Rye bread and oatmeal (LUMBERJACK'S BREAD)

A rustic bread, which uses rye flour and whole wheat flour, with oat flakes to make the structure more "aerated", which would otherwise be too compact. It goes very well with cold cuts and meats. But I love it spread with tasty jam! 

No matter how you top your perfect sandwich, there is one common denominator: the bread. Good bread is always key to a good sandwich, and here we’re going to share with you one humdinger of a good bread recipe for a lightly seeded rye loaf. This bread will compliment any savory sandwich from well stacked cold cuts to a simple topping of butter. And, if you’ve never made a rye loaf, this is a fantastic introduction to the genre. Get the critical temperatures you need for a perfect finish below!

Is there anything better than a fresh loaf of rustic rye bread with a hearty crust and a tender interior that's still warm from the oven? 

Ingredients

350 g rye flour

150 g whole wheat flour

150 g sourdough (already refreshed)

100 g Oat flakes

1 tablespoon Sugar

1 tsp salt

250 ml Milk (lukewarm)

1 tsp cumin (optional)

1 tsp Aromatic herbs (of your choice I combined rosemary and thyme)

Preparation

Prepare the dough with flour and yeast dissolved in milk. Begin to knead, then add salt, cumin and herbs, finally the oat flakes. Mix everything until you get a homogeneous mixture. Let the dough rest for an hour, then resume it and perform a series of folding folds: gently spread your dough so as to form a type of baguette. Then fold the two sides on each other. Then let it rest for about an hour and proceed with the forming of the baguettes. Let it rest for a few more hours, until the mixture is doubled. Then bake in a preheated oven at 200°C and cook for about an hour!

Notes

RYE belongs to the GRAMINACEAE family and is native to Asia Minor. Precisely because of its resistance to cold, it adapts well to acidic and arid soils. Rye flour is very rich in fiber, with a high content of LYSINE, an essential amino acid that, combined with vitamin C, performs an action that counteracts stress and muscle fatigue. Less caloric than wheat flour, rye has a low glycemic index and contains little gluten.

 

Calzone with ricotta, salami and mozzarella (o' calzon)

Today a typical recipe from Campania the baked stuffed calzone! Too good not to... with its tasty filling then it is practically impossible not to finish it! The baked calzone ricotta and salami is an alternative to the classic pizza, the filling of ricotta and salami inside is very greedy. Since I prepare pizza often, my children love the Pizza Margherita, this time I wanted to prepare baked calzones, a very delicious variant of pizza and I used a filling of ricotta, mozzarella and salami, a spicy salami typical of Calabria, as an alternative to the salami that I was missing. 

The result was exceptional, a calzone not at all greasy, with a stringy and delicious filling. For the filling of the calzones you can indulge yourself according to your tastes, preparing escarole calzones, with broccoli and sausages, with ham, mushrooms, and to make your children happy.

Simplicity, seasonality and excellence these are our guidelines. In the menu I want to enhance the best there is in the gastronomic tradition of Campania. The incredible San Marzano tomato, the exquisite DOP buffalo mozzarella, the attention to the mix of flours, as well as to leavening and hydration, are the foundations on which the skillful work is based. How can you say no to this delight? So much ideal flavor at any time of the day! To have less guilt I prepared them in the oven!... But also fried have their why! 

And how do you prefer them?

Ingredients:

1 Pasta ball for pizza

Ricotta

Buffalo mozzarella 

Salami

Pepper to taste

Procedure

Take a dough obtained previously and spread it with your hands, never with a rolling pin, on a floured surface, until you get a circle. Put the pizza disc in a baking dish. Crush the ricotta with a fork, add the diced and drained mozzarella, a few slices of chopped salami and pepper. If you use the Calabrian salami do not put the pepper. Stir to mix the ingredients. Fill one half of the disc with the previously prepared filling, leaving an edge of about 1 cm. to easily close the calzone. At this point close the calzone by putting the part of free dough on the stuffed one and seal the edge well with your fingers. You have thus obtained a crescent. Bake the calzone in the preheated oven at the highest temperature until it is cooked on the surface. Since the base of the calzone remains a little moist, turn the calzone and cook it for a few minutes. Remove from the oven the calzone ricotta and salami and let it cool.

Serve and enjoy your meal.

 

Mozzarella and tomato millefeuille

The Caprese Salad is a tasty cold dish, made with tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil. In this recipe we will revisit the original version of the tomato millefeuille, adding a special ingredient: the condiment with balsamic vinegar of Modena. The Condiment with "Balsamic Vinegar of Modena I.G.P." is an ideal condiment for meats and cheeses. Today we will use it to flavor the tomato millefeuille and enhance it. The mozzarella and tomato millefeuille is an appetizer, which can also be served as a second course, perhaps for a fresh and light dinner, particularly suitable for every season.

The millefeuille of mozzarella and tomato is a simple and light appetizer, particularly suitable with guests, when the desire for lightness and freshness take over and you are constantly looking for delicious ideas, even better if they are made in a short time and without cooking. The recipe of mozzarella and tomato millefeuille was born as an even more delicious idea to bring to the table in a creative and original way the classic Capri salad, so dear to our cuisine. 

