Pizza au pepperoni 

Les Américains mangent environ 350 tranches de pizza par seconde. Trente-six pour cent de ces tranches de pizza sont avec du pepperoni, ce qui fait de la viande séchée le choix n ° 1 des garnitures de pizza aux États-Unis. En Inde, le gingembre mariné, le mouton haché et le fromage paneer sont les garnitures préférées pour les tranches de pizza. Au Japon, le Mayo Jaga (une combinaison de mayonnaise, de pomme de terre et de bacon), l'anguille et le calmar sont les favoris. Les petits pois font vibrer les pizzerias brésiliennes et les Russes adorent la pizza au hareng rouge.

Vous êtes-vous déjà demandé qui a inventé le morceau de plastique circulaire qui empêche la pizza de toucher l'intérieur du dessus de la boîte ? L'économiseur d'emballage pour pizzas et gâteaux a été inventé par Carmela Vitale de Dix Hills, New York, qui a déposé le brevet américain n° 4 498 586 le 10 février 1983.

Le pepperoni est essentiellement une version américaine du salami, quelque chose de proche de ce que les Italiens pourraient appeler salame piccante, un terme générique qui signifie « salami épicé ». Il est fabriqué à partir de bœuf et de porc séché mélangés puis assaisonnés avec un mélange qui comprend généralement du paprika, de l'ail, du poivre noir, du poivron rouge broyé, du poivre de Cayenne, des graines de moutarde et des graines de fenouil. Chaque producteur de pepperoni utilise un mélange et un rapport d'ingrédients différents, mais le paprika est toujours présent : c'est ce qui donne sa couleur au pepperoni. Et clairement cette liste d'ingrédients a eu une certaine influence sur le nom ! Une fois la viande parée pour obtenir le bon rapport graisse/viande, elle est broyée, combinée avec des bactéries lactiques, et enfin fermentée, fumée, séchée et farcie dans un boyau. Ecco!

L'immigration italienne aux États-Unis a considérablement augmenté au début du 20e siècle, et ces immigrants ont commencé à combiner leurs traditions de saveurs du sud de l'Europe avec des ingrédients américains. En 1919, nous voyons la première mention de pepperoni dans les épiceries fines italo-américaines du Lower Manhattan, bien que pendant la Première Guerre mondiale, le mot ait commencé à être utilisé parmi les soldats italo-américains comme synonyme de saucisse. Après la guerre, le pepperoni a commencé à apparaître comme garniture de pizza, mais toujours principalement dans les pizzerias de New York. Colin Caplan, auteur de New Haven Apizza, dit que ce n'est qu'au milieu du XXe siècle que le véritable mariage de la pizza et du pepperoni a été célébré. La première preuve qu'il a trouvée du pepperoni comme garniture de pizza est venue en 1950 d'une photo d'un menu mural dans une pizzeria nommée The Spot à New Haven, Connecticut. Depuis lors, il a commencé à se répandre dans les sélections de garnitures à travers le pays. Mais pourquoi? La nourriture disponible pour les immigrants italiens de la classe ouvrière à New York : il y avait beaucoup de tomates, par exemple, mais pas de basilic frais, donc la recette de base de chez nous était déjà forcément en train de changer. Les viandes auxquelles ils étaient habitués, comme la capicola, prenaient des mois à assaisonner et à préparer beaucoup trop longtemps pour ensuite être « gaspillées » sur une simple pizza. Arrive le pepperoni, qui ne traîne que pendant une à trois semaines, et une version fast-food (le terme est relatif !) est née. Et la vitesse est devenue essentielle. Alors que la pizza gagnait en popularité aux États-Unis et que des chaînes de franchises (comme Pizza Hut et Domino's) commençaient à ouvrir, les ingrédients devaient être produits en masse, faciles à fournir et, surtout, facilement disponibles. Pepperoni a rempli toutes ces exigences.

Depuis cette époque dans les années 1960, il n'y a pas eu de retour en arrière. La plupart des Américains entendent le mot « pizza » et visualisent immédiatement une tarte au fromage avec du pepperoni sur le dessus. C'est si simple. La seule question n'est pas de savoir si nous devrions ou non manger du pepperoni; c'est quel pepperoni est le meilleur. Les avis sont partagés sur la question de savoir si une tranche de la substance doit s'enrouler lorsqu'elle est cuite ou rester à plat. Certains disent que les petites tasses de pepperoni cuit accomplissent un travail important : empêcher la graisse épicée et fondue de se déverser sur la surface de la pizza. D'autres recherchent un disque plat (légèrement) plus sain. Nous préférons notre pepperoni de grand diamètre surdimensionné pour vous assurer d'en avoir un peu dans chaque bouchée. Ce qui n'est pas contesté, c'est sa popularité. Sur les trois milliards de pizzas consommées chaque année par les Américains, le pepperoni représente 53 %. Nous ne sommes pas surpris que ce soit aussi la garniture préférée des clients et des Pizzeria!

