Ginger liquor
Ingredients:
3 or 4 dried ginger pieces
0,5lt (17oz) alcohol 95°
400gr (1.8cup - 14.4oz) sugar
0,7lt (24oz) water
Put in an airtight glass can ginger and alcohol. Leave to settle for at least one month. After this time, put in a saucepan 0,7lt (24oz) water and bring to boil; reduce temperature, add sugar and keep boiling for 2 or 3 minutes in order to dissolve sugar. Then cool down, add alcohol, stir well and bottle in.
10.22.2013
Macadamia Cookies
Macadamia Cookies
Makes 18 biscuits
Knead together flour, sugar and butter, then add eggs, vanilla extract and finally, macadamia nuts (better if you use knife to avoid them crumble). Form a ball and wrap it in a polythene bag, place in the fridge for at least 1 hour. After this time, take the the pastry and, on a floured surface, roll it out with a rolling pin at half centimeter (¼ inch) thick, and cut out biscuits with your favourite cutter. I used a round one with a diameter of 5cm (2 inch) to make 18 biscuits. Place them on a baking sheet coverded with parchment paper and bake at 160° (310°F) for 20 minutes. Cool down a wire rack.
Makes 18 biscuits
Ingredients:
200gr (0.9cup - 7.2oz)flour
110gr (0.49cup - 3.9oz) sugar
130gr (0.6cup - 4.8oz) butter
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1tsp vanilla extract
100gr (0.44cup - 3.5oz) macadamia nuts
Knead together flour, sugar and butter, then add eggs, vanilla extract and finally, macadamia nuts (better if you use knife to avoid them crumble). Form a ball and wrap it in a polythene bag, place in the fridge for at least 1 hour. After this time, take the the pastry and, on a floured surface, roll it out with a rolling pin at half centimeter (¼ inch) thick, and cut out biscuits with your favourite cutter. I used a round one with a diameter of 5cm (2 inch) to make 18 biscuits. Place them on a baking sheet coverded with parchment paper and bake at 160° (310°F) for 20 minutes. Cool down a wire rack.
Pink bread
Pink bread
Ingredients:
210ml (7.2oz) water
120gr (½cup - 4oz) cake flour
150gr (½cup-3.5oz) Semolina
80gr (0.3cup-2.8oz) Bread flour
70gr (0.3cup-2.4oz) boiled and crushed beetroot
1 cube of fresh yeast
1½ tsp salt
1½ tsp sugar
1tbsp extravirgin olive oil
With a kneader or a bread machine:
Put all ingredients into the kneader or the bread machine, following the constructor's instructions, selecting kneading program (the basic one), for bread machine. At the beep add beetroot
Without a kneader or a bread machine:
Mix all flour with salt, add by degrees warm water and then yeast melted in a bit of water with sugar. Knead until you'll obtain a very elastic dough, then add oil and beetroot. Knead other 5minutes. Leave the dough to rise for two e for two hours.
Form rolls and place them on a baking sheet. Bake at 230°C (450F - gas mark 8) for about 15 minutes.
Ingredients:
210ml (7.2oz) water
120gr (½cup - 4oz) cake flour
150gr (½cup-3.5oz) Semolina
80gr (0.3cup-2.8oz) Bread flour
70gr (0.3cup-2.4oz) boiled and crushed beetroot
1 cube of fresh yeast
1½ tsp salt
1½ tsp sugar
1tbsp extravirgin olive oil
With a kneader or a bread machine:
Put all ingredients into the kneader or the bread machine, following the constructor's instructions, selecting kneading program (the basic one), for bread machine. At the beep add beetroot
Without a kneader or a bread machine:
Mix all flour with salt, add by degrees warm water and then yeast melted in a bit of water with sugar. Knead until you'll obtain a very elastic dough, then add oil and beetroot. Knead other 5minutes. Leave the dough to rise for two e for two hours.
Form rolls and place them on a baking sheet. Bake at 230°C (450F - gas mark 8) for about 15 minutes.
Buckwheat tagliatelle with nuts sauce
Buckwheat tagliatelle with walnuts sauce
For the pasta dough, mix well flour and eggs and leave the dough to rest about half an hour. Roll out the dough with the pasta machine then cut it with the tagliatelle accessory. If you don't use the pasta machine, roll out the dough with the rolling pin, then roll the sheet of dough up into a tube, then slice the tube into rounds of 0.7 cm (0.3inch) wide and shake the skeet out with your hands to free the strands; set them to dry on a rack for few hours.