The millefeuille of mozzarella and tomato are a nice and light dish, perfect for your dinners with friends. The ingredients used are minimal, so it is advisable to choose quality. The tomatoes should be firm and not overripe, in order to maintain the shape and support the weight of the millefeuille. The mozzarella must be fresh and not too milky, to avoid the loss of too much liquid, which would have an unpleasant unsightly effect. Needless to say, this recipe with buffalo mozzarella is: a masterpiece of simple cuisine!

Ingredients

4 tomatoes (round, salad tomatoes)

4 mozzarella (the same size as tomatoes)

4 tablespoons pistachio pesto

olive oil to taste (extra virgin)

a few basil leaves

oregano to taste

salt to taste

Preparation

To prepare the millefeuille of mozzarella and tomato, start washing the tomatoes thoroughly, then cut the upper cap and continue to slice them, into circular slices. Proceed with a similar cut for mozzarella. At this point you can proceed to assemble the millefeuille. Start with a slice of tomato, season with salt and sprinkle with a little oil and add a sprinkling of oregano to taste, then continue with a slice of mozzarella; Then again tomato and mozzarella, and so on. Finish with a pouring of pesto on the mozzarella. Your mozzarella and tomato millefeuille is ready, add a fresh basil leaf and serve.

Tip

If the mozzarella is too milky, it is preferable to drain it a little before assembling the millefeuille. It is preferable to serve the mozzarella and tomato millefeuille immediately, as with the passage of time the ingredients lose tone and the millefeuille may not preserve the same shape.

 

What is the best time to drink espresso

For many people, the day really starts with a cup of coffee. But to maximize its energizing effects, the best time to drink coffee may not be waking up. In fact, there may be advantages to drinking it mid-morning or even later, if the goal is to increase concentration and responsiveness.

Benefits of coffee

Among the many nutritional components of coffee, the best known is obviously caffeine, able to: perform stimulating action on gastric and biliary secretion, and therefore facilitate digestion; stimulate cardiac and nervous function, with consequent energetic effect, useful to counteract, for example, post-prandial drowsiness; promote weight loss. Caffeine has a lipolytic effect, that is, it stimulates the use of fats for energy purposes and thermogenesis, increasing the amount of calories burned by the "man machine"; decrease the sense of hunger.

Coffee has now become a necessity for many people, especially at first light. A habit that, according to some recent studies, brings some problems to those who take it in the morning: according to research results, taking coffee in the morning leads to decrease the effect of caffeine bringing both a decrease in long-lasting benefits and people to tolerate it more.

Our bodies produce a hormone called cortisol, also referred to as the stress hormone, which tends to appear just when we are stressed or when we are afraid. In addition to this, however, it turns out to be a key component of the hormonal cycle, known as the circadian clock: it helps us wake up in the morning and makes us relax during the night. Simply put, the more cortisol is released, the more awake we feel.

According to the popular science channel YouTube ASAP Science, two problems arise when we take caffeine during the morning: first of all, it tends to interfere with the production of cortisol, so the body produces less of it and relies more on it. Secondly, drinking coffee when cortisol levels are high leads to developing some tolerance to caffeine, which is why many drinkers claim that coffee has less effect on them.

The advice, therefore, is not to ingest coffee early in the morning, in the middle of the day and in the evening, moments in which cortisol increases: this appears to have its peaks from 6:00 to 10:00, in particular between 8:00 and 9:00. Best enjoy the benefits of caffeine between 10:00 and noon and after lunch, between 14:00 and 17:00. In such hours, in fact, coffee does not interfere with the mechanism by which the body remains awake.

Coffee does not seem to be so harmful to our body at all. According to new research published in the journal Heart, drinking 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day would lead to a reduced risk of having a heart attack. The study, specialized in cardiology, was on a sample of 25 thousand people and the results speak for themselves: those who drank more than three coffees a day had more "purified" arteries than others.

The researchers, in checking patients, checked for calcium in the coronary arteries (first sign of clogged arteries and propensity to heart disease). Thus, they were divided into three groups: the first consume less than one coffee a day, the second from one to three while the third from three to five. Paradoxically, this last group seems to have the lowest level of calcium in the arteries. To conclude, the researchers state: "Our study adds some evidence to the fact that coffee consumption may be inversely associated with heart disease risk."

 

Pizza is a healthy choice 

Pizza is a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet and especially of the Italian one: a dough similar to that of bread stuffed with tomato sauce, vegetables, cheeses, meat and fish... In all respects it is a complete satiating and satisfying meal that can be more or less healthy depending on how it is prepared.

For many of those who have an eye on the diet or must follow specific dietary rules, pizza can be included among the foods granted occasionally, perhaps with some care while for others it is better to give up. But is it or is it not a healthy food? Let's find out together in this article that analyzes the nutritional values of its ingredients and possible contraindications. 

As with many bakery products, pizza can also have a very different nutritional intake depending on the type of ingredients used and the filling, so it is very difficult to establish whether eating it frequently (let's say once a week) is a healthy choice or not. That said, for those who are not subjected to restrictive diets and just want to be sure to have good eating habits, a pizza, homemade or by the trusted pizza maker, which uses excellent quality ingredients is certainly a nutritious meal and not excessively unbalanced. We are obviously talking about a Margherita made with real tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil and a dough made with flour and natural yeast. 