Une vague d'immigration au Canada après la Seconde Guerre mondiale a apporté à Windsor certains de ses premiers restaurants italiens dans les années 1940. Bien que les détails les plus fins de la naissance de la pizza à la Windsor ne soient pas connus, la plupart des habitants de Windsor s'accordent à dire que Volcano Pizzeria est l'endroit où tout a commencé. Ouvert en 1957 par les cousins ​​​​Gino Manza et Frank Gualtieri, Volcano a d'abord fonctionné comme un restaurant italien et a ensuite commencé à servir des pizzas dans les années 1960.

Au sommet de sa popularité, Volcano Pizzeria livrait sa pizza via 20 voitures de livraison Volkswagen Beetle qui sont devenues un spectacle familier dans tout Windsor. Lorsque Volcano a fermé ses portes en 1986, bon nombre de ses anciens employés ont pris la recette littérale du succès du restaurant et ont lancé leurs propres pizzerias. Certains amateurs de pizza de Windsor disent que, de cette façon, chaque pizzeria de la ville a ses racines à Volcano. Aujourd'hui, la pizza Windsor se définit par plusieurs caractéristiques clés. Il y a d'abord la pâte, qui est faite avec de la farine mélangée à de la semoule de maïs. La croûte résultante est croustillante avec une épaisseur moyenne qui se compare mieux à la pizza de style new-yorkais.

Les garnitures classiques de la pizza Windsor ont tendance à froncer les sourcils chez les non-initiés, mais les amateurs de ce style vous diront qu'il y a un but savoureux derrière chaque élément. Il y a du pepperoni râpé coupé en julienne, qui crée une meilleure répartition sur la tarte que le pepperoni circulaire traditionnel. Il garantit également que chaque bouchée contient un punch au pepperoni savoureux et permet à l'huile qui a tendance à s'accumuler dans les tasses à pepperoni de se répandre à la place sur la surface de la pizza.

La prochaine garniture essentielle est les champignons en conserve. Les champignons frais se ratatinent et se dessèchent généralement dans un four à pizza à haute température, ce qui compromet leur texture et leur saveur. L'humidité que les champignons frais libèrent pendant la cuisson peut également donner une croûte pâteuse. En revanche, les champignons en conserve conservent leur humidité, conservant leur propre élasticité ainsi que l'intégrité de la croûte.

Le fromage pour la pizza Windsor est une mozzarella riche en matières grasses provenant de Galati Cheese Company, un fabricant de fromage familial qui opère à Windsor depuis plus de 40 ans. Bien que chaque pizzeria de Windsor ait sa propre recette de sauce secrète, le dénominateur commun est une saveur épicée-douce distinctive avec une généreuse pincée d'origan. La fierté de Windsor pour sa tarte unique en son genre a façonné le paysage de la pizza de la ville. Plutôt que de grandes franchises internationales, Windsor est dominée par des pizzerias indépendantes et des mini-chaînes locales. Comme vous vous en doutez peut-être pour un aliment si apprécié, chaque habitant de Windsor a son propre endroit préféré pour déguster la tarte populaire de la ville.

Le Windsor Pizza Club, compilé par Tourism Windsor Essex, est un bon point de départ pour les visiteurs désireux d'essayer la pizza de Windsor. Le sentier autoguidé comprend huit pizzerias, dont Capri Pizzeria, Antonino's Original Pizza, Armando's Pizza et Arcata Pizzeria, qui sont souvent citées comme les meilleurs endroits de la ville pour découvrir pourquoi cette tarte inhabituelle inspire tant de passion.

Veal cotoletta  😍🤩

Schnitzel with perfect breading. Simple, tender, tasty. The meat cutlet is a second among the most loved and prepared, but often the breading comes off, making it not very crunchy and ugly to see, today I explain how to get a perfect meat cutlet, dry, tender and with a crispy breading that does not come off during cooking, the trick is very simple, just do not flour the meat, Try it and you will see that beautiful cutlet. 😉 

To prepare a good cutlet choose a tender beef or veal all cuts of meat from the beef thigh, very tender cuts and perfect for this preparation. You can replace beef with pork or chicken also. Veal cutlets are a classic recipe of Italian cuisine, slices of veal or beef breaded and fried in a pan ... Irresistible! A delicious goodness crunchy and golden outside, soft inside, super tasty!

Ingredients

4 slices Beef

2 Eggs

Breadcrumbs

Peanut or olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Preparation

Beat the eggs with ground pepper (I add 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan.) Pass one at a time the slices of meat in the egg on both sides and then in the breadcrumbs that you will adhere well on both sides, proceed in the same way for the other slices (if you want a thicker and crunchy breading you can do a double breading by passing the already breaded slices again in the egg and breadcrumbs). Baking in the oven: Turn on the oven at 180 °C cover a baking sheet with baking paper and place the breaded slices of meat, drizzle with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, bake for 15/25 minutes, they must brown. Cooking in a pan: Heat peanut or olive oil well in a large pan, as soon as the oil is hot, fry the meat cutlets a few at a time and brown them on both sides, put to dry on paper for frying. Serve immediately! The meat cutlet is ready to be enjoyed... Enjoy your meal!

