Y80TBzMPNeUO9EkBk_h4nwHcySTS618sk5-r2FoyDI6YY5Zg6WljPHGTl5o7Mj1NWm_U29fTfQxhNdB-_2eAgvRdfygKxW-lza2vxNVZ/s320/IMG_2235.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5024644206618210770" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />You will need<br /><br />100 g of flour <br />100 g of very fine cornmeal flour (Italian fioretto or even a the finer flour sold at Indian or middleastern stores)<br />2 onions sliced very thin<br />2 big potatoes sliced very thin <br />a 200 ml heavy or double cream container<br />salt (about 2 teaspoons)<br />enough milk to have a soft dough (or if you don't mind the calories use cream all the way)<br />extra virgin oil<br /><br />Preheat the oven at 180 Celsius. Sift the two flours, add the sliced onions and potatoes, salt, the cream and enough milk to reach a soft consistency. It should hold a spoon if you stick into it but it should be soft enough that you can spread with a spatula. <br />I use for baking a paellera, it's iron so it serves well the purpose but you can bake also in a pizza pan, the baciocca should not be too thick (a finger tall), for this quantity a 26-28 cm pan is fine. Oil the pan, spread the mixture, level it with a spatula and drizzle with oil. Bake for about 45 minutes. I like it warm, served with lardo or other salumi is a great appetizer. <br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyb5X2vNnfC_BQLYoYLT1WlKlHk4ZIxrcvAdhZzFw99vBJTrDD1fQAYd9Oi2ACX9Koh1FJ-Ecfz2OTEFzzO2jLFygwlKvBiuEkMBqM8FrCyq1jTyR14-h-mRpUjizOGLi9loSW/s1600-h/IMG_2239.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyb5X2vNnfC_BQLYoYLT1WlKlHk4ZIxrcvAdhZzFw99vBJTrDD1fQAYd9Oi2ACX9Koh1FJ-Ecfz2OTEFzzO2jLFygwlKvBiuEkMBqM8FrCyq1jTyR14-h-mRpUjizOGLi9loSW/s320/IMG_2239.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5024644206618210786" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A note on the cornmeal. I tried it also with coarser kind of polenta. It doesn't work as well, at least for me, because it requires more attention on the amount of liquid used. If it is not enough the grain will not swell properly and you'll find the grains dry and uncooked.Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-43310705740912086512007-01-23T09:58:00.000+00:002007-01-29T20:43:40.040+00:00Strudel di mele or ApfelstrudelStrudel is also a classic in the German speaking part of Italy, in Trentino Alto Adige. <br /><br />I really like the strudel dough. I discovered that a lot of people are intimidated by this dough. When I was living in NY I was giving cooking classes to my collegues, I realized that the most of them had problems with it. They were too rigid. This dough is something to play around, it's really fun. It works great also for many savory strudels. <br /><br /><br />I use<br /><br />150 g of flour 00 (or low protein)<br />half of a beaten egg<br />30 g of butter (or oil if you prefer)<br />a pinch of salt<br />a pinch of sugar<br />a couple drops of vinegar (to break down the gluten and make easier the rolling) <br />and enough warm water to get a soft dough (not sticky)<br /><br />Make a hole in the flour, work with a fork the soft butter and the egg, salt and sugar, add the water a little by little, when a rough dough is done add just the water necessary to work together the flour on the sides. Then you need to work the dough vigorously, slamming and beating it on the pasta board. It should feel soft, silky but not sticky. <br /><br />Like this<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZrWLnWb9e8eyQr4MWym7moYSLRUj2Dd-aiS80X-J_haabQYtmDOheJjAxk9_cppJEHbU2yaQWZugxID_s1pntpXC5iyRSWS5FLWnfQRYYh2uaarktpKg9vsq_ItemJjIR5Cy/s1600-h/IMG_2178.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZrWLnWb9e8eyQr4MWym7moYSLRUj2Dd-aiS80X-J_haabQYtmDOheJjAxk9_cppJEHbU2yaQWZugxID_s1pntpXC5iyRSWS5FLWnfQRYYh2uaarktpKg9vsq_ItemJjIR5Cy/s320/IMG_2178.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5023165943299436930" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I cover the dough with a bowl and go on preparing the apples. This time I measured the weight of the final dough, was 250 grams. <br /><br />For the filling: <br /><br />4 big apples (I prefer using unripe golden, but a lot of people like the more sour cooking kind of apples)<br />breadcrumbs<br />butter to toast the crumbs+extra to brush the strudel, sorry I didn't measure it, for sure about more than one stick of butter, more than 100 grams<br />cinnamon<br />pine nuts (I add also walnuts because I like it)<br />lemon zest<br />raisins<br />sugar<br /><br /><br />I peel the apple, rub with a lemon and slice thin. <br />Toast some breadcrumbs with butter (maybe 50 grams of breadcrumbs more or less) and prepare some melted butter for brushing. <br /><br />Now starts the fun part. The dough needs to rest for at least half an hour. <br />I take a pretty big towel, or a small tablecloth, dust with flour and start rolling the dough with the rolling pin. The dough is very easy to roll, it makes less resistance than a pasta dough. Only when you feel the dough is very thin and you cannot achieve much more with the rolling pin you can switch to your hands<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPWRs0j3G_ra2qeNTrsufMgOyO_sn8kpCBq0nlM79uEDILFwSrVZCpXTKgXqTryxQr9O3MiqpdFw0LVNJ2biNE0jvBbVDFJagjIxm6i3GHGmqjz47FoqwDvvuMXIWtJeXP8JN/s1600-h/IMG_2182.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPWRs0j3G_ra2qeNTrsufMgOyO_sn8kpCBq0nlM79uEDILFwSrVZCpXTKgXqTryxQr9O3MiqpdFw0LVNJ2biNE0jvBbVDFJagjIxm6i3GHGmqjz47FoqwDvvuMXIWtJeXP8JN/s320/IMG_2182.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5023169400748110226" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Close your fists and gently, really gently start stretching the dough. If it was worked properly you will not have any problem with it! Rotate the dough and keep working all of it. <br />You will end up with something like this. It should be almost transparent. In any case, with a sharp knife I cut of the hedges of the dough, it is invitable that they are a little thicker than the center. <br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoX8h1N_tz82laoq5yyqRDyWtT77smWe3M9BsxvIl5aT3-umEBRVAdKQ3qPiIih6VFGIKGje_bKw3N1zbkoVrA_-MnCLvPOdp4opfo2gX4X1roPAr0jxd5eByMHGM5UxWvanT4/s1600-h/IMG_2190.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoX8h1N_tz82laoq5yyqRDyWtT77smWe3M9BsxvIl5aT3-umEBRVAdKQ3qPiIih6VFGIKGje_bKw3N1zbkoVrA_-MnCLvPOdp4opfo2gX4X1roPAr0jxd5eByMHGM5UxWvanT4/s320/IMG_2190.