From a nutritional point of view it should be considered a single dish, because it guarantees the right amount of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. In the flour-based dough there are also minerals and B vitamins, the tomato sauce is rich in fiber and antioxidants such as lycopene and mozzarella ''fiordilatte'' provides fat and calcium, obviously then there is the extra virgin olive oil that is rich in excellent nutrients. Adding at least one vegetable to the sauce or a vegetable side dish also guarantees the right amount of fiber and a balanced meal, not excessively caloric. 

As in the case of low-calorie pizza, even the healthiest pizza is certainly a simple version. You always fall well by choosing the classic Margherita (if tomato and mozzarella are excellent products) and preferring flours as little as possible refined. The intake of fiber to have a balanced diet is essential so do not forget to add vegetables such as zucchini, eggplant, radicchio to your pizza!

Tip

Do you want to increase your protein load without using cheese? Choose mushrooms or fish as a protein!

Chicken and chicory

This idea came to me because I had leftover chicory from the night before and I wanted to cook the chicken in a different way from the usual cutlet it came out a quick and tasty dinner!

Chicory is one of those "scavenger" vegetables of the intestine, with a quick and effective setting against abdominal swelling, and it is precisely because of its properties as a neutralizer of toxins that I decided to cook it for a bitter and tasty second course: chicken in a pan with chicory. They prepare quickly and are tasty. Just be careful to cook the chicory well so that it does not become too hard. As for the chicken, I advise you to choose the leg, easy to cut and cook.

Chicken with chicory or other vegetables sautéed in a pan are a classic interregional dish. It is found practically throughout Italy, although it is typical in particular of the Central and Southern regions with different vegetables: with chicory in Lazio, with friarielli in Campania, with turnips in Calabria and Tuscany, with turnip greens in Puglia and so on. It is a recipe often considered typical of Rome. But this is only because of the presence of chicory, which is notoriously highly valued in the capital. In fact, chicken with chicory sautéed in a pan are easily found in many other regions, starting with Abruzzo, Umbria, Marche and Tuscany. In general, chicory is quickly blanched before cooking in a pan. It is a procedure that is fine for those who prefer a more tender and less bitter chicory. However, it is not a necessary procedure. In my opinion it is indeed counterproductive, precisely because it makes the chicory lose its special texture and part of the flavor. Much better to wash it and clean it well, break it up, removing all the hard stems, and cook it directly in the pan.

Ingredients

1 leg of chicken

250 gr of chicory

pecorino cheese to taste

flour to taste for flouring the strips

salt to taste

extra virgin olive oil to taste

Preparation 

In a deep dish, arrange the flour and begin to flour your chicken leg, placing it all together in another deep dish. When you have floured it all, add another little flour and mix it all together. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a non-stick pan and when it is hot, pour, the chicken leg in, cooking it first on one side and then on the other; Add salt. When you have cooked it, put it back in the hot pan and add the chicory the pecorino cheese in abundance if you like and mix everything well. When the chicken leg is nice and creamy together with chicory and pecorino cheese, turn off the heat and serve.

A real goodness!

 

THE FOOD PORN PHENOMENON.

The term "Food Porn" was first used in 1984 by Rosalind Cowards, a journalist, writer, and university lecturer. Over the years this expression has literally been filled with meanings, influencing not only the media and the world of food but also our lives. In fact, very often we see people intent on photographing dishes, raw materials or places related to food, we ourselves often share our outings in restaurants or clubs, publishing on the various types of social photographs and descriptions of what we eat. But what are the implications of this phenomenon? Through this brief study I would like to reflect on some points that characterize it, to better define its contours and its presence today.

Food is, generally, by its very nature synonymous with sharing, exchange, socialization and a vehicle for generating social bonds and cohesion. The phenomenon of Food Porn has reversed these characteristics because it focuses its attention not on the food itself but on its image. This has generated inevitable and strong mutations: attention to aesthetics, understood as the presentation of the dish and raw materials or, in general, of the food to be photographed or filmed; the accentuation of some aspects that can be traced back to the food world and its totality, but translated only by virtue of the images (desirability, refinement or, on the contrary, simplicity, just to name a few); finally, the birth and development of technologies that strongly modify the appearance and therefore, substantially, also part of the subject.

It is often said that the aesthetics associated with dishes, a characteristic that has always been linked to the cuisine of a certain level, through Food Porn has been made accessible to everyone, without distinction. Is this really the case? Is the image of an ice cream of a fast food restaurant bloated, fat, sprinkled with colored sugars or chocolate really and conceptually identical to that of a haute cuisine dish?

Those just mentioned are just some of the elements that can be taken into account for this analysis. The characteristic that, probably, most of all has undergone a strong change is sharing, passing from materiality to, in a certain sense, intangibility, through the exchange of images of food through the various channels that have arisen in recent decades.

There is also (as I mentioned earlier) a differentiation, far from trivial or secondary, between the concept of "modification" of food applied to the two worlds: real and virtual. In the first case, in fact, this aspect is applied materially, through the processes of transformation and / or cooking of the ingredients that change their consistency, appearance, physical-chemical and organoleptic characteristics. In the second, however, the modifications are not real but the result of digital interventions that, with the aim of improving the subject, sometimes also heavily modify the characterizing elements. Which of the two is real food? What cultural and social distortions does all this generate? Given that the purpose of this study is not to give reason to one or the other, I think it is essential to ask ourselves these questions to understand consequently what kind of relationship we want to have with what we eat.