 

Panino all'olio and freshly sliced mortadella❤️

How many times have we decided to have lunch with a sandwich or, looking at the half-empty fridge, we realized that the only thing that could save us was a sandwich? Who knows when, in the course of history, man decided to put ingredients between two slices of bread. A sandwich that unites all of Italy, the rosette (or the sandwich you love most) with freshly sliced mortadella, a riot of aromas and delicacies that is difficult to give up. To do this you will only need high quality bread, in addition to the right mortadella, the one with pistachio, to which you can also combine grilled vegetables, cheeses, dried tomatoes in oil, sauces of various kinds. Sandwiches stuffed with mortadella? When it comes time for a snack or lunch in the office and on all those occasions when a sandwich is the answer to hunger and little time, here you can choose a sandwich with mortadella. 

The delicious combinations with mortadella are many and certainly tempting even to adults, but there are other unusual ones. Mortadella and mustard together are a force of nature. Choose sweet mustard, so that it does not cover the flavor of the salami. Spread it on bread, cover with mortadella and close the sandwich! Combine with a nice glass of Lambrusco and a quick dinner is served! The approach of foodies to the world of gastronomy should not ignore a playful attitude towards food and wine. Often the "gourmet" moments of our lives are linked to memories as simple as they are exciting, perhaps spent in the company of some friends between lavish meals and four laughs. Well, if there is a salami that can best express the sense of lightheartedness this is definitely mortadella.

If you already have your mouth watering my advice is to refresh your palate with a glass of Emilian Lambrusco, the wine synthesis of the character of this land, cordial and generous like the bubbles that will fill your glass. The vinous, fruity and floral aromas, especially of violet, the fresh, lively taste with light tannins, will be a perfect match to counteract the natural fatness of mortadella, especially if accompanied by a slice of crispy white pizza, perhaps seasoned with coarse salt. A union between frank, simple flavors that tell us about our childhood, but still able to give moments of absolute pleasure to our palate.

 

Eggplant meatballs 🍆, and stuffed peppers

Peppers, zucchini, aubergines and much more... How to resist stuffed vegetables? And while we're at it, why not prepare delicious meatballs?There are vegetables such as peppers, round zucchini, tomatoes and eggplants that seem to be made to be filled. Meat, vegetables, peaches, cheese, rice and breadcrumbs are just some of the ingredients indicated to prepare tasty fillings, to be enjoyed after a passage in the oven, with separate cooking or raw. Many love the mixture of these flavors with vegetables, but there are also those who prefer the filling, especially if meat. So, why not prepare some meatballs too? Fried, baked and steamed they can be prepared with minced meat, fish, vegetables and accompanied with sauces and creams perfect to contrast with their crunchiness. Here then is a collection of perfect recipes to satisfy the palate of those who love stuffed vegetables, but also for lovers of the legendary meatballs: you will see that many times the ingredients are repeated and you will find many simple recipes to prepare with little expense!

Green light to: zucchini stuffed with eggplant and mint, stuffed zucchini, vegetables stuffed with herbal bread, stuffed peppers, tomatoes stuffed with rice, stuffed tomatoes, peppers stuffed with meat and cheese, eggplant boats stuffed with fish, tomatoes stuffed with sardines, peppers stuffed with sausage, peppers stuffed with bread and provolone, stuffed aubergines with mozzarella and cherry tomatoes, peppers stuffed with sea bass, prawns and squid, pork balls with speck and ricotta, skewers of meatballs with jackdaws and beans, veal balls, meatballs with gruyère pepper and olives, meatballs of herbs and quinoa with pecorino cream, lamb meatballs with radishes, veal and carrot meatballs with leek sauce and meatloaf with ricotta.

Here are two of my recipes to prepare stuffed vegetables and meatballs at will:

Zucchini stuffed with eggplant and mint

Ingredients

750 g 3 zucchini

350 g 1 eggplant

3 Tomatoes

grated parmesan

Olives

capers in salt

mint

extra virgin olive oil

salt

Pepper

Procedure

Cut the eggplant in two lengthwise, cut the pulp with the tip of a sharp knife and grease it with oil. Place it with the pulp down on a baking sheet covered with baking paper and bake at 190 ° C for about 20 minutes. Trim the zucchini and cut them in two lengthwise; Empty them of the central part with the seeds, salt them lightly and place them in a freshly greased baking dish. Pit a dozen olives and chop them coarsely. Wash a teaspoon of capers from salt and chop too. Empty the aubergines and, with the knife, chop the pulp with some mint leaves; Then mix it with the capers and olives and ground pepper and distribute it in the zucchini (salt is not necessary because the capers will give the right flavor). Thinly slice the tomatoes, arrange the slices on the filling, grease with a little oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 180 °C for 8 minutes; Remove the zucchini from the oven and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Stuffed zucchini