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5023171956253651362" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Brush the dough with melted butter, sprinkle with the toasted breadcrumbs, cover the 2/3 of it with apples, sprinkle with nuts, raisins and dust with cinnamon. If your apples are particularly sour you can sprinkle also some sugar on top, 4-5 tablespoons, I usually omit it. I fold slightly the shorter sides on the filling (about 3 cm) and then I start rolling the strudel on the long side closer to me with the help of the towel <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qiW2V5MT3q4WjRNzKRxMpVrbglBx-NnmQCtQYVRBpQCyp4FRwamIZ0i9ks72gVadCXSD6LedKs-KJ1mDRxdyr3W_bn01gKu1d5_ZoBDwIv0J2d4InwpnwElot9WC3pHbWKiW/s1600-h/IMG_2198.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qiW2V5MT3q4WjRNzKRxMpVrbglBx-NnmQCtQYVRBpQCyp4FRwamIZ0i9ks72gVadCXSD6LedKs-KJ1mDRxdyr3W_bn01gKu1d5_ZoBDwIv0J2d4InwpnwElot9WC3pHbWKiW/s320/IMG_2198.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5023173717190242738" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />When the strudel has been rolled, it should be at the top tip of the kitchen towel, that makes it easier to drop the strudel on a sheet pan. Make sure you have one buttered sheet pan already prepared. The pinch should be at the bottom of the strudel and try to give to it a horse shoes shape, it look nicer and it will fit also a smaller sheet pan. <br /><br />Brush generously with melted butter and bake in a preheated oven at 200 Celsius for about 35 minutes or until nice an golden. <br /><br />Dust with 10X sugar and serve with an emulsified whipping cream or with a creme anglaise or even plain. <br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXftr-Ns_Aa9R-wFe3PvLBaacAbcM8YN0yAL2svaK9Y6ce9Tlq7RIbM_upkcuILGSkjcfa2ys8oViP52bV5EvA4nb5D3E_eKajW_aU8jKjBf8wRD1znWr4p9WEg0zPGloFwxi/s1600-h/IMG_2214.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXftr-Ns_Aa9R-wFe3PvLBaacAbcM8YN0yAL2svaK9Y6ce9Tlq7RIbM_upkcuILGSkjcfa2ys8oViP52bV5EvA4nb5D3E_eKajW_aU8jKjBf8wRD1znWr4p9WEg0zPGloFwxi/s320/IMG_2214.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5023175263378469314" /></a>Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-1168949863827750362007-01-16T11:13:00.000+00:002007-01-27T11:55:44.473+00:00Crescente or TigelleI have been away for long time and I have negletted my blog. It's time to recover the lost time. <br /><br />In Emilia, more precisely in the Modena area, a very rustic meal can be prepared with le crescente, as they call these tiny disks of bread in the mountains of the Appennino around Modena. Elsewhere they are known as tigelle, from the tigelliera, the pan used for cooking. <br />The names here can get very confusing, I'll try to clarify: <br /><br />La crescente (singular) is a focaccia from Bologna, usually enriched with chopped salumi and lard in the dough. <br />La crescenta, singular, le crescente plural are these disks of bread we are talking about. They are known elsewhere as tigelle. <br />Le crescentine, in Bologna, are tiny bit of dough, deep fried. Elsewhere also known as gnocco fritto. IL gnocco fritto, notice the wrong article, they are very sensitive about the use of IL. <br /><br />I have seen many different recipes for crescente, going from a very simple dough: flour, salt, oil (or lard/butter), yeast and lukewarm milk, to the use of a good amount of cream instead of plain milk. In some trattorie they serve them pretty thin (this way they'll create a pocket in the middle that is good for stuffing with salumi), the original I heard are generally thicker and were served with sausages or stews, etc. Nowadays they are very often eaten with a pesto (don't think of the ligurian pesto, it's minced lardo with garlic and rosmary), with stracchino and rucola, with salumi or even nutella. <br /><br />This is the tigelliera.<br />It's a very heavy cast-iron pan. This is a 7 disks tigelliera but you can buy a smaller 4 disks one. They are even electric tigelliere around. When the pan is pretty warm, on both sides, try with one tigella to test the temperature, adjust it if you need. Cook the crescente turning the pan. As soon as they are ready put them in a basket lined with a cloth to keep them warm. They don't keep very well and they are best eaten straight away, warm. <br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/370/512/1600/255465/IMG_2109.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/370/512/320/931755/IMG_2109.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />As you can see, with the tigelle in the pan I tried different thicknesses and I decided that I like them thinner, plus the cook better. <br />In this case the dough was <br />250 g of flour<br />2% salt<br />2 tablespoons of extra virgin oil <br />1 and 1/2 teaspoon dry yeast <br />and enough warm milk to get a soft not sticky dough. <br />Let rise until double in bulk. Divide into little balls (I would do no more than 15-20 grams each) flatten with a rolling pin to fit the disks of tigelliera and let proof covered.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/370/512/1600/164867/IMG_2104.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/370/512/320/457589/IMG_2104.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/370/512/1600/836078/IMG_2105.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/370/512/320/377943/IMG_2105.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-1163066827534330612006-11-09T10:05:00.000+00:002007-01-27T11:50:34.185+00:00Gnocchi di zucca e patate<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/1600/IMG_1933.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/IMG_1933.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Squash gnocchi. Please read the general section on <a href="http://canarywharfitalian.blogspot.com/2006/11/gnocchi.html">gnocchi</a>.<br /><br />There are many ways to make squash gnocchi. These the one I know<br />1. squash/potatoes/egg/flour: roll and cut on the table<br />2. squash/egg/flour drop in water <br />3. ricotta/potatoes/squash/flour/egg for chicche della nonna, alla piacentina, also<br /> to roll and cut on the table<br />4. with ricotta/squash/eggs/no or very little flour: to drop on a floured tray<br /><br />In any case it is important to use a tasty and no watery squash. <br /><br />I'll try a recipe at a time and add to my recipe list. <br /><br />This is the first option: I cut and removed the seed from a kabocha squash, wrapped in foil and baked in the oven. I steamed some floury potatoes. <br />I used about 400 g of squash pulp and about 180 g of potatoes. Both passed in the ricer and let to cool a little on the table. I added one beaten egg (medium size), some nutmeg, salt and enough flour to make a soft but not sticky dough. Cut a piece of dough at a time, shape into a rod and cut with a sharp knife little gnocchi. If you like to leave a pattern on the gnocchi, press each one on the back of a cheese grater. <br />Tranfer the gnocchi on a flour dusted towel on a tray and bring the water to a boil. Add salt and dump in the gnocchi, as soon as they come to surface, drain using a perforated spoon. Dress with noisette butter and sage. Grated parmigiano or grana at the table. <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/1600/IMG_1938.