To better understand the meanings of all this, I think it is appropriate to clarify the meaning of the word "Porn", a term that outlines the ability of an individual or an object to draw attention to himself and be able to maintain it. Feature, if we think about it, absolutely important, used not only by those who work on different levels in the world of image linked to food but also by companies. An interesting phenomenon, both for the jobs that until a few years ago were made, and for the consequences from a social point of view. Many large companies related to fast food, in fact, using this important feature and technologies to produce images and videos, have emphasized some characteristics of the products they offer: size, quantity, abundance in condiments and particular textures. This has generated a sort of widespread confusion around the true meaning of "food porn", still too often associated with "junk food" and its negative values both in terms of health and from a cultural and social point of view.

It should also be noted that, in general, sometimes images can mislead the consumer by generating false expectations and therefore disappointment for the differences between the images exhibited on social channels or websites, and the reality of the product offered. On the opposite side, however, in some particular areas, cooking blogs, not perfect photographs and simple and not particularly elaborate dishes are often characteristics that generate curious effects, because they capture the attention of the public making it participate and interactive because it is not intimidated by culinary elaborations too complex or even perfect.

The fiction linked to food therefore has not only social but also anthropological implications, linked to the characteristics and functions inherent not only in what we eat but also to its multiple transformations, a vehicle of very strong meanings since ancient times.

A way of doing photography widespread until a few years ago and now less and less used for the benefit of the real raw material, was the use of products that were often not even edible but had a high yield in visual terms. An aspect linked to the photographic technique of food that perhaps not everyone knows but that adds other pieces to our reasoning and above all to the link between food, image, reality and fiction.

Even today, as I had the opportunity to recall at the beginning of this journey, Food Porn is absolutely present and of vital importance; Instagram is a prime example of this. By virtue of this, numerous courses, articles, tutorials have spread that teach how to produce photos and videos in which the food image is perfect, often using as a slogan the famous phrase that "food is also eaten with the eyes". It is true, after all it has always been so, the aesthetic research of beauty associated with good characterizes the kitchen for a very long time, with different forms and ways, but uniting West and East. However, if the senses are also means through which we get an idea of the world, explore it and know it, what relationship can we establish with an image that does not correspond to reality or is only partially faithful to it? What we feed on, taste teaches us, intrigues, awakens, tempts and satisfies, as long as the relationship with it is real and not totally entrusted to the expectation generated by an image.

I think reflecting on the relationship between image, expectations, ethical and cultural aspects is fundamental, now more than ever, to really give back a fuller value to food, without manifestations or hypocrisies, appreciating what it can give us because it is the result of history, effort, work and passion. A reflection, in short, absolutely still open!

 

Bienvenue dans une expérience Moscato Italienne.

Le Moscato di Scanzo est une perle de la production viticole de Bergame. Non seulement parce qu'il est le seul de la province à bénéficier de l'appellation d'origine garantie (DOCG) mais aussi et surtout parce qu'il est issu d'un cépage ancien cultivé presque exclusivement sur les collines de Scanzorosciate. Le lien avec le territoire est si étroit que le nom du lieu en est venu aussi à indiquer le cépage.

L'histoire de ce vin est très ancienne. Il semble que sa culture ait été propagée par les Romains qui l'ont héritée d'une population de Celtes. La première nouvelle certaine date de 1350. Il est vrai cependant que sa fortune explosa au XVIIIe siècle lorsque Giacomo Quarenghi, un artiste de Bergame, la donna à la tsarine de Russie. Depuis lors, il a acquis une notoriété en devenant célèbre dans toute l'Europe. Aujourd'hui encore, Buckingham Palace se fournit de ce passito. Aujourd'hui encore, il fait partie des vins les plus appréciés de la maison royale anglaise.

Qu'est-ce que le Moscato di Scanzo exactement. Les raisins cultivés appartiennent à la grande famille du Muscat. Les vignes de ce groupe sont unies par le fait qu'elles sont aromatiques, c'est-à-dire qu'elles apportent avec elles un bagage incomparable d'arômes qui se retrouvent ensuite dans le vin. C'est aussi un vin passito, c'est-à-dire qu'avant de presser les raisins, on les laisse sécher : ce procédé sert d'une part à augmenter les sucres dans les baies, d'autre part à amorcer une transformation de certains composés qui donneront le vin sa typicité.

Le consortium, le DOC et le DOCG. Au départ il y a eu l'association des producteurs puis, lorsque la reconnaissance DOC a été accordée en 1993, le Consortium est né. À l'époque, cependant, la marque était encore liée au libellé Valcalepio DOC, dont le Moscato ne représentait qu'un sous-domaine, c'est-à-dire une partie mineure avec des caractéristiques particulières au sein de la production, l'objectif a été atteint en 2009 lorsqu'il est devenu DOCG , premier et unique à Bergame et cinquième en Lombardie. Le plus petit d'Italie. Les données du travail des membres du consortium sont positives : en 2013, les 21 membres du consortium ont produit 60 000 bouteilles, dont 20 % destinées au marché étranger, pour un chiffre d'affaires total de 1 million d'euros.