Ingredients

1 Kg round zucchini

700 g eggplant

500 g tomatoes 

30 g chopped desalted capers

marjoram

thyme

Fennel

fresh chili

grated parmesan

salt

Procedure

Prepare finely chopped with thyme, fennel and marjoram. Cut the bottom of the tomatoes, immerse them for less than 1 in boiling water, drain, peel and divide them in half. Then place them on a plate, salt them, season with the finely chopped, a little oil and bake them in a ventilated oven at 120 ° C for 45. Take them out of the oven and cut into cubes. Pierce the aubergines and bake them in the ventilated oven on a baking sheet lined with baking paper at 180 ° C for about 45. Remove from the oven, peel and cut the pulp into cubes. Level the bottom of the zucchini; Eliminate the caps. Dig them up and blanch them in boiling water for 1-2. Drain, cool in cold water and dry them. Season the diced tomato and eggplant with chopped capers, 50 g of Parmesan cheese, chopped marjoram and fresh chilli, a drizzle of oil and season with salt, if necessary. Stuff the zucchini with this filling, sprinkle with parmesan and bake in a ventilated oven at 180 ° C for 10-12. Remove the zucchini from the oven and serve immediately.

Stuffed vegetables with herb bread

Stuffed peppers

Tomatoes stuffed with rice

Stuffed tomatoes 

Peppers stuffed with meat and cheese

Eggplant boats stuffed with fish

Tomatoes stuffed with sardines

Peppers stuffed with sausage

Peppers stuffed with bread and provolone cheese

Aubergines stuffed with mozzarella and cherry tomatoes

Peppers stuffed with sea bass, shrimp and squid

Pork meatballs with bacon and ricotta

Skewers of meatballs with jackdaws and beans

Veal meatballs

Meatballs of herbs and quinoa with pecorino cream

Lamb meatballs with radishes

Veal and carrot meatballs with leek sauce

Meatloaf with ricotta

 

Piccata de veau

Je suis un grand amateur de pâtes, donc chaque fois que je commence à avoir envie de manger quelque chose d'italien, je regarde vers l'extrémité du spectre des plats de viande. Normalement, je suis partant pour n'importe quelle escalope de poulet qu'ils ont au menu, mais parfois je suis juste d'humeur pour quelque chose d'un peu plus sophistiqué. Et rien n'est aussi tendre et délicieux que le veau. J'ai trouvé de bonnes escalopes à l'épicerie, alors j'ai décidé de les faire dans une piccata de veau classique. Servir avec des pâtes, si nécessaire.

La piccata de veau au citron est un savoureux second plat à base de viande, facile et rapide à préparer et très savoureux. De très fines tranches de veau farinées et cuites au beurre, parfumées au citron et rafraîchies au persil pour un second plat parfait pour tous les jours et pour toutes les occasions très facile et rapide à préparer. Lisez comment faire une piccata de veau au citron avec la recette facile que vous trouverez ci-dessous, comme d'habitude, immédiatement après la photo. 😉

Ingrédients

Emincé de Veau 500 Gr

Beurre 80 Gr

Farine

Persil 1 touffe

Jus de citron 1

¼ tasse de câpres, égouttées

Sel

Procédure

Battez les tranches sans trop les effiler et farinez-les légèrement. Dans une poêle faire fondre le beurre et assaisonner la viande à feu vif pendant 5 minutes en la retournant plusieurs fois. Salé. Diluez le jus d'un citron filtré à travers une passoire avec autant d'eau, versez-le dans la casserole, laisser réduire un peu ajouter les 2 cuillères à soupe restantes de beurre, le jus de citron, les câpres et le persil et assaisonner de sel et de poivre. Étalez trois ou quatre flocons de beurre, laissez-les fondre complètement puis éteignez. Servir la piccatine recouverte de sauce.

Artichoke Salad 👌🍷💕

The artichoke salad is a perfect side dish in this period when the artichokes are really tender. Just clean well and thinly slice the artichokes and you're done! As for the dressing of this salad we can stay on the classic oil, lemon and parsley or launch into other combinations with parmesan, orange, apples and so on. Today I give you the recipe for the traditional artichoke salad, the basic one, soon we will indulge ourselves with other combinations. Needless to say, this artichoke salad is ideal for both vegetarians and all those who are on a diet... goodness and lightness! The artichoke is a food and medicinal herbaceous plant that is grown in many countries and that is harvested both in autumn and spring.

Ingredients

Artichokes

lemon

olive oil

salt

Pepper

Garlic clove

parsley

Procedure

Clean the artichokes by removing all the harder outer leaves and leaving only the heart of the artichoke. Cut the artichoke in half, remove the hay inside and put the artichokes in water acidulated with lemon to prevent them from blackening. Slice the artichokes into thin slices, put them in a bowl and season with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and a handful of fresh parsley. Stir and let stand at least half an hour before serving to flavor the artichokes. If you want you can add to this salad of artichokes a whole clove of garlic that you will remove before serving.