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/IMG_1938.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-1163018301556399432006-11-08T17:00:00.000+00:002007-01-27T11:53:41.087+00:00GnocchiGnocchi is one of the most loved Italian dishes. Very often is mispronuced. First because the "gn" sound doesn't exist in many languages, then the "chi" which is guttural (=ki), then the double c. Italians do pronouce doubles. Here is a useful <a href="http://www.askoxford.com/languages/it/toi_italian/pronunciation/">Guide to pronunciation</a>. <br /><br />The most common being potato gnocchi. Italians would fight over this simple recipe. <br />I will list all the points that I have heard during years of internet surfing. <br /><br />1. Everybody agrees that the most important thing is the quality of the potatoes. Floury. If the potato is waxy the gnocchi will come out pourly. <br />2. Eggs, no eggs. If your potatoes are good you don't need eggs. But if you are unsure of the quality, better to add an egg to be safe. For recipe with added moist vegetables the egg is going to be in there (you could add spinach, nettles, radicchio, etc.)<br />3. No whipping tools of any kind that will make the potatoes gluey. Even a manual vegetable mill is not the most ideal. Better using a proper italian potato ricer. And to rice the potatoes when they are hot. <br />4. The potatoes need to be cooked unpeeled, starting from cold salty water. Better even to steam them. Do not overcook. Peel and rice immediately. <br />5. When to knead the dough. It is ideal to drop the riced potatoes on a wooden table board, so that it will absorb humidity in excess. Some people like to add flour and knead when the potatoes are still warm. Other people like to wait until they are cold, because they think it would otherwise take too much flour. <br />6. while you are cutting out the gnocchi keep the board dusted with flour and using a pastry scaper transfer on a flour dusted kitchen towel over a tray. Gnocchi don't keep well. They need to be cooked within a couple hours they have been made or they will get soggy. Every one in a while, go and shake the tray to make sure they are not sticking. In any case gnocchi can be frozen successfully on a baking tray. <br /><br />Gnocchi are cooked in plenty of simmering salted water. When they come to surface they are done. Do not use a colander, rather a perforated spoon to collected them. <br /><br />Most common and loved way of dressing is butter and sage. Butter brought to noisette stage with fresh sage. Parmigiano at the table. <br />Being my mom from Bergamo I often go with my grandfather recipe which asks for a lot of chopped parsley in the dough. In Bergamo people like to add some pancetta to the butter. <br />Gnocchi are very good also simply dressed with tomato sauce. <br /><br /><br />Besides the common potato gnocchi there are many other, often local, variations. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ricotta gnocchi</span>. In general very soft. Most popular are ricotta and chopped spinach. In Sardinia (where saffron is usually added), Toscana, Emilia and in some areas in the North these ricotta/spinach gnocchi are called "malfatti", they are usually of pretty big size. In Piemonte, it is used a ricotta called seraiss and their medium size spinach ricotta gnocchi are called rabaton. In Toscana they are called gnudi, which meands naked, like a naked raviolo.<br />In Bologna ricotta gnocchi are tiny and are made just with ricotta and flour, rolled on the table. In Piacenza, very tiny gnocchi, called chicche della nonna, are made with potato, ricotta, egg and flour...<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Squash gnocchi</span>. Again, different kinds, you could go for a potato/squash/egg/flour gnocco or prepare them in the tradition of Friuli. The squash used is usually not watery, it is cut, wrapped in foil and baked. Then to the pured squash, eggs and flour are added. It is dropped in simmering water and dressed with melted butter and chips of grated smoked ricotta friulana. <br />I remember also this recipe from Fausto Fraccalini <a href="http://web.tiscali.it/cucinamantovana/">web site on cucina mantovana</a>. Fausto, many years ago, used to write on the Cucina Italiana Forum. According to his recipe, the squash is cooked and pureed. To the pure more water is added and when it comes to a boil enogh flour to form a ball is thrown in the pot. Basically it is about making a panade with the squash pure'. <br />For all the soft kind of gnocchi I really reccomand a pasty bag, it will facilitate the task a lot. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Chestnut gnocchi</span> in the Appennino area, in between Liguria, Emilia and Toscana. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Semolino gnocchi</span>. Roman style or in Trentino more german style, dropped and cooked in simmering stock. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Flour gnocchi</span>. Same technic I was discussing for the squash gnocchi. Basically a panade. In this category could be comprise the "parisienne gnocchi", which, in fact, are a staple in the North. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Polenta gnocchi</span>. Often left over polenta is used.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bread gnocchi</span>. In this category to me enter the Trentino gnocchi, Canederli, Knoedel. Or the gnocchi made with breadcrumbs and flour, for example Pisarei e Faso' from Piacenza. <br /><br />More to come as soon as I recall more kinds.Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-1162736277341830672006-11-05T14:16:00.000+00:002007-01-27T11:50:58.717+00:00Spaghetti con le cozze alla tarantina<A HREF='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/IMG_1901.jpg'><IMG SRC='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/IMG_1901.jpg' border=0 alt='' style='clear:all;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor:hand'></A> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Taranto is my town. It is a seaport on the Ionian Sea. It a very ancient city dating back to the 8th century B.C. <br />The city has been famous since Roman times for the miticulture, mussels farming but also oyster farming. The particular taste of the mussels in Taranto is due to the farming in the Mar Piccolo, which, in fact, represents a bay. Spring water infiltrations in the sea produce a sweet tasting, delicate mussels. They are small size but very full, meat is tender, not rubbery. Sometimes I don't understand why people is so scared of eating this little gem. It is true that you can get diseases from mussels but so you could for vegetables that have been irrigated with unclean water. Mussels have strong anticorps and they usually are let to rest in deputation tanks (vasche di stabulazione) for a variable time, which make pretty safe their consumption. Maybe don't be extreme like tarantini (people from taranto), where mussels are eaten raw but don't worry too much. <br />In my town, at the fishmonger, you will find mussels already open (raw) and kept in their liquor. That's the right way to cook spaghetti con le cozze. If you start with raw mussels rather than cooked one the final taste will improve a lot. <br />If you don't feel comfortable at opening each mussels with the knife, a good way that I alrealy tasted is steam no more than 10 mussels at the time. As soon as they open slightly take them out, they need to open barely to slide the tip of the knife in. They will be still raw. If a mussel doesn't open, it doesn't necessarely mean that the mussel is bad, on the contrary we believe that if it is more resistent at opening it is in a strong and in very good shape. Rather throw away mussels that are already open. Abroad they usually come very clean, in Taranto you have to do the hard job and clean them yourself. Make sure to scrub any foreing object from the shell, also what might look like a rock for you, use a knife to scape it off. And if there is the byssus attached you need to pull it toward you (keeping the pointed side of the mussel facing you). If I knew how to load a video on this blog I'd show how to open a mussel by hand. Don't soak mussels, is not necessary. I dump them in the sink, take three at a time, I vigorously rub them between my hands under the running cold water, by doing that apart from cleaning you'll manage to find already opened mussels. If a mussel is no good, be sure that you'll find out, they smell really nasty. Once I open and collect all the mussels, I pour their water into a separate bowl and filter it with a towel and I rinse very gently the mussels under water. <br /><br />For spaghetti alle cozze is not complicated. Extra virgin olive oil in a large pan with garlic slivers (one clove is enough for our taste) and fresh hot pepper, when it's hot add the mussels with a little with of their filtered water. Meanwhile the spaghetti are already cooking. Drain the spaghetti really al dente in the pan with mussels and finish cooking adding more mussels water and pasta cooking water if necessary. Sprinkle chopped parsley and a lot of black pepper. <br /><br /><br /><A HREF='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/IMG_1886.jpg'><IMG SRC='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/IMG_1886.jpg' border=0 alt='' style='clear:all;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor:hand'></A> <a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a>Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-1162417608805182692006-11-01T21:44:00.000+00:002007-01-27T11:37:42.583+00:00Brodo alla Celestina<A HREF='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/IMG_1832.jpg'><IMG SRC='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/IMG_1832.jpg' border=0 alt='' style='clear:all;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor:hand'></A> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Brodo alla Celestina, as Consommé Celestine of the French cooking, has a baked and diced pancake in it. <br />The stock with polpettine and cardoons reminds me of a Pugliese soup, the pancake baked in the oven is a common addiction to stock in Emilia Romagna and it is called zuppa imperiale. <br />For this recipe I have to thank Donatella Talone from Abruzzo. <br /><br />She told me that the stock is a composed one with hen and veal. <br />Cardoons are cleaned from fibrous parts, blanched (adding a slurry of lemon juice and flour to the boiling water). Some very small polpette ( of ground beef and veal, grated parmigiano and nutmeg) are prepared and boiled, I prefer to saute' in oil and so I did. And the pancake -that Donatella called pizzetta-is baked in the oven then cut into cubes. She gave to me a huge quantity of 10 eggs, 10 tablespoons grated parmigiano, 5 tablespoons flour, salt and chopped parsley and the very tip of a knife of baking powder. I think one egg is enough for 2 people.<br />Warm up the stock, add the preboiled cardoons, the polpettine, the pizzetta cubes and cook about 1/2 hour more, until nicely reduced. Serve with grated cheese.<br /><br />P.S.: for the stock and for polpettine I used beef only. <br /><br /><br /> <a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a>Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-1162232296562488302006-10-30T18:10:00.000+00:002007-01-27T11:45:58.171+00:00Rocciata di Assisi<A HREF='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/IMG_1791.jpg'><IMG SRC='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/IMG_1791.jpg' border=0 alt='' style='clear:all;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor:hand'></A> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />On the Italian forum on Egullet it is the month dedicated to Umbria, so, yeasterday, invited for brunch at a friend house, I thought of bringing over this dessert: Rocciata di Assisi.<br />It's a strudel with a rich dry fruit filling, shaped into a coil.<br />Oretta Zanini Devita in her collection of regional recipes gives some history of this dessert. In Assisi "roccia" means round, hence the origin of the name comes from the shape. It is an ancient cake born in Medioeval times with a legacy coming from the Ostrogoths and Longobards. Although she talks about an ancestor of rocciata, in the Tavole Eugubine on which habits and costumes of 2000 years ago are drawn, "tensedio" , giving no description but just saying it was in honor of the God Hondo Ceffio. Through these tables was possible to describe the umbrian cesna, the banchet.