Les règles pour être DOCG. Passer de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée DOC à l'appellation d'origine contrôlée et garantie DOCG signifie être soumis à des règles très strictes. Le cahier des charges est clair. Afin d'écrire sur l'étiquette Moscato di Scanzo DOCG, celui-ci doit avoir été produit dans la municipalité de Scanzorosciate et uniquement dans les zones indiquées. La récolte est tardive, c'est-à-dire reportée au mois d'octobre pour permettre un premier séchage sur la plante. La vendange est ensuite mise à sécher dans des chambres à température contrôlée pendant une période allant de 20 à 50 jours. Après pressurage et fermentation du moût, le vin vieillit uniquement dans des récipients en acier pendant au moins 24 mois.

Un vin de méditation. De par ses caractéristiques, c'est un vin exceptionnel, à déguster lentement, en recherchant toutes ses nuances. Le sol et la vigne sont capables de donner - savamment combinés - un vin surprenant : parfumé et épicé aux saveurs de fruits rouges, d'églantine, mais aussi de réglisse et de cannelle est l'un des rares muscats rouges produits en Italie.

Moscato di Scanzo, a une couleur rouge rubis profond. Il a un arôme complexe, avec des notes de prune, de confiture, d'églantier, de griotte, de sauge sclarée et de sous-bois. Son goût est équilibré et élégant, doux et velouté. Vous pourrez le déguster en l'associant à des fromages bleus comme le gorgonzola doux, des pâtisseries sèches et des desserts à base de chocolat. Il se déguste aussi très bien seul en fin de déjeuner. Le Moscato di Scanzo DOCG doit être dégusté à une température de 12/15 °C dans de grands verres, pour favoriser l'oxygénation.

Moscato di Scanzo est produit à partir d'une vigne indigène de tradition ancienne, reconnue au niveau européen dans les années 70. Les historiens font remonter son origine vers l'an 1000 avant JC, importée par le légendaire Ateste qui, fuyant Troie, fonda le village Ros (qui en grec signifie grappe de raisin) puis devint Rosciate. Plus tard, Jules César a construit un camp militaire, commandé par un centurion de la famille Scantii, dans la région de l'actuel Scanzo. Les deux communes ont été réunies en 1927 pour devenir Scanzorosciate, berceau du Moscato di Scanzo.

 

Parmigiano Reggiano with cocktails

Grâce à son arôme incomparable et à son goût inégalé, le Parmigiano Reggiano est un ingrédient unique en cuisine : il rehausse les recettes de la tradition italienne et rehausse chaque plat. En même temps, le parmesan est le protagoniste ou le complément idéal de nombreux plats, sans jamais perdre l'équilibre parfait entre douceur et saveur qui est l'un de ses traits les plus typiques. Tout comme le parmesan est un excellent grignotage au début d'un repas et un élément clé de tant de plats, c'est un aliment intelligent à servir lorsque vous dégustez des boissons. Si vous êtes curieux de connaître les cocktails qui ont été jumelés avec du parmesan (en fait deux comportaient même du parmesan comme ingrédient), je vous ai couvert.

Voici un aperçu des recettes des trois boissons réalisées.

PARMARTINI

Ingrédients

50ml Vodka

15 ml de vermouth blanc

5 ml de vinaigre de cornichon

Pour la garniture

Un morceau de Parmigiano Reggiano de 18 mois

Une tranche de Prosciutto de Parme

Un cornichon

Méthode

Mélanger tous les ingrédients.

Garnir d'un morceau de Parmigiano Reggiano 18 mois, d'une tranche de Prosciutto de Parme et d'un cornichon sur pique.

ANCHO MARGARITA

Ingrédients

40 ml de tequlia blanche

20 ml de jus de citron vert

Curaçao Pierre Ferrand 15ml

15 ml de liqueur d'ancho reyes

Parmigiano Reggiano de 24 mois râpé pour le rebord du verre

Flocons de lattes fumés

Méthode

Garnir la moitié d'un verre à roche ou à martini de flocons de sel fumé et râpé 24 mois. Parmigiano Reggiano, puis refroidir le verre au congélateur. Agiter tous les ingrédients et filtrer deux fois dans le verre préparé. Garnir d'une tranche de piment rouge ou d'une tranche d'ancho reyes séchés.

VIVANEAU

Ingrédients

35 ml de gin

Pour mélange d'épices (100 ml)

100 ml de jus de tomate

1 cuillère à soupe de Parmigiano Reggiano finement râpé vieilli 36 mois

Pincée de sel de céleri

Pincée de poivre de Cayenne

Quelques sauces sauce Worcestershire

Quelques shakes Tabasco

Sauce au raifort, au goût

1 cuillère à soupe de jus de citron

Pour la garniture

Deux tranches de concombre

Un bâton de céleri

Copeaux de Parmigiano Reggiano de 36 mois

Méthode

Mélanger le mélange d'épices et combiner avec le gin dans un boston tin avec de la glace et jeter 3-4 fois. Ajouter le mélange à un highball rempli de roches et garnir de concombre, de céleri et de copeaux de Parmigiano Reggiano.

 

Butter, garlic, chili pepper, parsley, dry white wine, seafood 🤤

This dish brings to the table the scent and flavor of the sea and pleases all those who love fish. You can see it done with mussels and clams. 