 

Contadino Salad 😜👌🍷💕 

The farmer's salad is a tasty idea to make a rich salad, perfect as a second course, to be prepared quickly and that you can enjoy both at home and at work. I really like salads and also very often they are a valid solution to empty the fridge. In this case I combined, to a base of salad and cherry tomatoes, grilled sausages and pecorino cheese!

Seasoned with oil and vinegar (if you like) it will conquer you completely, try it to believe it!

It is now entering my daily menu. Like every year, when you start to approach the dreaded "bikini test" I put in peace my conscience a little dirty from winter binges (and not only) with a nice salad for lunch.

However, since I am never satisfied with simple and trivial things, I always try to cheer up the sad salad because basically a salad is a bit sad, if not accompanied by other grittier elements with more tasty and particular ingredients. So, the other day, a little by conscious choice, a little by necessity given by what I had available in the fridge, I made myself a "Farmer's Salad". 

Ingredients

mixed salad to taste

5-6 cherry tomatoes

1 diced olives

50 g pecorino cheese (my favorite)

salt

oil

vinegar (white or balsamic wine)

Procedure

Cut the pecorino cheese into cubes. Mix 2 teaspoons of oil with a teaspoon of vinegar and a pinch of salt. In a bowl put the salad and the cherry tomatoes cut in pieces, add the diced olives and the pecorino cheese. Season with the emulsion of oil and vinegar and enjoy your farmer's salad!

Pasta alla carrettiera 

Pasta alla carrettiera is a very tasty first course made with a few simple ingredients. The name seems to derive from the Sicilian carters who prepared this dish of easy preservation to be able to taste it during their travels. The pasta alla carrettiera knows different versions, it is also proposed in Roman cuisine and in more recent variants with the addition, for example, of mushrooms and tuna. In this recipe I propose a dressing of garlic, chili, Pecorino and parsley raw, in which to mix the spaghetti. A tantalizing and quick sauce that will be prepared in the cooking time of the pasta. With the pasta alla carrettiera you will make garlic lovers happy, but also reassure the most fearful: raw garlic will be more digestible if you take care to eliminate the inner sprout!

The Lazio cuisine is characterized by a variety of flavors, ingredients and raw materials in which Rome is the protagonist yes, but not absolute. Throughout the region, from the Rieti Apennines to the Pontine coasts, we find a certain wealth of ingredients that can make us forget the attractive role of the Capitoline tables. From the peasant culture and the traditions of breeding derive a recipe in the region: pasta alla carrettiera. Add this tomatoey Roman-style pasta sauce to your arsenal of recipes you can make from a small handful of pantry staples.  Spaghetti alla carrettiera offers two things to us all right now. The first is practical recipe ideas that we can lean on to make mealtime a little more interesting. The second is more philosophical. At its heart, carrettiera is the pantry pasta sauce, demonstrating just how much possibility is already hidden within our larders. Let's take inspiration from that. 

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 ounces (40g) dried porcini mushrooms

1 cup (235ml) boiling water

1/2 cup (120ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for finishing pasta

4 medium cloves garlic, minced

Large pinch red pepper flakes

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley leaves and tender stems, divided, plus more for garnish

One (28-ounce; 795g) can whole peeled tomatoes with liquid, thoroughly crushed

One (5-ounce; 140g) olive oil-packed tuna, preferably ventresca (tuna belly), oil reserved

Kosher salt

1 pound (450g) dried spaghetti

PREPARATION

In a small heatproof bowl or measuring cup, soak mushrooms in boiling water until fully softened, about 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove mushrooms from soaking liquid and squeeze out excess moisture back into the bowl or measuring cup. Reserve rehydrated mushrooms and 1/4 cup (60ml) soaking liquid, making sure to dispose of any grit that has settled at the bottom. In a 5-quart pot, combine 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1 tablespoon minced parsley. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until very fragrant and garlic is just beginning to turn the lightest shade of gold, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until lightly sautéed and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add reserved 1/4 cup (60ml) mushroom soaking liquid, tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons (30ml) reserved tuna oil (if your tuna doesn't have that much oil, just add as much as it does), and bring to a simmer. Season with salt. In a pot of salted, boiling water, cook spaghetti, stirring frequently, until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute less than package recommends. While spaghetti is cooking, flake tuna into pasta sauce. Using tongs, transfer spaghetti directly into simmering sauce along with 1/4 cup (60ml) pasta cooking water, stirring to combine. Cook, stirring, until pasta is al dente and sauce has thickened, so it coats noodles and isn't watery, about 3 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup minced parsley and 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil, stirring vigorously to combine. If sauce is too thick, add more olive oil or pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring well between additions, until desired sauce consistency is reached. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary. Transfer to warmed plates and sprinkle with minced parsley. Serve right away.