For the dressing, take the breadcrumb and put it in a bowl with few tablespoons of milk. Crush nuts and mix them with bread, garlic, the remaining milk, salt and pepper. Transfer into a sauce pan and heat for few minutes. Pour in cream and eventually some more milk to smooth the sauce. Now cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water for 5-7 minutes, drain it in a colander and return it to the saucepan with the sauce, stirring well. Eventually add pepper and grated parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
Serves 4-5
For the pasta dough:
Serves 4-5
For the pasta dough:
150gr buckwheat (0.625cup - 5oz)
250gr (1.125cup - 9oz) hard wheat flour
4 eggs
For the sauce:
180gr (0.8cup - 6.4oz) walnuts crumbled
1cup milk
3tbs whipping cream
1garlic clove
salt & pepper
For the pasta dough, mix well flour and eggs and leave the dough to rest about half an hour. Roll out the dough with the pasta machine then cut it with the tagliatelle accessory. If you don't use the pasta machine, roll out the dough with the rolling pin, then roll the sheet of dough up into a tube, then slice the tube into rounds of 0.7 cm (0.3inch) wide and shake the skeet out with your hands to free the strands; set them to dry on a rack for few hours.
For the dressing, take the breadcrumb and put it in a bowl with few tablespoons of milk. Crush nuts and mix them with bread, garlic, the remaining milk, salt and pepper. Transfer into a sauce pan and heat for few minutes. Pour in cream and eventually some more milk to smooth the sauce. Now cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water for 5-7 minutes, drain it in a colander and return it to the saucepan with the sauce, stirring well. Eventually add pepper and grated parmesan cheese.
Chestnut fettuccine with pumpkin and bacon
Chestnut fettuccine with pumpkin and bacon
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
For the pasta dough:
120gr (½cup - 4oz) chestnut flour
180gr (0.8cup - 6.4oz) Semolina
3 eggs
For the dressing:
180gr (0.8cup - 6.4oz) pumpkin
150gr (0.66cup - 5.3 oz) smoked bacon
Sage
Butter.
Mix together chestnut and hard wheat flour and eggs and leave the dough to rest about half an hour. Roll out the dough with the pasta machine or the rolling pin, then cut it with the fettuccine accessory if you use the pasta machine, otherwise do like this: roll the sheet of dough up into a tube, then slice the tube into rounds of 1cm wide and shake the skeet out with your hands to free the strands; set them to dry on a rack for few hours.
For the dressing, in a large saucepan fry bacon and then set aside. In the same saucepan melt some butter (about 2tbs or more) and brown pumpkin with the sage, thinly sliced, at medium heat for no more than 10 minutes, stirring often. In the meantime bring to boil salted water in a pot, then cook the tagliatelle for about 6-7 minutes, drain them in a colander and transfer into the pan, stirring well and cooking for two more minutes. Eventually add more butter. Serve hot.
Carrot cake Italian style
Carrot cake Italian style
Ingredients:
200gr (½cup-3.5oz) flour
400gr (1.75cup-14oz) brown sugar
4 eggs
350ml (12oz) vegetable oil
400gr (1.75cup-14oz) carrots, grated
275gr (1.2cup-9.6oz) nuts, crushed
16gr (3½tsp) baking powder
1tsp cinnamon powder
½tsp nutmeg
1 pinch salt
oil to grease the tin
Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a large bowl whisk eggs with sugar then add oil. Pour in flour mixture, then carrots and nuts. Grease a 18cm (8inch) square cake tin (a rectangular one will be perfect as well), then spoon in the mixture and bake at 170°C (325°F - gas mark 3) for an hour. Cool down in the tin first and then on a wirerack. Wrap the cake with tin wrap and leave to rest for a day before serving.
Polenta Cake
Polenta Cake
Ingredients:
400gr (1.75cup - 14oz) polenta
140gr sugar
120gr butter
3 eggs
4tbs flour
80gr (0.35cup - 2.8oz) raisins
30gr (1oz) pine nuts
zest of one lemon
Soak raisins in warm water(or brandy, limoncello etc), then drain them and dry them with a cloth. In a bowl cream softened butter with sugar, add eggs one at a time, then polenta already smashed with a fork. Stir and don't worry if you see some polenta lumps. Pour in flour, raisins, pine nuts and lemon zest. Place the mixture in a greased round tin of 22cm (9inch) of diameter, spreading it out as evenly as possible. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 40-45 minutes. Cool down well befor serving.
