Cacio e Pepe with fiori di zucca 

Pasta cheese and pepper with zucchini flowers easy and fast, 10 minutes and it's ready! If you have little time and are looking for a quick recipe this is for you. A simple first course that can be made even at the last moment. A variant of the classic and famous pasta cacio e pepe but much tastier and more colorful. Recipe with zucchini flowers. Vegetarian recipe.

Pasta cacio e pepe with zucchini flowers a first course with an average caloric intake (900 cal per portion), can be transformed into a low-calorie dish by halving the amount of cheese. So instead of 540 calories given (from 140 g of total cheese), you can receive only 270 calories (from 70 g of total cheese) without giving up a good plate of pasta. In this way 1 portion of pasta = 765 cal. And if you want to lower the caloric intake by 45 cal per portion, halve the amount of oil, thus arriving at a portion of pasta always very tasty with a low caloric intake, only 720 cal (instead of the initial 900 cal).

Ingredients

200 g of pasta 

70 g Parmesan cheese

70 g pecorino cheese

pepper to taste (abundant)

20 g oil 

8 zucchini flowers

salt to taste

1 garlic clove

an onion slice

Instructions

Cook the pasta al dente in plenty of lightly salted water. Meanwhile, fry oil, garlic and onion until golden, then remove them from the oil. Add 4 well-washed zucchini flowers, better if coarsely broken. Let them fry for a few seconds. Add the pasta al dente, then sauté in the sauce for a few moments. Add 1 ladle of cooking water and cheeses. Stir until everything melts well. Add the pepper and if you need a pinch of salt. Before turning off the stove, add the coarsely chopped zucchini flowers. Turn off the stove and serve.

Note

The peculiarity of the dish is due to the seasoning that must be absolutely creamy. The important step to obtain the perfection of the dish is precisely in finishing the cooking phase not in water but in the pot together with the cheeses and the right amount of cooking water. The creaminess is in fact given both by the mixture of cheeses, both by the addition of cooking water and by the starch still imprisoned in the pasta drained al dente. A few precautions to obtain a first and not a simple dish of white pasta.

Panzanella salad with sausage

Panzanella is a traditional Italian bread salad, made with day-old bread. Don’t worry – it’s more delicious than it sounds! The panzanella also known as pansanella, panmòllo or panmolle, is a poor dish of the Tuscan tradition, and in general of central Italy (Lazio, Marche and Umbria), prepared by farmers who intent on working in the fields improvised their meal with the summer harvest of the garden (tomatoes, onions and cucumbers and peppers) and bread, always inevitable in Italian cuisine. Simple recipe also very useful to recycle stale bread avoiding unnecessary waste. 

Panzanella salad: a simple but very tasty summer dish, inspired by the classic Tuscan Panzanella, a dish of poor origin, based on stale bread soaked in water and seasoned with oil, vinegar, salt and basil. In some regions of central Italy, such as Umbria, Panzanella is enriched with other ingredients such as tomato, onion and today with the addition of sausage, but it can really be seasoned in many ways. Today I propose it with onion, sausage tomato and yellow pepper... and of course the stale bread! A real goodness, enjoyed cold is wonderful, try it now!

Ingredients

80g slices of stale bread

80g cherry tomatoes

1 small red onion 

1 yellow pepper

3 basil leaves

1 Sausage 

red vinegar

olive oil

salt

pepper from the pepper mill

Preparation

Soak the bread in a bowl of water acidulated with half a glass of vinegar. Peel the onion, cut it into slices and soak it in cold water for 5 minutes. Wash the pepper, remove the stem, seeds and inner white filaments and cut into slices. Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. Cut the sausage into pieces of 2-3 cm and brown it in a pan with 4 tablespoons of oil for 4-6 minutes until golden brown on all sides. At this point, blend it with half a glass of vinegar and when it has dried, remove it from the heat. When the bread is well soaked, remove it from the water, squeeze it with your hands and crumble it in a salad bowl. Add the tomatoes, drained onion, pepper, sausage and chopped basil leaves with your hands. Season with a little salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Stir and serve.

  

Need a quick weeknight meal idea? 

This black pepper beef Thai stir fry packs a big flavour punch and comes together in a flash! It's one of those Chinese-American dishes I remember enjoying as a kid, so it's one of my recipes that I've always loved cooking for a special ''chill at home'' in the evening. 