White wine is the basis of many sauces that go well with seafood, chicken and pasta; The simplicity of the preparation of this sauce allows you to easily adapt it to your taste. You can cook this seasoning in two variations: a light, more liquid one based on butter and chicken broth; a richer and denser one, using cream and flour. Both preparations require a cooking process called "reduction": liquids are cooked together for 5-10 minutes to concentrate the flavors.

The recipe of mussels in white wine prepared with fresh shellfish, as well as being very tasty is also very quick to prepare. Very few ingredients give life to a particularly popular fish dish. In the traditional recipe of the Neapolitan of mussels with wine is not contemplated, but in several other recipes a touch of white wine is suggested to enhance the already divine flavor of this excellent dish. 

Are you looking for some delicious ideas to create appetizers with seafood?

It is an unusual fish appetizer that is prepared in less than 20 minutes, ideal for a dinner with friends or a festive occasion to make a good impression! The appetizer with seafood that I propose is an alternative to the classic bruschetta, also excellent for a delicious appetizer.

Ingredients for 4-6 people

12 slices of bread

200 gr. mussels 

200 gr. of clams

120 gr. shrimps, boiled and shelled

120 gr. scallops

120 gr. squid, washed and chopped

extra virgin olive oil

a handful of chopped parsley

4 cloves of garlic

4 tomatoes

salt and pepper

Preparation

Open the mussels and clams in a pan over medium heat, remove any shells that have not opened. Shell the shellfish and set aside in a bowl. Heat the oven to 200 °C and meanwhile brown the chopped garlic and parsley in a pan over low heat. After a few minutes turn up the heat, add the shrimps, scallops and squid. Cook for 10 minutes then add the peeled and chopped tomatoes. After 5 minutes add the clams and mussels and complete cooking. Turn off the heat and chop everything. Toast the slices of bread in the oven, spread the chopped seafood on top and decorate with the remaining pieces whole and a few tufts of parsley.

 

Beer marries haute cuisine 

Doubts about what to drink with raw vegetables, herring, marinated foods and chocolate? The art of pairing rewards the bold and the brewing people: away with prejudices. Here are the "beer pairings" for true gourmets. Let no one touch the wine! For heaven's sake, it is not the intention of this brief gastronomic focus, and there is no need to point out how our Mediterranean culture is intrinsically linked to grape juice. But let's try to be a bit "open-minded", leaving aside the clichés and "the weight of tradition" and we will discover that beer (today's beer) can offer us great satisfactions.

Although the widest range of proposals concerns wines, a combination after years of studies and comparisons between two giants of the Italian food and wine sector, the growing appreciation of beer in Canada has undoubtedly favored the proximity to the versatile flavors of this drink with Parmiggiano Reggiano. As for wine, the combination of food and beer allows to enhance the organoleptic characteristics of both foods. Flavor, sweetness, fatness, acidity, bitter tendency, greasiness, succulence and taste-olfactory persistence are in general the characterizing elements of the drink that must be taken into account to achieve correct combinations. Always in general terms – and without prejudice to everyone's subjective taste – all Parmiggiano Reggiano seasonings are well suited to beers with marked effervescence, good alcohol content and tannins.

The bitter, style of Anglo-Saxon origin with a long tradition, has characteristics similar to its sister Pale Ale. It has a light amber color, but can have shades that reach up to coppery. It has a delicate, little present and not very persistent foam of white or cream color. The aromatic imprint is of medium intensity even if it does not neglect the structural complexity characterized by biscuit notes, bread, caramel and a discreet fruity note that can recall the apple. It is also possible to have a pleasant and delicate sensation of floral, harmonized by subtle earthy hints. The taste inevitably affects the olfactory sensations, balanced by a dosed bitterness that leaves a decidedly dry drinking finish. However, it is a beer with a medium-low body, characterized by a pleasant drink and an average low carbonation. A perfect beer therefore to combine with Parmiggiano Reggiano.

English style born Porter in the eighteenth century that, over time, has undergone countless transformations. Formerly considered the beer of porters, today it is a style much appreciated by connoisseurs who love strong and complex tastes. The porter has a typical brown color, sometimes enriched with particular ruby reflections, which is accompanied by an abundant beige foam that tends to be compact and persistent. The olfactory notes range from toasted hints reminiscent of biscuits, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, roasted and sometimes slight hints of caramel and dried fruit. A hint also embellished by the typical earthy finish that refers to licorice in root. The taste proposes the notes of chocolate that embrace hints of dried fruit, amaretto and caramel. The aftertaste, on the other hand, can recall licorice and coffee. The complex organoleptic structure binds to the bitterness and to the body of medium intensity, while together with the carbonation a pleasant sensation of creaminess is formed that rounds and facilitates drinking. Despite the atypical pairing, this beer is able to create an interesting combination with Parmiggiano Reggiano.