Tip

The sauce can be made in ahead of time and refrigerated up to 3 days, but it's best when made right before serving.

Sicilian sfincione 

The sfincione is a typical Sicilian specialty, a characteristic focaccia embellished by the presence of cheese, anchovies and various aromas. It is rich in flavor and can be eaten either hot at the moment or cold the next day. There are many variations of sfincione. The tasty sfincione is made with a mixture of flour, yeast and other ingredients that will then be spread in a baking pan and seasoned with browned onions with the sauce before cooking. Here are the steps for the sfincione recipe.

Don't just call it pizza, let alone focaccia! The sfincione palermitano is much more, a real riot of the typical flavors of Sicily, to be enjoyed at home with family and friends on Saturday evening, but also outside the home, on the street. It is undoubtedly the symbol of Sicilian street food.

Prepared with a few simple ingredients such as tomato, anchovies and caciocavallo, it is a delicacy with an intense flavor, typically Mediterranean. Just think that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has even decided to include sfincione among the traditional Italian agri-food products! So what are you waiting for? Come with me to discover the recipe of sfincione palermitano, so you can also make it at home and bring a bit of Sicily on your table.

Ingredients

500g flour

230 g water

12 g fresh brewer's yeast

1 teaspoon salt

60 g olive oil

to prepare the dressing

200 ml tomato puree

100 g caciocavallo cheese

Anchovies in oil

Olive oil to taste

Salt to taste

Breadcrumbs 

Procedure

First of all it is necessary to prepare the sfincione dough, also because it must rest for a long time: You have to heat the yeast, putting it in a glass together with a little bit of water and stirring. In a bowl, or directly on the work surface, put the flour and baking powder. Then add the remaining water, salt and extra virgin olive oil. Knead all the ingredients. Initially we recommend that you knead with the help of a fork or kitchen ladle directly into the bowl. When the ingredients begin to mix together, you can instead move your dough to a floured cutting board and proceed directly with your hands. You have to get a homogeneous and smooth dough. Put the dough to rise for two or three, however, until it is doubled in volume. At this point prepare the seasoning. In a pan, brown the onion in plenty of olive oil that you have previously cut into thin slices. Add the tomato and season with salt. Cook until the tomato is thick. After two hours of leavening, you have to roll out the dough. Consider that the sfincione palermitano must be high and soft. Precisely for this reason you should not use the rolling pin, but directly your hands. It is also good to roll out the dough directly into the pan where you are going to cook the sfincione. I advise you to leave the dough to rise another half hour after rolling it out. Spread the anchovies into small pieces and the diced caciocavallo cheese on top of the dough. Cover with tomato. Add a little breadcrumbs and a generous dose of oregano. Put your sfincione palermitano in the oven, which you have preheated to 200 ° C, for about 50 minutes. When the sfincione is ready, we recommend putting it on a cutting board when it is still hot and cutting it into large rectangles, just as it is usual to do in Sicily.

Useful tips on the choice of ingredients

I am perfectly aware that the ingredients necessary for the realization of the sfincione palermitano are very easy to find. Most of them you definitely already have available at home. The others you can buy directly at the nearest supermarket. It is also true, however, that only by choosing typical Sicilian products, which are not designed for large-scale distribution and which are still made today following the most ancient traditions, you have the opportunity to bring home the true flavor of Sicily. This is especially true for caciocavallo, a typical Sicilian cheese with ancient origins, which if made with raw milk from the best cows, such as cinisara or modicana, takes on a simply incredible flavor. However, it also applies to tomato puree, because Sicilian tomatoes are among the tastiest in Italy, and to anchovies. Even Sicilian extra virgin olive oil can be incredible, opting for a local production that still cold-presses the olives and bottles the product independently. Fortunately, e-commerce specialized in Sicilian products are now available online that offer you the opportunity to buy products duly selected among the best on the island. 

Curiosity

The recipe I have proposed is the typical one of Palermo. It is important to remember that there is also the Bagherese variant. The procedure is always the same, as well as the ingredients, only that in this variant there is no tomato puree, a Sicilian sfincione in short white. Obviously today you have the opportunity to taste in Sicily many other versions, which start from the base that I have described with the addition of many other ingredients. And even if you want you can indulge yourself and try to make your own version! In my opinion, however, the traditional one is the best. But where does the term sfincione come from and by whom was it invented? Many say that the term derives from the Greek spongos, which means sponge. After all, in fact, the sfincione dough is very soft just like a sponge and full of bubbles inside. However, there are those who claim that the term derives from the Arabic root sfincia, used to represent all soft sweets. Even in this case, however, it is always to its extreme softness that reference is made. Beyond the etymology, it seems that the sfincione was invented by the nuns of the monastery of San Vito. The sisters wanted to give life to a bread suitable for the holidays, richer therefore than the bread that is eaten daily. However, they certainly did not have any kind of ingredients available. So with those few ingredients of easy availability that they had, poor and simple, they created the sfincione. This also explains why, in addition to being a street food to buy at the market and at the street vendors carts of the city, the sfincione the Sicilians are used to bring it to the table even for all the most important holidays, including Christmas of course.