Ingredients

600 g Boneless beef steak

300 g Red radicchio

1 pcs Shallots

Garlic

Extra virgin olive oil

Condiment based on smoked extra virgin olive oil 

Salt

Black peppercorns

Procedure

Sprinkle the meat abundantly with crushed peppercorns and let it flavor for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, peel the radicchio, cut it into strips and brown it in a large pan with 3 tablespoons of oil, the shallot into slices and a clove of unpeeled garlic; Turn off after 2-3 minutes, add salt and set aside. In the same pan, heat a tablespoon of oil, then brown the meat, over high heat, for 2 on one side, then turn it without piercing it and complete cooking in another minute. Add salt, wrap the meat in aluminum foil and let it rest for 5 minutes. Slice the meat, distribute it on plates with radicchio and drizzle with the seasoning. Complete with ground pepper and serve.

 

Chicken with cashews 

Has the charm of oriental cuisine struck you too? To blame you, with its spicy aromas and its sweet or savory sauces, Asian dishes are among the most loved in the world. Today I present a recipe that is close to the classic almond chicken of Chinese cuisine, but winking at Thailand: chicken with cashews. Also for this recipe there are many variations to enhance its flavor; I have focused on the flavor of soy sauce, the inevitable fresh and pungent touch of ginger, which blend expertly with tender chicken nuggets and toasted cashews. A simple and perfect dish for your themed dinners to amaze your friends with a dish of effect... To be enjoyed strictly with chopsticks, the typical chopsticks!

Ingredients

800 gr chicken breast

80 gr cashew nut

4 spring onion

4 tablespoons sake'

4 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tsp ginger powder

extra virgin olive oil

cornstarch

salt

Method

Prepare chicken breast. Place the chicken breast on a cutting board, remove the central bone and cartilage. Separate it into 2 fillets and cut the pulp into cubes of about 2 cm on each side. Pass the cubes in cornstarch and transfer them to a medium mesh strainer. Shake the strainer, to remove excess cornstarch. Slice the spring onions. Remove the rootlets and 1/3 of the green part of the spring onions. Wash and dry them. Very thinly slice both the white and green parts of the spring onions and keep them separate. Pour into a glass 4 tablespoons of soy sauce and 4 tablespoons of sake (rice liquor), vermouth, sherry or dry white wine. Cook the chicken. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the wok or non-stick pan and brown the chicken pieces over very high heat for 3-4 minutes with the ginger. Drain the chicken with a slotted spoon and keep it aside. Lower the heat, place the white part of the spring onions in the wok with a pinch of salt and cook them for 2-3 minutes. Turn up the heat and put the diced chicken, the green part of the spring onions and the cashews back in the wok. Skip for 1-2 minutes. Drizzle with wine and soy sauce, let it evaporate, adjust with a little salt and pepper and serve.

Focaccia tart with salad 🍅 

A few days ago, I had the pleasure of cooking as a home chef for a group of Finns on holiday in my area and, among other things, I prepared a nice Sicilian tomato salad accompanied by arancine and onions. Fresh and aromatic, with many good local raw materials, this salad made with cherry tomatoes, onions and fresh basil is a real delicacy! Of course, for an excellent success of the dish is essential the quality of all raw materials, including oil. Here is the recipe, which is very simple and delicious!

Ingredients

500 g cherry tomatoes

1 Red onion (small)

A few tufts Basil (fresh)

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Black pepper

Preparation

First, wash the cherry tomatoes well and cut them into four parts. Remove the outer veils from the onion and slice it finely, then with your hands remove the various layers. Place the tomatoes in a large salad bowl with the onion. Chop a few leaves of fresh basil and add it to the other ingredients. Complete with extra virgin olive oil, salt and black pepper and mix well, then decorate with a few leaves of fresh basil and serve. Enjoy your meal, your Sicilian tomato salad is ready to be enjoyed!

Notes 

Instead of red onions, you can use onions, with a very sweet taste; To taste, you can enrich your salad with baked black olives;

If you do not like onion, you can replace it with chives, with a more delicate taste; If covered and arranged in the refrigerator, tomato salad can be stored for about two days.

Stale bread focaccia with cheese, olives and cherry tomatoes

Since I don't like waste, I decided to try this wonderful focaccia prepared with stale bread, because nothing is thrown away, but everything is transformed! I made some changes based on what I had at home and also to make a recipe that is mine, as the contest foresaw! Here is my version...