The Belgian Blond Ale born at the beginning of the twentieth century to face the growing popularity of  Pils, it has a typical golden color that can have more or less intense shades. It is accompanied by a generous foam that tends to be compact and persistent, which often generates the typical "Brussels lace" on the glass. The aroma is extremely interesting, both in intensity and complexity. There are notes conferred by malt that recall the sweetness of bread, caramel and honey. To contribute to the aromatic bouquet there is hops, with floral and sometimes earthy hints, and yeast that characterizes the sense of smell with nuances of ripe fruit with light pulp, citrus fruits such as orange or lemon and spices that refer to cloves. On the palate you can find the nasal sensations carefully supported by an accentuated carbonation. The bitterness is effectively balanced to the point of balancing the prevailing alcoholic and sugary softness. Despite the alcohol content, the sensory structure of this beer lends itself perfectly to the characteristics of Parmiggiano Reggiano.

Deep red tomatoes from Florence

The Florentine Supercostoluto:  Very ribbed fruit, intense red, exceptional for fresh consumption and for the preparation of sauces.

Consistent, tasty and aromatic pulp. It adapts to all types of soil, better to those rich in organic substances. Water more abundantly during ripening. The fruit has very large ribs and is crushed in the center with a weight of about 200gr, it is late and is excellent for salads but also ideal for grilling. Tomatoes reach their maximum ripeness in summer. Today, with the use of greenhouses, production is year-round. The tomatoes of late summer are used, by many, to prepare the famous tomato sauce even if it is a custom less and less implemented. The tomato can also be dried and preserved in oil. From the skins of tomatoes today a dye is obtained that is used inside the jars to prevent them from oxidizing.

In 100g of tomato we have 94 of water, 3.5 of carbohydrates, 2 of fiber and 18 cal., it also has 297 mg of potassium, 0.3 mg of iron, vitamin A for 610mg and vitamin C for 25mg. 

Benefits

To the heart as it decreases heart disease by 29% and if it is biological it is a real natural drug. It also contains two phytocompounds with antioxidant action and anthocyanins in addition to lycopene. Being rich in water and potassium, it has a rehydrating and re-mineralizing action. Also excellent for its filling properties taking away hunger. It is also good for the skin as a regular intake of this vegetable leads to smooth skin and is an excellent product to protect the epidermis. The vitamin C contained is excellent for the immune system and the WHO recommends an almost daily intake. For your beauty, in addition to its ingestion, you can use it for dryness of the skin. Mix a ripe tomato with 30g of glycerin, massage your hands for four minutes and the results are amazing. Tomato slices are also used for mosquito bites and sunburn. The French also call them ''pomme d'amour'' while the English call them ''love apple'' and according to legend they are aphrodisiacs. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant and therefore protective for our body, especially for neurodegenerative diseases related to aging processes and genetic damage due to diseases. It is excellent as a prevention of cancer especially those affecting the colon and prostate. It also has slimming properties because, by removing the appetite, they cause you to lose weight as well as stimulating the production of carnitine which is an amino acid that transforms lipids into energy. It prevents osteoporosis and keeps cholesterol such as oats and spinach under control. It brings benefits to the eye because they contain beta-carotene and lutein that protects them from degenerative diseases. Broccoli, pumpkins, eggplants and zucchini are recommended for eye protection. Containing fiber, it is excellent for digestion favoring the proper functioning of the intestine and it is recommended to use it for those suffering from constipation. If raw stimulates diuresis, it is better if salt is added, which promotes the purification of the body. Watermelons and melons and cucumbers also have diuretic functions.

Undisputed symbol of the Italian culinary tradition, the tomato is the ingredient par excellence, the protagonist of our tables and even of verses and poems. Yet there is no "the" tomato, but hundreds of different varieties, each suitable for a certain type of preparation and cooking: among the most loved we find salad tomatoes, also called table tomatoes, excellent alone – simply seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, salt, basil or oregano – or in rich mixed salads.  It has a medium-late plant, of good vigor, very productive, with flat fruits, super-ribbed, which can reach 200 grams of weight. The Florentine Supercostoluto is normally advisable to thin out the fruits, eliminating the malformed ones and leaving a maximum of 5-6 per stage. Excellent for both fresh and grilled consumption and for sauces.

The Supercostoluto Fiorentino tomato has flattened fruits, provided with deep grooves over the entire surface. It has a deep red color and weighs about 200 g. In the kitchen it is unsurpassed in salads and in general in raw consumption, but it is also excellent grilled.

Antipasto platter with cheese and cold cuts

The platter of cold cuts and cheeses for a thousand occasions is a real salvation when we want to put on the table something delicious to tease for the snack or for the appetizer. Easy to customize according to what we have or like, it is versatile and very appetizing.

Here are the 6 simple rules to make and compose a platter of cold cuts and cheeses perfect for your dinners with friends. The platter of cold cuts and cheeses is very trendy lately. It is in fact an excellent idea different from the usual to the classic dinner with friends in addition to the fact that it is beautiful to look at and whets the appetite a lot. A nice mixed platter of cold cuts, cheeses and various appetizers is always well appreciated by everyone as long as it is well done and with excellent quality products. It is no coincidence that cured meats and cheeses represent the most classic appetizer of Italians and also the most loved. Starting from the basic concept that it is better to be small quantity but of high quality, choose the products carefully because that will make the real difference between an excellent cutting board and a cheesy cutting board!

As for the actual cutting board, opt for the classic wood, which is always very beautiful and natural and where the ingredients stand out at their best. You can choose it round or rectangular, medium size or large.