<br /><br />I've seen so many different versions of rocciata on the web. Next time, I think I will bring down the dry fruit to 350 and make up the difference to 500 asked in this recipe with more apples, in any case it's a good dessert for a dry fruit lover. <br /><br />Filling<br /><br />500 g of mix dry fruit (zibibbo, sultanas, dry figs finely diced, dry prunes finely diced, walnuts and almonds coarsely chopped)<br />one apple, peeled and diced<br />100 g sugar<br />1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />lemon zest and some juice<br />2 tablespoons vinsanto<br /><br />Mix and let rest covered for couple hours.<br /><br />For the dough<br /><br />250 g flor<br />50 g sugar<br />salt 1/2 teaspon<br />2 tablespoons of oil<br />water enoght to form a silky smooth dough.<br /><br />Let rest under a bowl for 1/2 an hour.<br /><br />Roll out the dough as thin as possible. I streched with my fists under the dough as for a strudel. Spread the filling leaving little space at the hedges, roll with the help of a kitchen towel, shape into a coil, brush with evo and bake in a preheated oven at 190, for about 30 minutes or more, until nicely golden. When cold dust with 10X.<br /><br /><A HREF='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/IMG_1806.0.jpg'><IMG SRC='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/IMG_1806.0.jpg' border=0 alt='' style='clear:all;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor:hand'></A> <a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a>Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-1162111277779414882006-10-29T09:36:00.000+00:002007-01-27T11:51:26.524+00:00Ossi buchi alla milanese<A HREF='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/IMG_1722.0.jpg'><IMG SRC='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/IMG_1722.0.jpg' border=0 alt='' style='clear:all;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor:hand'></A> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Milan is a second home to me. Although I am a Southerner, my mom is from Bergamo and I spent 7 years of my life in Milan. I love that city, with its melancholy warm embrace. <br />And I love the food...very rich, so different than the southern Italian style, very French to me. <br /><br />One of the books I love most is La Cucina Milanese written by Marco Guarnaschelli Gotti. He is a jornaulist from Milan. The book is beautifully written, full of hystoric references and family anecdotes. This book never failed me. <br /><br />Osso buco, plural ossi buchi, is a wintery dish. It is better to use the ossi buchi coming from the posteriore leg of the veal, they are more tender. The osso buco should be pretty thick, about 4 cm height. Ideally it should be cut at the middle of the muscle where there is a good balance between meat and connective tissue, important for the glaze effect in the sauce. It's reccomanded to cut in a couple of spots on the external connective tissue of the osso buco beetween the musclar fascia, without unbundling it. <br />There are many recipe calling for a battuto or onion, carrots and celery. Marco Guarnaschelli suggests the easiest of the recipes...and I just love it. <br /><br />In a brasiere sweat 60 g of butter and 2 small spring onions, only white part, finely minced. After 15 minutes put them aside. Brown the ossi buchi, slightly flour them and shake off the excess, in the same brasiere, taking care to brown nicely also the sides, return the onion in the pot, deglaze with dry white wine, lower the heat and let evaporate slowly. Add salt and a little bit of good meat stock, bring to a simmer, cover and bake at 140 C until the meat is tender and the sauce glossy. Turn every once in a while and check for liquid level. It will take about 2 hours. Toward the end of cooking mince finely a glove of garlic, add some chopped parsley and lemon zest. This is the gremolata to add to the sauce at the end, whisk and serve usually with risotto or a potato pure'. Which risotto? Giallo (yellow, that's how milanesi call the risotto with saffron, of course they don't call it alla milanese!), or in bianco, alla parmigiana, with no saffron. I like more the parmigiana version for this dish but my husband like more the yellow version. <br /><br />For the risotto giallo<br /><br />It nice to use a "russe" kind of pot, with an handle. The best would be a risottiera in copper with tin. Mince half of a small white or golden onion, not the red one and let it sweat very gently with 50 g of butter and 15 g of marrow. This all process should take about half an hour and its very imporant as liason. If it gets color just add a drop of water, at the end it should look like in ivory cream. Add the rice: two handful a person plus one for the pot, never cook anyway more than 800 g at a time. Which rice? The author says that it will dipend from the quality of the rice. And I totally agree with him. True good quality carnaroli is hard to find, and honesty, restaurants like it because it's easier to handle: doesn't overcook as much as other rices. I find it very often not creamy enough for my taste. This time for example I used a very good baldo. Let "toast" the rice. The term toasting is a little mischieving, the rice should not get any colour and stirred with the wooden spoon at all times, but especially at this moment. Meanwhile warm up some good stock (about 1 litre or 1 and half liters to be safe, for a four servings). Start adding the stock, one laddle, then higher the heat until bubbles, stir and keep adding stock as it evaporates. It is important to stir very often, in this way the rice will release the starch. It would take about 18 to 20 minutes to cook, depending from the rice. In between stirring grate some cheese. Grana is more a lombardo cheese but parmigiano is also ok. For four people add 50 grams of grated cheese to the bottom of the serving dish, plus some dots of butter. On grating cheese. I always see foreigners using graters with big holes and I wonder why. Its too tiresome to grate properly some cheese? I love the snow consistency of the fine grating and that's the way should be in this dish. Coarse grating I guess is more used in sicilian style pastas with hard ricotta. <br />Going back to the recipe. Toward the end of cooking, when 4 minutes are missing, add 30 grams of grated grana to the pot. Stirring at this point is important. With the cheese in it, it's more prone to stick. Dissolve some saffron in a little stock and add it to the rice two minutes from end of cooking. Taste for salt and check liquid level. Pour on the serving dish in which the cheese and the butter are resting. Stir briefly the rice in the serving dish, this will create the "wave" typical from risotto alla milanese. <br />The author doesn't suggest to serve it in the cooking pot, or to let it