Partridge on grape croutons 

The partridge is a galliform bird, about the size of a pigeon. It belongs to the family of phasianids, the same as quails and pheasants. As game meat, the red partridge is the most used. Its meat, red and tasty, is very appreciated and adapts to all types of cooking, roasted, on the spit or stuffed in the oven. Clearly, younger partridges have much more tender meat and much shorter cooking times.

 Partridges have a caloric content of about 250 kcal per 100 grams of food. The energy intake is mainly provided by proteins and fats, while the presence of carbohydrates is really minimal. It is a meat rich in fiber, with a good protein content and essential amino acids. From a vitamin point of view we can find the B vitamins, especially B3 and B6. Among the mineral salts there are high concentrations of iron.

Partridge provides a meat with a high nutritional value, especially with regard to protein intake. It is a very digestible type of meat: the high fiber content also contributes to the general health of the digestive system and promotes intestinal regularity, as well as increasing the sense of satiety. A moderate intake of partridge meat can also have benefits on our nervous and immune systems. This type of food has no particular contraindications: it adapts to any type of diet and can also be consumed by those suffering from hypercholesterolemia because the cholesterol content is modest. However, it is necessary to have the foresight, if the consumption of this game takes place at home, to clean the hunted animal well, following all the good hygiene practices.

The partridges on grape croutons are prepared by salting and peppering the partridges that I will cover with bacon to lay them in a casserole with butter and sage and bake in the oven for about twenty minutes. Here are the steps for partridges on grape croutons.

INGREDIENTS

Partridges ready for cooking 3 

Bacon 6 slices 

Bread 6 slices 

White grapes 500 g 

Butter 40 g 

White wine 1 dl 

Meat broth 1⁄2 l 

Peanut oil to taste 

Sage 1 sprig 

Salt to taste 

Pepper to taste

PREPARATION

Add salt and pepper the partridges, cover with the slices of bacon, place them in a saucepan with butter and sage and bake in the oven at 200 ° C for 20 minutes. Wash the grapes in cold water, heat them in a saucepan and keep them warm. In a pan heat the oil and fry the slices of bread for 4 minutes, then drain them and pass them on a sheet of absorbent paper. Remove the cooked partridges from the saucepan and set aside the bacon. Cut the partridges in half, arrange them on the croutons, line them up on a serving plate and keep them warm. Drain the cooking stock from the saucepan, place it on the heat and pour the wine, stirring with a wooden spoon. Let it evaporate completely, then add the broth and cook for 15 minutes. Cover the partridges with the slices of bacon, garnish with the grapes and finally serve with the sauce on the side.

Calzone 

Good Italian food can be found in places ranging from casual pizzerias to upscale fine-dining establishments and everything in between. Calzoni is a pizza that is folded in half before cooking to contain a filling. My calzones are enhanced with Italian herbs, olive oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano. 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 spianata calabra, 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 prosciutto, mushrooms, and to make your children happy with sausages and chips.

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. Prepare the filling. 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 esplanade 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. And here is a photo showing the inside of the cooked calzone.

Linguine in white clam sauce❤️ 

How can you not enjoy a good first course with linguine with clams in white, that scent of the sea, light and tasty. The clams must be cooked possibly at the time of purchase or within the next day but in order to preserve them properly they must be wrapped in a damp cotton cloth, placed in the lower part of the fridge. In order to purge the clams you have to use a traditional method, they must stay about two hours in salted water to purge, occasionally turn carefully, remove the broken clams, and change the water if you see too much sand. After two hours they are ready to be cooked.

Directly from the Campania tradition, linguine with clams are definitely one of the most important dishes of Italian cuisine and one of the most loved among the first fish dishes. A very simple recipe with a wonderful taste of the sea, which hides some little secret for a perfect success. Pulpy clams, sprinkled with parsley and the delicious cream that is naturally created with the starch of the pasta, make linguine with clams a real delicacy. It is the perfect course for any occasion, from dinner with friends to Sunday lunch.

INGREDIENTS

380 g linguine

500 g clams

1 clove of garlic

1 red chili pepper 

1 bunch of parsley

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

PREPARATION

Soak clams in cold salted water for about 2 hours, so as to purge them of sand and any impurities. Drain and wash well under the stream of cold running water. Pour the clams into a pan together with the oil, peeled garlic, chopped chili and finely chopped parsley. Cook over high heat until the clams have opened. Bring plenty of water to a boil, salt it and cook the linguine. Drain them when they are still al dente and pour them into the pan with the seafood. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, remove from heat and immediately serve the linguine with clams in white sauce.