Let's start with cured meats. You can opt for raw cured meats (raw prosciutto, speck, pancetta, salami, coppa, bresaola, lard) or cooked salami (cooked prosciutto, mortadella, roast turkey breast, porchetta). It would be better not to mix them together, in case you make two separate cutting boards. In both cases, arrange them with the slices folded in half starting from the leanest to the fattest ones.

CHEESES. They should be arranged from the freshest to the most seasoned and from the most delicate to the strongest. Arrange them in order, from the most delicate to the most tasty so as not to overwhelm the palate. The advice is not to propose more than 3-4 cheeses and very importantly, they should be served at room temperature. Then remove them from the refrigerator at least two hours before serving.

BREAD. Near the cured meats always place special bread cut into small slices, crackers or breadsticks. 

The platter platter of cold cuts and cheeses is the right choice that helps you when you do not have much time to cook and still want to organize a small snack for a convivial evening. In fact, it can be served either as a snack or as a real appetizer. If the cutting board is very rich, it can also replace dinner. For the portions adjust according to the people and the courses of the dinner. The platter of cold cuts and cheeses always satisfies everyone, it is very scenic to present on the table and following these simple rules with little effort you will make a great impression with which you will amaze all the diners. On the net there are many examples of how to compose a beautiful cutting board that is at the same time good but also beautiful to look at. 

Some are true works of art!

Minestrone with Garlic Toast 

The garlic croutons are a recipe that I use a lot, I like to prepare it to dip them in minestrone soup. They are relatively simple to prepare but here are my tricks to get the most out of simple croutons. 

Ingredients for 2 person

2-3 slices of stale bread (any type of sliced bread is fine.

1 garlic clove

1 knob of butter 

Procedure

The preparation is very simple, you have to cut the bread into slices into homogeneous cubes, the size I prefer is 2 cm x 2 cm because it is large it allows you to be taken with a spoon and gives me taste in soups. Smaller croutons could look like crumbs and "dirty the plate" from an aesthetic point of view. Put a pan with a thick bottom on a high flame, when the pan is hot (about 2 minutes) put the bread and a clove of garlic crushed. The most important part of this operation is to check the bread, flipping it from time to time. The croutons must be golden and colored without burning. Sauté the pan as you would with pasta every minute for 2 or 3 times until the croutons have obtained the color and level of cooking you want. If you want to make the croutons less light but tastier, add a knob of butter in the pan when you put the crushed garlic clove. In this way the butter will flavor and in turn release the flavor on the croutons. Be careful not to darken the butter too much, as soon as it starts to fry it's time to put the croutons. Here the operation is a little more complicated, the croutons tend to absorb butter quickly so you have to continue to flip them so they absorb butter on both sides. Once "glazed" let them cook and brown. Advice, if you have leftover bread and do not know what to do with it, cut it into cubes and freeze it... It will be useful for garlic croutons that evening that you will come home and you will not even have crackers around the house.

Your garlic croutons are ready!

Minestrone: the word alone brings to mind the scent of genuine things, happy moments and family warmth. The minestrone recipe is in fact one of the many typical Italian recipes that is handed down from family to family, which at least once in our lives we have all prepared and that precisely because it is a traditional recipe everyone prepares in his own way. There is no perfect time to prepare minestrone but surely winter, with its cold temperatures, is a very good candidate to be the ideal season for this dish; This does not prevent us from preparing it even when it is hot outside and eating it cold, focusing on the quality and the greatest variety of seasonal ingredients.

In all cases, at the base of the minestrone there is always a sauté prepared with celery, onion and carrot to be browned in oil and then added water and all other vegetables. The sauté is one of the elements on which traditions often diverge: it is not uncommon to taste soups with sautéed pork lard to which celery, onion and carrot are added and almost always also bacon cubes, for a stronger flavor and certainly more calories. Before moving on to the recipe, a small consideration is necessary for this recipe: minestrone is a real exercise in fantasy. Once you have acquired the basic recipe, you can play with the ingredients in order to create a personalized and unique dish.

Classic minestrone

Ingredients

150 pasta

100 grams green beans

100 grams spinach

100 grams beans

30 gr butter

4 tomato

2 potato

2 carrot

1 leek

1 zucchini

1 onion

1 garlic clove

1 bunch parsley

1 bunch basil

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 l vegetable broth

salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Preparation

Clean, wash and dice potatoes, zucchini and carrots; chopped green beans and strips spinach (or herbs). Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water, peel them, remove the seeds and reduce them to fillets. Chop the peeled onion and garlic with the white leek, parsley and basil washed. Sauté the chopped mixture in a saucepan with 4 tablespoons of oil and 30 g of butter; When they are wilted, add the tomatoes, let them flavor, then add the vegetables, including beans, and after 5 minutes wet with 3 liters of hot broth. Adjust salt, pepper and cook for 2 hours, flat and covered (in the pressure cooker it takes about 30 minutes). Then add the pasta and finish cooking, bring to the table with grated parmesan on the side. If it's hot you can also choose to cool the classic minestrone in the dishes before serving.

Tip

To prepare a perfect minestrone just dose all the ingredients properly. Here we propose the classic recipe (100% vegetarian), perfect to adapt to every need and ideal to enrich to your liking. Follow my directions and take advantage of all the vegetables to prepare an easy and genuine dish.