Ingredients

150 g stale ciabatta bread with sunflower seeds

500 ml of milk; 150 ml water

300 g of ricotta cheese

100 g green olives

230 g baguetta of bread with bran

100 g mix of grated cheese with pecorino cheese

2 eggs

100 g organic spelt flour

100 g olive bread

1 tsp instant yeast

2-3 sprigs of rosemary

Pepper

10 small tomatoes

2 teaspoons salt

granular vegetable broth

grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Break the bread and let it soak in a bowl, milk and water, until it is soft, I left it about 30 minutes. Blend with the immersion blender, add the ricotta, blend again, add the olives cut into slices, rosemary needles, eggs, sifted spelt flour previously with instant yeast, salt, pepper, cheese mix and mix with a spoon to combine. Transfer to a baking dish lined with baking paper lined with baking paper, distribute over the cherry tomatoes cut in two sinking them slightly into the dough, flavor them over with a little granular vegetable broth or in the absence with salt, drizzle with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and bake in the oven preheated to 180 °C for about 40 minutes or until golden brown, It depends a lot from oven to oven. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese the entire surface of the focaccia, still hot, let cool and serve. This is a cute, tasty and quick idea for a dinner saver or to recycle at best the leftovers of bread from the pantry, without fear more than large quantities yhrown in the dustbin.

 

Sandwichs avec les restes de spaghettis

Les restes de spaghettis et panini aux boulettes de viande sont une excellente façon d'utiliser ce qui reste du dîner d'hier soir. C'est un plat amusant que j'espère que vous allez essayer. Aujourd'hui, je partage non pas tant une recette, mais une idée de repas amusant. Les restes de spaghetti et de panini aux boulettes de viande sont définitivement un plat amusant qui vous rendra heureux d'avoir ces restes persistants dans le réfrigérateur!

Lorsque le moment est venu pour moi d'utiliser nos restes, j'ai décidé d'emprunter la voie des paninis et de préparer ces restes de panini aux spaghettis et aux boulettes de viande. J'ai fouetté un peu de beurre à l'ail aux fines herbes à étaler sur l'extérieur du pain (bonjour, pain à l'ail), puis j'ai simplement empilé les restes avec un peu de sauce supplémentaire et du fromage Mozzarella râpé. Vous pouvez toujours profiter des restes de spaghetti et de panini aux boulettes de viande même si vous n'avez pas de machine à panini.

Placer une poêle à feu moyen-vif et vaporiser légèrement d'un aérosol de cuisson antiadhésif. Disposez les sandwichs beurrés dans le moule. Placez une deuxième poêle sur les sandwichs et placez soigneusement quelques conserves dans la poêle supérieure pour aider à les peser pour presser les sandwichs. Cuire quelques minutes ou jusqu'à ce que les sandwichs commencent à griller et à dorer. Retirez la poêle supérieure, retournez les sandwichs et replacez la poêle supérieure. Cuire quelques minutes de plus ou jusqu'à ce qu'elles soient dorées.

Maintenant, vous pouvez vous attendre aux restes! Je suis prêt à parier que vous apprécierez de servir les restes de spaghetti et de panini aux boulettes de viande.

 

Leftover Pasta Bolognese 

It happens to everyone to cook more pasta than necessary, often we exaggerate with the doses for fear that the guests will remain on an empty stomach. But what to do with leftover pasta? You certainly do not throw away! Firstly because grandmothers taught us that nothing is thrown away in the kitchen and secondly because right now more than ever we need to minimize (until it completely disappears) food waste and to the domestic voices, in this message, those of the great chiefs have also been added. Whether it's leftover spaghetti or tortellini galore, leftover pasta doesn't end up in the trash but can become a great resource for creating salvage dishes that are even tastier than the "originals". Let's see how to bring a recipe for leftover pasta with a unique taste and zero waste to the table.

Even the mushroom pasta timbale is a recovery recipe that has nothing to envy to large preparations. You can use mixed fresh mushrooms, but also dried mushrooms (just rehydrate them in lukewarm water for 15 minutes before adding them to the preparation). To make this recipe scenic, use a well-buttered donut pan.

Smoothness is one of the characteristics that make a first course unique. The rigatoni tart envelops the palate and delights it with its sinuous consistency. It is a recipe based on tomato sauce that you can incorporate to taste with meat, sausages and vegetables. In this preparation you cannot miss the stringy cheeses such as mozzarella, scamorza and smoked scamorza.