Herbs and honey bread
Herbs and honey bread
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup semolina flour
2 1/2 cup bread flour
1 cube of fresh yeast
1/4 cup mixed fresh herbs leaves, finely chopped *
1 tbs salt
1tsp sugar
1tbs honey
1/4 cup olive oil
*for a stronger aroma add few more
In a big bowl dissolve the yeast with sugar, then add water and mix. Add the semolina flour and mix with a spoon, then add the flour and salt. When is hard to mix with the spoon, add the olive oil on your hands and start to kneed the dough adding slowly the herbs. Divide the dough in 20 balls and let rise for two hours in a baking tray. Bake for about 25 minutes on the convection mode of the oven in 180C.
*for a stronger aroma add few more
In a big bowl dissolve the yeast with sugar, then add water and mix. Add the semolina flour and mix with a spoon, then add the flour and salt. When is hard to mix with the spoon, add the olive oil on your hands and start to kneed the dough adding slowly the herbs. Divide the dough in 20 balls and let rise for two hours in a baking tray. Bake for about 25 minutes on the convection mode of the oven in 180C.
Fagottini with Beetroots and cheese
Fagottini with Beetroots and cheese
Serves 2
Serves 2
Ingredients
for the pasta dough:
1/2 cup semolina (100 grams)
1/2 cup flour (100 grams)
1/2 cup flour (100 grams)
2 eggs
for the filling:
1 boiled betroot (about 120/150gr - 4.2/5.2oz)
100gr (2.11oz) Smoked ricotta
2tsp bread crumbs
Salt & Pepper to taste
for the dressing:
Melted butter
Grated parmesan
Sage or poppy seeds
2 tbsp pine nuts
Knead well flour and eggs, then pop the dough into a polythene bag and leave to rest for 30 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the filling, placing in a food processor betroot (peeled off), cheese and bread crumbs. Reduce them to a puree and set aside. Roll out the pastry with the pasta machine or the rolling pin, then with a pasta cutter or a glass, cut out rounds with a diameter of 8cm. Place a tsp - or a bit more - of the filling in the centre of each round. Press with your fingers three angles and edges to shape and seal the fagottini. To cook them, bring to boil salted water in a pot, then cook for 7-8 minutes (depends from the thickness of the pasta), drain them and serve with melted butter with pine nuts and grated parmesan and sage or poppy seeds.
2 tbsp pine nuts
Knead well flour and eggs, then pop the dough into a polythene bag and leave to rest for 30 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the filling, placing in a food processor betroot (peeled off), cheese and bread crumbs. Reduce them to a puree and set aside. Roll out the pastry with the pasta machine or the rolling pin, then with a pasta cutter or a glass, cut out rounds with a diameter of 8cm. Place a tsp - or a bit more - of the filling in the centre of each round. Press with your fingers three angles and edges to shape and seal the fagottini. To cook them, bring to boil salted water in a pot, then cook for 7-8 minutes (depends from the thickness of the pasta), drain them and serve with melted butter with pine nuts and grated parmesan and sage or poppy seeds.
9.29.2013
Brazilian chicken pie
Brazilian Chicken Pie
Ingredients for the dough:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
8 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into small pieces
4 to 5 tablespoons ice water
Ingredients for the filling:
2 pound of chicken breast, cooked and pulled
4 tbsp cream cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finelly chopped
1 cup corn sweet corn
1 tbsp tomato paste
4 garlic cloves
1 tbsp tabasco sauce
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
4 tbsp parsley, chopped
Salt & Pepper
For the pie crust:
Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl and stir briefly until the mixture is aerated. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it’s in pea-size pieces that are slightly yellow in color, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Drizzle in 4 tablespoons of the ice water and mix just until the dough comes together. (Add the last tablespoon of ice water if necessary, but don’t overwork the dough or it’ll become tough.)
Shape the dough into a flat disk, cover it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, then make the pie.
For the chicken filling:
In a pan, brown the onions and garlic. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the corn, tomato paste, spices, tabasco, and the cream cheese. Mix very well all the ingredients and add the parsley, paprika salt & pepper. Reserve.
Ingredients for the dough:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
8 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into small pieces
4 to 5 tablespoons ice water
Ingredients for the filling:
2 pound of chicken breast, cooked and pulled
4 tbsp cream cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finelly chopped
1 cup corn sweet corn
1 tbsp tomato paste
4 garlic cloves
1 tbsp tabasco sauce
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
4 tbsp parsley, chopped
Salt & Pepper
For the pie crust:
Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl and stir briefly until the mixture is aerated. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it’s in pea-size pieces that are slightly yellow in color, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Drizzle in 4 tablespoons of the ice water and mix just until the dough comes together. (Add the last tablespoon of ice water if necessary, but don’t overwork the dough or it’ll become tough.)