rest in it, to avoid the risk of overcooking the rice. <br />This time my risotto came very good, I should have kept it a little runny. <br /><br />I din't serve the ossi buchi directly on top of the rice, I like to keep my food separate. A little curiosity: the spoon to scoop out the marrow from osso buco is called esattore (in italian is a tax collector :-)) <a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a>Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-1159965289498400922006-10-04T12:34:00.000+00:002007-01-27T11:46:52.405+00:00Torta ligure di riso e cipollaI learnt this torta ligure from my friend Paola Petrini and she learnt it from nonna Linda, her husband granmother from La Spezia. <br />I had some left over pasta matta from yeasterday night Fogliata and some onions to use, finally I decided to try this torta. The pasta matta needs to be extra thin, I used an oklava to roll it out (the turkish rolling pin)but if you don't feel as confident can use the imperia machine and roll very fine strips which will be lightly superimposed by 2 cm. <br />For this torta I weighted the dough and was 78 grams. <br />For the filling:<br />80 g of rice<br />500 g of sweet onions<br />30 g of grated parmigiano<br />1 jumbo egg, well beaten<br />salt and evo<br /><br />I boiled the rice for 10 minutes, leaving it al dente. I sweat the onion with salt, covered, until very soft. Mix the rice, the onion, grated parmigiano, and add almost all the egg (reserve some for brushing the cake), adjust seasoning. <br /><br />The dough was enough for a 26 tart ring.<br />I lined the ring with some parchment paper, oiled it a little, laid the dough, spread the filling and brought toward the center the extra dough, brushed with the remaining egg mixed with some oil. I slid the torta on the preheated baking stone. Cooked for 40 minutes at 180 with a convection oven. <br />Let cool on a rack. <br />The pasta matta just works as container. The filling is soft, creamy and tasty. <br />It's better to serve it at room temperature, not hot. <br /><br /><br /><A HREF='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/IMG_1557.jpg'><IMG SRC='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/IMG_1557.jpg' border=0 alt='' style='clear:all;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor:hand'></A> <br /><A HREF='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/IMG_1569.jpg'><IMG SRC='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/IMG_1569.jpg' border=0 alt='' style='clear:all;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor:hand'></A> <a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a>Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-1159913096520391982006-10-03T22:03:00.000+00:002007-02-04T12:23:47.936+00:00FogliataFogliata is a "torta salata" from Umbria. I came to know about it because, some years ago, the recipe and pictures were posted on the forum of La Cucina Italiana by Stefania Girolamini, a member whose family was from Umbria, if I am not mistaken exactly from Spoleto. In the same shape there is a more famous sweet from the region: rocciata di Assisi, known also as attorta. <br /><br />Fogliata is easy and it turn out to be very good, so it was a wise choice from me to make a mini fogliata, preventing me from eating a normal size torta by myself. <br /><br />The dough is what in Italian is known as pasta matta: flour 00, salt, very little evo and water. I didn't make a particular soft dough because I used the Imperia to roll out a very thin strip of dough. <br />Let's say that with 100 g of flour, 2 g of salt, 1 tablespoon of oil and 35 g of water you can get around 3 of these mini fogliate. <br />The filling is bietole (swiss chards) boiled, coarsely chopped and saute' in oil with a whole clove of garlic, to be removed at the end of cooking. Out of the stove, I added a little bit of grated pecorino. <br />In Italian with bietole we mean the "coste" and the "erbette". Coste are the one with the big leg, the erbette have a very fine stem. In this case you could use both, but the stem in the coste requires to be cooked separately. In the UK, so far, I have seen only coste.<br />Once you have rolled the dough in a long strip (or more strips), spread the vegetable in the center, without overfilling the stip, roll the dough and shape it into a coil. Brush with evo and bake in a preheated oven a 180-200 C until golden<br /><br /><br /><A HREF='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/IMG_1552.jpg'><IMG SRC='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/IMG_1552.jpg' border=0 alt='' style='clear:all;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor:hand'></A> <a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a>Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-1159811020885221612006-10-02T17:42:00.000+00:002007-01-27T11:52:03.863+00:00CapreseCaprese is a cake from Campania, its peculiarity is the absence of flour and baking powder. Some recipes require crumbled fette biscottate (french toast) but I like without. <br />If you like chocolate cakes, this caprese will not disappoint you, it's moist, rich but not heavy, it's really a fantastic recipe.<br /><br /><br />The original recipe was posted by Lydia Capasso on the Italian Forum of Cucina Italiana.<br /><br />Leaving the same quantities, I completely changed the method, getting -in my opinion -a better result. It is a very moist cake and doesn't cling to your palate. It keeps well for several days with no refrigeration and actually improves its taste.<br /><br />It doesn't contain flour, so it's also a perfect cake for gluten intollerants.<br /><br />140 g sugar<br />140 g bittersweet chocolate<br />140 g unsalted butter<br />140 g unpeeled almonds<br />210—230 g eggs total whole weight (about 4 small eggs)<br />1 pinch of salt<br /><br /><br />These quantities are ok for a 20 cm diameter mold.<br /><br />Preheat the oven at 200 C. Butter and flour your mold.<br /><br />I slightly toasted the almonds in the oven and when cold grated in the mixer (I have a bosch mixer with the grating dish, make a perfect flour without overheating the almonds), alternatively you can pulse the almonds in the coffe grinder with a couple teaspoons of sugar (taken by the recipe quantity). Leaving the almonds with the peel is a little tastier, more rustic flavour.<br /> <br />I grated the chocolate with the fine microplane.