How long does leftover dough last in the fridge?

Put it in a bowl and season with extra virgin olive oil, then cover it with plastic wrap or seal it in an airtight container. It will keep for 2 days.

Salsa aux peches

L'été ne serait pas le même sans le doux plaisir des pêches mûres. Avec des tomates fraîches en abondance dans les jardins et sur les marchés de producteurs, c'est le moment idéal pour préparer un lot de salsa aux pêches pour en profiter toute l'année. Un moyen idéal pour égayer vos tacos de poisson préférés, utilisez-le pour garnir une poitrine de poulet grillée ou servez-le avec des croustilles de tortilla et du guacamole et associez-le à une bouteille réfrigérée de votre vin de patio préféré. Les saveurs tropicales du vin se marient parfaitement avec la douceur, la chaleur subtile et l'acidité juteuse de cette salsa. Qu'il soit servi à l'apéritif ou comme vin pour accompagner votre plat principal, c'est une combinaison qui ne vous décevra pas.

Ingrédients

6 tasses de pêches fraîches - blanchies selon les instructions et hachées

1 tasse d'oignon rouge - haché finement

1 poivron rouge moyen - haché finement

4 grosses tomates mûres, coupées en dés ou 2,5 tasses de tomates cerises, coupées en deux

2 piments Jalapeno moyens - épépinés et hachés finement

1/2 tasse de coriandre - hachée finement

1/2 tasse de vinaigre blanc

2 cuillères à soupe. Miel liquide

3 gousses d'ail - hachées

1 1/2 c. Poudre de cumin

1/2 c. poivre de Cayenne

Sel au goût

Directions

   Blanchir les pêches dans de l'eau bouillante pendant environ 15 à 30 secondes jusqu'à ce que la peau soit douce et se soulève légèrement. Transférer immédiatement dans un bain de glace. Pelez, dénoyautez et hachez pour 6 tasses. Assurez-vous que tous les autres ingrédients végétaux sont hachés. Dans une grande casserole en émail ou en acier inoxydable, mélanger les pêches, les tomates, l'oignon, les piments Jalapeno, le poivron rouge, la coriandre, le vinaigre, le miel, l'ail, le cumin et le piment de Cayenne. Porter à ébullition et cuire environ 5 minutes en remuant fréquemment. Si le mélange est velouté, égoutter l'excédent de liquide. (Conseil d'initié : réduisez le liquide à feu moyen pour créer une sauce piquante aux pêches qui tue !) Versez la salsa dans des bocaux stérilisés et suivez les procédures de mise en conserve. Conservez-le dans un endroit sombre et frais ou dans un garde-manger et ouvrez-le avec une bouteille de vin lorsque vous êtes en bonne compagnie.

Apprécier!

Vin rouge ou vin blanc ?

Dans ce cas, le goût est en charge. Blanc, rouge, mousseux... Vous pouvez choisir le vin. La seule règle est qu'il soit de bonne qualité, voire meilleur s'il est villageois, et qu'il soit léger, comme un Falanghina des Champs Phlégréens ou un Biancolella d'Ischia. En général, choisir le vin que vous aimez sera plus que correct. A servir également froid, sans ajout de sucres ou autres édulcorants.

Falanghina

Note de dégustation

Frais, minéral et fruité méditerranéen avec des notes parfumées, il a été entièrement élaboré en cuve inox. Des arômes d'ananas mûr, d'agrumes et de fleurs blanches mènent à une bouche aux notes de chèvrefeuille et d'amande grillée. Associez-le à de riches plats de fruits de mer ou à des sauces à base d'anchois.

 

Roasted figs with goat cheese, honey and nuts 

We could use them as a hunger breaker, or why not, as a tasty appetizer or even as an original finger food. Baked stuffed figs with goat cheese, honey and nuts are a really appealing dish. Easy to make, a few simple ingredients and that will give our reach a pleasant taste given by the sweet salty combination of figs and goat cheese. Figs stuffed with goat cheese and honey are an original, delicious and very good dessert. Ideal to serve at the end of lunch or dinner to spoil ourselves a little with a small and fruit-based sweet. These nectarine fruits have only one defect, they last too little, only a few weeks of late summer in which the fig trees, usually very generous, give us in quantity. For this reason it is necessary to take advantage of them and enjoy them both naturally and in many delicious recipes.