Steak bites with garlic butter 😍❤️ 

Last night for dinner I prepared these bites of mixed meat in the pan, I must say that they were much appreciated. I had skewers in the fridge that I was supposed to roast; But here all hell broke loose, it was pouring rain and it was not possible to use the embers in the garden. So I immediately set to work; I started to heat garlic and oil in a pan then I dipped all the morsels of meat that form the skewers. After a nice browning I added some sprigs of rosemary, a nice dose of white wine and let it cook gently. The result was juicy bites of mixed meat in a pan, with tender meats and rich in taste. Obviously I had the skewers available and I prepared them in this way, but you can still buy a mix of meat in the butcher shop and prepare it in the same way.

Beef nuggets are a versatile ingredient that you can use to enrich numerous recipes, from stews, to soups to ethnic cuisine, for example to empanadas. They are also convenient and useful for easily adding a lot of protein to your meals. The easiest and most appropriate way to cook beef nuggets is to sauté them in a pan at high temperature to seal the juices inside the meat, so that it remains soft and flavorful. In the first case, cooking is longer and ensures that the meat is well cooked even in the center.

Ingredients

2 cloves Garlic

to taste Extra virgin olive oil

800 gr Mixed meat (chicken, turkey, sausages, beef)

300 ml White wine

Salt and Pepper

Rosemary

Preparation

As I anticipated, the preparation of bites of mixed meat in a pan is really simple and fast. First pour the extra virgin olive oil into the pan, add the 2 cloves of garlic deprived of the shirt and let it heat, now add the morsels of mixed meat and let it brown over medium-high heat, cover with the appropriate lid and cook for 5 minutes, stir so as to turn the pieces of meat and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Once this is done, drizzle with white wine, add salt and rosemary and cook until the wine begins to simmer, at this point lower the heat and cook for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. The cooking liquid will have to dry turning into a tasty cream, when your bites of mixed meat in the pan are cooked, served hot. To accompany this second I suggest floured potatoes.

Tuscan tomato soup or pappa al pomodoro

There are many versions of pappa al pomodoro, but only one is the Tuscan pappa al pomodoro which, as Rita Pavone sang when she played Gianburrasca, is just a masterpiece. The Tuscan recipe includes garlic, not onion, fresh tomato and of course Tuscan bread, the one without salt. Of course, no one forbids using tomato puree, especially in spring, when tomatoes are in season and no one prevents you from using another type of bread. I myself sometimes use the semi-whole meal bread that I prepare at home, but at least once you have to try the original recipes and then experiment with some variation on the theme. In addition, the bread must be stale, since the recipe comes from the need to consume the bread that has become too hard, but I admit that sometimes I use freshly baked bread. Now let's see the ingredients and the procedure to prepare it.

Ingredients

1 kg Tomatoes for sauce

400 g Stale Tuscan bread

1 clove of garlic

1 l Vegetable broth

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Pepper

A few basil leaves

Preparation

Cut the tomatoes into pieces after washing and blanch them in a pot over moderate heat without adding anything else. When they have become soft, pass them through the vegetable mill and collect the sauce obtained keeping it aside. In a saucepan fry the clove of garlic with two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Remove the clove of garlic, add the tomato puree, part of the vegetable broth that you have previously salted and the bread cut into small pieces. Cook over moderate heat, stirring often until the bread is completely undone. If necessary, add more broth until the desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and add some chopped fresh basil leaves with your hands. Close the pot with the lid and let it rest for up to an hour. Serve the Tuscan tomato soup in individual holsters completing with a round of Tuscan extra virgin olive oil and ground pepper if desired.

 

Tucinieddi 

The tucinieddi are rolls of entrails (heart lung liver spleen) tied with guts made by butcheres... Excellent grilled at home can be made with simplicity in the oven.... We put them in a baking pan with rosemary, garlic and sage, a drizzle of oil and white wine. A typical Apulian recipe... A dish of the peasant tradition that we also find in the Lucanian, Irpinia, Molise, Abruzzo, Ciociara and Calabrian cuisine. The generic word comes from the verb twist and means "small kinking". They are usually made with sweetbreads, or with pieces of liver, lung or kidney, which are rolled into lamb gut and then roasted on the grill. But here's how to prepare them.

Ingredients

LAMB OR SUCKLING KID ENTRAILS 500 gr

LEMONS 2

NET AND LAMB CASING

FRESH PARSLEY

FINE SALT

PEPPER

GRATED PECORINO CHEESE

Preparation

Prepare the entrails and wash them with running water and salt and then with water and lemon. Rub them again with salt and lemon juice, rinse and let dry for a few hours. Also wash the casings with water and salt, then put them in a container with lemon water. As soon as the meat is dry, cut it into longitudinal strips and wrap them with strips of lamb puddings, so as to form small cylinders. Add salt, pepper, parsley leaves and grated pecorino cheese, then close again with the strips of casings or with the peritoneal membrane, knotting the ends well. Cook on the grill over low heat with a few bay leaves or on a plate or in a boiling pan, until they are well cooked on all sides. Your tucinieddi are ready to be served hot.