<br /><br />Whip the soft butter with the sugar until very light and foamy, add the yolks one at the time, add the chocolate (here, half of the chocolate was just grated, the other half I decided to melt, let cool before adding), then add the almond flour and alternate with a little bit of whipped egg whites. Fold in remaining egg whites. Pour in the mold and level with a spatula. Bake at 200 C for 5 minutes, then reduce to 170 for about 30-35 minutes, check toward the end.<br /><br />Bitter almonds are not a bad addiction, you could use some in place of the regular one but don't use almond extracts, the most of the time are nasty. Instead,if you like, you can add some vanilla essence.<br /><br />Do not overbake, it's important it stays moist. Serve with creme anglaise, or gelato, or simply dusted with 10X.<br /><br /><A HREF='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/IMG_1310.jpg'><IMG SRC='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/IMG_1310.jpg' border=0 alt='' style='clear:all;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor:hand'></A> <a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a>Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-1159611622599378252006-09-30T10:18:00.000+00:002007-01-27T11:51:43.989+00:00Polpette d'uovaThis is something that just reminds me of home. I really love food from Puglia, my region. It's simple, no fuss, no elaborate dishes, I might say that Californias have tried to sell a concept that has always been ours: fresh ingredients. Pugliesi are very traditional, they don't like to experiment much, the sunday lunch would be very similar in the most of the houses. <br />These polpette however are very characteristic in my town, I am not sure all around Puglia. There is something similar in Abruzzo where the polpette are added to a cardoon soup. <br />Polpette d'uova (egg polpette) are usually added during the very end of cooking to a fresh tomato sauce, which will be used to dress orecchiette, they don't need to cook in the sauce, it's enough to let them rest in the the sauce to soften. <br />Part of the polpette are eaten straight away after frying, before pasta, as apristomaco, to stimulate the appetite. <br />The polpette are nice and crunchy on the outside and tender and tasty inside. The trick is a lot of cheese. Just mix breadcrumbs (home made, does people that buy premade breadcrumbs ever read the labels?), a lot of grated cheese (we often use Rodez, but pecorino is the best substitute or, for a milder taste, half parmigiano, half pecorino), chopped parsley, a little clove of garlic finely minced, salt with moderation and eggs. Cheese is surely more than breadcrums. The polpetta is dropped in oil with the help of a spoon, so the consintency should be soft but not runny, a teaspoon if stuck in the mixture shoud hold straight. <br />We deep fry (peanut oil or extra vergin). This kind of polpette will produce a lot of foam, so don't overcrowed the pan and use something really deep if you don't want your oil to overflow. If you are frying a big batch consider that the oil will get dirty quickly and you might need to prepare a second pan with fresh oil . <br /><br /><br /><br /><A HREF='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/1.jpg'><IMG SRC='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/1.jpg' border=0 alt='' style='clear:all;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor:hand'></A> <br /><A HREF='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/2.jpg'><IMG SRC='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/2.jpg' border=0 alt='' style='clear:all;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor:hand'></A> <br /><A HREF='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/3.jpg'><IMG SRC='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/3.jpg' border=0 alt='' style='clear:all;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor:hand'></A> <br /><A HREF='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/4.jpg'><IMG SRC='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/4.jpg' border=0 alt='' style='clear:all;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor:hand'></A> <a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a>Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-1159519543620277262006-09-29T08:45:00.000+00:002007-01-27T11:52:24.515+00:00Uova al pomodoroThis is a dish that we make at home when it's really late and we don't have time for cooking. We generally eat it along with some antipasti, no primo or secondo, with a nice crusty bread. <br />I like it better with fresh tomatoes (san marzano, perini, or roma, or any other variety suited for cooking). I blanch and peel the tomatos and cut in cubes, finely slice an onion (here I used green onions) and put the onion to sweat with extra vergin olive oil, then add the chopped tomatoes, coarse salt and let in cook. When the tomatoes are done, it doesn't require too long with fresh tomatoes, I break the eggs and nestle in the sauce, add a little bit of salt to the white of the egg. <br />If you like more, you could flip the eggs over with a spoon, possibly without breaking them, so the are all coated with whites. The yolk need to stay soft. <br />It would be better to serve in the cooking pan. <br /><br />I know that eggs prepared in this fashion are called different names around Italy. In Campania I think they are called Uova in purgatorio, we called just uova al pomodoro. <br />This is such a simple and tasty dish that doesn't suprise me to find in other cuisines, my mother in law, which is shangainese, cook it almost in the same way (may shanghainese food influenced by French cooking?)<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/IMG_0247.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/IMG_0247.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" align="middle" border="0" /></a>Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-1159480498423593572006-09-28T21:54:00.000+00:002007-01-27T11:39:04.109+00:00Minestrone alla milaneseMinestrone alla milanese is my favourite version of minestrone. Tonight I couldn't stick to the real original for two reasons: I didn't have borlotti beans (only the large variety called corona) and I didn't have the savoy cabbage to add to it. Minestrone alla milanese must be eaten with rice, at least that is the way it should be, in summer is often served cold. <br /><br />This quantity is for 3-4 servings<br /><br />1 big leek (take out the outer leaves and the green top, divide in two, wash and finely slice)<br />1 onion<br />pancetta in cubes<br />some cherry tomatoes or a san marzano<br />1 zucchini<br />2 1/2 carrots <br />2 legs of celery from the heart and the leaves<br />chopped parsley<br />some fresh borlotti beans <br />2 floury potatoes<br />3 handfull of vialone nano<br /><br />Sweat the leek, the