 Figs are very popular fruits, there are many different varieties in shape and color, they are rich in nutritional properties and can be eaten fresh or dried, bearing in mind that dried figs are much more caloric. They are rich in fiber, calcium, antioxidants and during pregnancy they are a great snack. I am particularly fond of them and I make feasts especially when I find them! But let's go back to my light proposal. I propose a recipe, with figs as protagonists, very very simple, a small delicious appetizer to be served at a dinner (or lunch) "rustic", with friends, to eat in one bite: baked figs with goat cheese, honey and nuts. Today, I propose this quick dessert to make at the last moment with goat cheese.

Ingredients

12 purple figs

200 g goat cheese

4 shelled walnuts

2 tablespoons honey

extra virgin olive oil

Procedure

We wash and open the figs in half without separating them. Cut the cheese and put it inside the figs trying to close the figs as much as possible. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and wet them with honey sprinkling them with chopped walnuts. Bake for 10 minutes at 200°C. Let's wet them with oil and serve.

Pasta alla genovese 

A classic of Neapolitan cuisine, performed according to tradition, for a Neapolitan first course that however is identified as "pasta alla genovese". Let's also find out why. This pasta sauce, together with meat sauce, is one of the most recognized symbols of Neapolitan cuisine. Why, then, if Neapolitan pasta alla genovese is called... Genoese? There are many hypotheses that propose to explain this "strangeness": some argue that in the Aragonese era (fifteenth century) in the port area there were many places where this specialty of poor cuisine was served, very appreciated by the many Genoese sailors who frequented the place. According to others it was the cooks who prepared her to be Genoese, and according to yet another opinion to invent the recipe was a single brilliant cook, nicknamed "O Genovese". What is certain is that pasta alla genovese is a tasty example of how poor cuisine can create wonders with humble ingredients, such as onions. The onion sauce obtained at the end of the long cooking, in which a piece of beef was also cooked, was used partly to season pasta, together with some meat sfilaccio, and partly to sauce the beef, which was eaten as a second course.

This is a traditional recipe of Campania that is widespread and appreciated by everyone; despite its name, it is unknown in the Ligurian capital. This rich tomato-free ragù, prepared with lots of onions that turn into a delicious puree when cooked, is highly flavorsome and presents a sweet note. This is why the sauce needs to be balanced with the acidity of the wine and lastly, left to thicken, or 'dry'. Some save the meat and enjoy it as a second course, others prefer to use it all with the pasta, just like I have done! 

Lastly, the addition of grated cheese and pepper to the finished dish is also hotly debated... You will have noticed that genovese is a classic recipe loved by everyone, because you can choose the version best suited to your family's taste. I tried to collect the essence of tradition, but I would love to find out about your versions too! Together with Neapolitans I share the gastronomic dilemma: genovese, Neapolitan soffritto or the classic Neapolitan ragù?

Braised beef and onions, but make it ragù. That's "la Genovese," a classic Neapolitan sugo, in a nutshell. (It's not Ligurian, despite its name.) Carrots, celery, a ton of onions, and a "seconda scelta" (literally, "second choice") cut of beef, which we would call a "tough" cut, slowly cooked down with white wine to form a meaty gravy, perfect for dressing al dente rigatoni. Like ragù Napoletano and many other Central and Southern Italian meat sauces, la Genovese was historically a two-for-one recipe that allowed cooks to stretch a braise over multiple courses and meals. The concept is simple: Slowly braise tough cuts of meat with aromatics until tender, then use the braising liquid as a sauce for dressing pasta (or polenta in certain areas), while serving the meat as its own course.

INGREDIENTS

Rigatoni pasta ¾ lb (320 g)

Beef 1 lb (600 g) - (blade/eye round/silverside)

Yellow onions 2 lbs ( kg)

Celery 2 oz (75 g)

Carrots 2 oz (75 g)

Parsley 1 sprig

Bay leaves 1 leaf

White wine ⅔ cup (150 g)

Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Fine salt to taste

PREPARATION

To make pasta alla genovese, start by peeling and thinly slicing the onion. Peel and finely chop the carrots. Finely chop the celery too, leave the tuft to one side. Tie the celery tuft, parsley and laurel leave together with cooking twine for a bouquet garni. Lastly, prepare the meat by removing any excess fat and cutting it into 5 pieces. Add a generous amount of oil to a large saucepan, followed by the onions, the celery and the carrot. Leave to flavor on a low flame for a few minutes, then add the meat. Add the bouquet garni and a pinch of salt, stir and leave to flavor for a few minutes. Lower the flame, cover with the lid and cook for around 3 hours. There is no need to add water or squash because the onions will release enough liquid into the cooking sauce so that it does not dry out. However, it is important to check and occasionally stir it. Remove the bouquet garni once the 3 hours are up. Now add part of the wine and simmer on a high flame. Stir and continue to cook for another hour without the lid, gradually add the remaining wine as the sauce thickens. Once the cooking time is up, cook the pasta in boiling salted water. Drain the pasta when firm to the bite and place it back in the saucepan. Stir well to amalgamate the sauce, then serve your pasta alla genovese, sprinkled with some pepper and grated Parmigiano if you wish!

Smoked ribs 

Pork ribs are perhaps the dish of excellence for bbq lovers: the meticulous execution engages enthusiasts who aim to obtain the right balance of flavors and perfect cooking.

In the United States, home of the bbq in purity, there are real competitions organized by the various American associations that have as their objective the realization of the best smoked pork rib. The city of Kansas City competes with that of Memphis for the primacy of the "homeland of the pork rib" and their preparation is characterized by the use of spices and sauces based on sweet and sour and wood smoke.

The end result of this preparation must be a tender and juicy meat that detaches from the bone effortlessly and characterized by a truly amazing flavor. To achieve this result, cooking at low temperature (95°-110°) is necessary for a long time in the presence of a suitably humid environment. Smoking is done only for a limited period of time, equal to about a third of the total cooking. Here are the Kansas City Sweet & Smoky Ribs.

INGREDIENTS

Ribbed pork without pins 800 g

Dijon mustard 100 g

Apple cider vinegar 100 Ml

Fine salt 2 Tablespoons

Sweet paprika 2 Tablespoons

Onions powder 1 spoon

Yellow mustard powder 1 spoon

Brown sugar 1 spoon

Garlic powder 1 spoon

FOR RUB (MEAT COATING)

Garlic powder 40 g

Onions in flakes 40 g

Paprika 125 g

Black pepper 30 g

White pepper 30 g

Chili powder 30 g

Salt up 60 g

Raw cane sugar 60 g

FOR THE FINISHING SAUCE

Jack Daniel's Barbecue Sauce to taste

PREPARATION

First we start with the preparation of the rib: any excess fat present and the membrane covering the bones of the rib must be eliminated. To perform this last operation, proceed as follows: lift a flap of the membrane with the help of a sharp object and grab it with the help of a napkin: this will allow you to have a better grip. Pull gently and you will see that it will come off easily. Now sprinkle the surface of all the ribs with mustard without skimping and, if you prepare more than one rib, overlap them without problems. Now put the meat to rest while you prepare the rub (spices to sprinkle the meat). Add all the spices in a bowl and mix them well to mix them as evenly as possible. You just have to distribute the rub on the ribs, the mustard that you have applied earlier will favour adherence. Do not spare yourself during this operation: the spices will form a crunchy crust rich in flavor that will enhance this preparation. Now let it rest in the fridge covering with aluminum foil while you are about to prepare the bbq. Soak the wood chips in water or beer for at least an hour. Light the coal or briquettes and place them lit inside the bbq on the sides of the tray that you have previously inserted full of water and that you will have to keep so. Bring the bbq to the operating temperature of 110 °C and then insert the wet chips placing them directly on the coals. When they begin to blend insert the ribs so that they are over the tray and close the lid. The smoke of the chips lasts on average about twenty minutes after which you will have to top up in order to make the smoking constant and continuous for a couple of hours. At this point your job is to keep the temperature constant by acting on the air intakes. Every hour sprinkle apple cider vinegar on the meat. To soften the effect of the smoke, in the absence of the appropriate spray you can also brush, but in this way you risk compromising the delicate spice crust. During this time check, also check the presence of water in the pan and whether it is appropriate to add fuel. After four and a half hours of cooking at 110 °C remove the ribs from the bbq and brush generously with Jack Daniel's bbq sauce all the surface of the ribs, then place them inside the BBQ after removing the liquid from the tray. This operation will allow you to dry the sauce that will give your ribs a truly unique color and flavor. The finishing operation takes about half an hour. At the end of this step you can cut the meat and the composition of the dish with Jeck Daniel's sauce to accompany it.