Shape the dough into a flat disk, cover it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, then make the pie.
For the chicken filling:
In a pan, brown the onions and garlic. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the corn, tomato paste, spices, tabasco, and the cream cheese. Mix very well all the ingredients and add the parsley, paprika salt & pepper. Reserve.
8.25.2013
Tortellini di Valeggio
Tortellini di Valeggio
1/2 pound of minced pork meat
1/2 pound of minced cow meat
1/2 pound of minced chicken meat
1/4 pound of Parma ham
1/4 parmiggiano cheese
1 onion finelly chopped
2 tbsp bread crumbs
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp olive oil
Nutmeg
Salt & Pepper
1/2 pound of minced pork meat
1/2 pound of minced cow meat
1/2 pound of minced chicken meat
1/4 pound of Parma ham
1/4 parmiggiano cheese
1 onion finelly chopped
2 tbsp bread crumbs
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp olive oil
Nutmeg
Salt & Pepper
Semifreddo alla Nutella
Semifreddo alla Nutella
Ingredients:
2 eggs, separated
1/3 cup of sugar
8 chocolat cookies
3 tbsp of Nutella
2 tbsp of cocoa powder
1 pich of fine salt
4 tbsp of chocolat liquor or bayleys
200ml of wiping cream
1. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until they are soft and light.
2. Stir in the crushed chocolate biscuits, nutella, liqueur and the salt.
3. Gently stir in the whipped cream.
4. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, and then fold gently in to the semi-freddo mixture.
5. Cover the mould or loaf tin with cling-film (this will enable you to tip out the semi-freddo when ready and slice it easily). Pour the mixture into the mould and place in the freezer for at least six hours, or overnight.
6. Serve in slices on dessert plates dusted with cocoa powder, alongside a cup of espresso coffee.
Ingredients:
2 eggs, separated
1/3 cup of sugar
8 chocolat cookies
3 tbsp of Nutella
2 tbsp of cocoa powder
1 pich of fine salt
4 tbsp of chocolat liquor or bayleys
200ml of wiping cream
1. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until they are soft and light.
2. Stir in the crushed chocolate biscuits, nutella, liqueur and the salt.
3. Gently stir in the whipped cream.
4. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, and then fold gently in to the semi-freddo mixture.
5. Cover the mould or loaf tin with cling-film (this will enable you to tip out the semi-freddo when ready and slice it easily). Pour the mixture into the mould and place in the freezer for at least six hours, or overnight.
6. Serve in slices on dessert plates dusted with cocoa powder, alongside a cup of espresso coffee.
8.19.2013
Bigoli Agli Sfilacci Di Cavallo (Bigoli with Horse Beef)
Bigoli Agli Sfilacci Di Cavallo (Bigoli with Horse Beef)
Ingredients for Bigoli Agli Sfilacci Di Cavallo for Two:
1/2 Yellow Onion - Chopped
2 Garlic cloves - Minced
1/2 package of Sfilacci (thin, dried horse beef slices - see picture)
2 dollops (spoons) of Cream Cheese
4 Tbsp of Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tsp Paprika (Sweet or Spicy - as you prefer)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Recipe for Bigoli Agli Sfilacci Di Cavallo for Two:
Sauté the garlic and onion in a pan over medium-high heat in olive oil.
Add the horse beef and the paprika, mix and sauté over medium heat for one minute.
Add the cream cheese, cream, ground pepper and mix thoroughly. Taste before adding salt. The sauce is finished. Set aside until bigoli is ready
Once the pasta is cooked, add the bigoli to the sauce and mix carefully trying to avoid breaking the pasta. Add a little bit of the pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
Ingredients for Bigoli Agli Sfilacci Di Cavallo for Two:
1/2 Yellow Onion - Chopped2 Garlic cloves - Minced
1/2 package of Sfilacci (thin, dried horse beef slices - see picture)
2 dollops (spoons) of Cream Cheese
4 Tbsp of Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tsp Paprika (Sweet or Spicy - as you prefer)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Recipe for Bigoli Agli Sfilacci Di Cavallo for Two:
Sauté the garlic and onion in a pan over medium-high heat in olive oil.
Add the horse beef and the paprika, mix and sauté over medium heat for one minute.
Add the cream cheese, cream, ground pepper and mix thoroughly. Taste before adding salt. The sauce is finished. Set aside until bigoli is ready
Once the pasta is cooked, add the bigoli to the sauce and mix carefully trying to avoid breaking the pasta. Add a little bit of the pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
To serve, swirl the bigoli with a serving spoon and plate with freshly grated Grana Padano and arugula topped with high quality olive oil. Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)