finely chopped onion and the pancetta in cubes at very low flame for about 15-20 minutes, add the celery and leaves chopped finely, give some more cooking. Add the carrots in small dices, some parsley (reserve some to add at the end for color), add the cherry tomatoes divided in two, the fresh borlotti beans (or canned, washed and rinsed, or dry and soaked overnight) and the salt, sweat some more minutes, and add boiling water to cover. Let it go at medium heat, adding hot water to keep it wet. After 50 minutes add the whole peeled potatoes and the zucchini in small dice, keep cooking for another half an hour. Here the tradition would want some tender savoy cabbage finely shredded and more cooking. I had to skip this passage. I added three handful of vialone nano, let it cook for 5 minutes, I turned it off, covered and let rest for 15 minutes. At the end the rice was perfectly cooked and the soup creamy and tasty. I broke with the spoon the potatoes and added some parsley. <br />You can serve it with finely grated grana o parmigiano. <br /><br /><br /><A HREF='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/IMG_1483.jpg'><IMG SRC='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/IMG_1483.jpg' border=0 alt='' style='clear:all;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor:hand'></A> <a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a>Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-1159476892815667142006-09-28T20:51:00.000+00:002007-01-27T11:44:44.086+00:00Schiacciata con l'uvaBefore trying this schiacciata, I honestly didn't think I was going to like it so much. <br />This is just my kind of dessert, a nice crunchy border with a good olive oil taste and the soft and juicy grape...I really don't like complicated dessert, with creams and mousses, I get bored after 2 bites. <br />Schiacciata con l'uva is a traditional sweet bread from Toscana, doesn't require more than a good bread dough, good extra virgin, grape and sugar. It's typical of haverst season because it must be made with black wine grape. <br /><br />The recipe is not really necessary but more or less I did this way:<br /><br />200 g of bread flour<br />salt 2% of the weight of the flour (a scarce teaspoon)<br />8 g of fresh yeast cake<br />a dizzle of evo <br />and enough water for a soft but not sticky dough<br /><br />I did let it proof twice. I cleaned and washed the grape (about double weight than the amount of flour). Divided the dough in half, spread the first half in a small oiled baking pan. Let rest a little if the dough resist and wet your hands with oil. It should be rolled out very thin, spread half of the grape, gently press down on the dough, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with sugar. Repeat with the remaing half of dough and grape. Pinch the hedges and bake in a preheated oven at about 180 celsius for about 50 minutes. I let it slide on a grate because I didn't want it to get to soft, the filling keeps it very juicy anyway. <br /><br /><br /><A HREF='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/IMG_1288.jpg'><IMG SRC='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/IMG_1288.jpg' border=0 alt='' style='clear:all;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor:hand'></A> <a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a>Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35044330.post-1159284237742033692006-09-26T15:22:00.000+00:002007-01-27T11:56:15.383+00:00Focaccia Pugliese con i pomodoriniFocaccias in Puglia, where I am from, are our "fast food", there are stores where you can go just for focaccias and panzerotti and you will eat it standing outside with a beer. In any case you can buy warm focaccia in every bakery. <br />Think, when I was in middle school we had a cooffee place (bar in Italian) right inside the school, a girl in the morning would come and take orders for "pausa", the break, and most of us would order a stuffed focaccia or focaccia with pomodoro and mozzarella. At the break a basket from the bar would come to the class with warm focaccia, panini con mortadella or other stuff, in middle school we were not allowed to leave the classe during the break. Insteresting enough in my area we called focaccia even what in other parts of Italy would be a pizza. If it's taller and baked in a pan for us is always focaccia. <br />I have seen in the States replicates of this focaccia, the fault in the States is that is too tall making it resemble and taste more like a bread. This need to be cruncky on the side with the good taste of olive oil but still soft when eating. <br /><br /><br />250 g bread flour (or half durum flour)<br />190—210 g water<br />1 tsp salt<br />1 tsp instant yeast<br /> extra virgin olive oil<br /> cherry tomatoes<br /> dry oregano<br /><br /><br />Put sifted flour in a large bowl and add salt and yeast, stat pouring water, the quantity of water is not fixed, dipending from many factors. With one arm keep the bowl,with the other start whisking the dough (like for wisking eggs with a fork). It will take about 15 minutes of work for the gluten to develope. Let triple in bulk, about 2 hours and half, depending on the temperature. Preheat oven at 230 Celsius. Pour in a pan oiled with evo and spread with oiled hands. Put cherry tomatoes in half, squeeze the juice over the dough and sink the half tomatoes in the dough. Sprinkle with crumbled dry oregano, drizzle with oil and bake in hot oven, about 20 minutes.<br />I do take particular care in the baking, brushing again with evo if I feel is necessary. One out of the oven I slide it on a grill and cover with a kitchen cloth. <br /><br /><A HREF='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/IMG_0448.jpg'><IMG SRC='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/IMG_0448.jpg' border=0 alt='' style='clear:all;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor:hand'></A> <br /><A HREF='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/IMG_0453.jpg'><IMG SRC='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/IMG_0453.jpg' border=0 alt='' style='clear:all;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor:hand'></A> <br /><A HREF='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/640/IMG_0463.jpg'><IMG SRC='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/370/512/320/IMG_0463.jpg' border=0 alt='' style='clear:all;float:left;margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; cursor:hand'></A> <a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a>Francesca Spallutohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09109567403673533821noreply@blogger.com2