Veal chops ( Braciole di vitello)

Hello friends, today I propose these veal chops of my grandmother they are really very tasty. In my family, by tradition, Sunday is for the preparation of the classic ragù, which involves the use of various types of meat, or the sauce with chops. This recipe is very simple and traditional of my family, they are not the classic chops or brasciole made strictly with horse meat but this recipe has a very appreciated reinterpretation and I hope you will like it too. The chops are an excellent second course, rich in full-bodied flavors, to be accompanied with vegetables. Or try the version with baked potatoes and onions: you will feel that goodness, will flood the house with its scent. Bringing veal chops to the table is a, success assured and the dish will tempt everyone. So let's fasten the aprons and everyone to the stove: today let's see together how to prepare the veal chops!

 

Ingredients

5 slices of veal for chops then a thicker cut of meat

1 garlic

5 slices of mortadella

5 slices of semi-spicy provolone cheese

chopped parsley

salt

extra virgin olive oil

750 ml Tomato sauce

chopped garlic

black pepper

white wine

Preparation

To make grandma's veal chops it takes just a few minutes. First beat the veal slices with the meat tenderizer, salt and pepper and lay on each slice a few pieces of garlic, chopped parsley, a slice of mortadella and finally a slice of semi-spicy provolone. Close in a roll and seal with toothpicks. If you prefer spicy, you can also add chili. Place the rolls in a pot sprinkled with extra virgin olive oil and put on the fire, add a little' chopped garlic and fry well sealing the meat both sides. Deglaze with white wine and let evaporate, then add the tomato sauce, salt and pepper and lower the heat, cooking over low heat for about two hours. Stir occasionally and if necessary add a drop of water. The sauce can be used to season the famous Apulian orecchiette. And here are the veal chops from grandma, a recipe widely used in the family that is prepared especially on Sundays. I hope you like my last recipe, see you next time friends.

THE CAGGIONETTI ABRUZZESI

In Abruzzo they have different names depending on the area and even the country where you go: calgionetti, calcionetti, caggionetti, caciun, cauciunill... Around here we can not often understand that we can not agree on the names, but we all agree on the goodness of these sweets to eat in a single bite.

Caggionetti are a typical Abruzzo food product originally from Teramo, but over time they have spread throughout the region and each area has customized them with a different filling: chickpeas, chestnuts, custard, honey and almonds and grape jam. And as if that weren't enough, virtually every family has its own recipe. But you know, the older and more typical the recipes, the more versions there are. And then there are the caggionetti with Nutella. Let's see together how to make the classic caggionetti with grape jam and the most modern ones with Nutella.

Ingredients for the dough of caggionetti 

1 glass of white wine

1 glass of water

1 glass of extra virgin olive oil

Flour to taste

Ingredients for the filling of caggionetti 

200 gr of black grape jam (half a jar)

50 gr of sweet almonds, shelled and chopped

50 g unsweetened cocoa powder

Cooked must to taste

Procedure

Pour the flour and oil into a bowl and mix; Add the wine, water, more flour and knead until you get a firm dough. Once ready, transfer the dough to the pastry board and knead it for a long time without adding additional flour. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes and in the meantime prepare the filling. In a bowl mix the grape jam with the cocoa, ground almonds and cooked must; Do not add too much cooked must otherwise the mixture may become liquid. Roll out the dough into a thin sheet; If you use the machine to roll out the dough, pull it progressively starting from the largest thickness until you get to the penultimate notch. With a teaspoon put the filling on the pastry sheet, fold the dough as if to make ravioletti, cut them and seal them with the appropriate wheel. Fry the calgionetti in oil not too hot: the surface of the calgionetti must have small bubbles, but must not be colored; Drain them with a slotted spoon and place them on absorbent paper. Let them cool and sprinkle with icing sugar or granulated sugar.

The recipe of Abruzzo caggionetti with Nutella

The Abruzzo caggionetti with Nutella are the latest arrivals, but they make everyone agree. I do not know when they were invented, nor who made them first, but I always remember them and I like to think that some grandmother from Abruzzo invented them to make her grandson happy who, despite the wide choice, did not like even one of all those fillings. To make the caggionetti with this more modern filling, the procedure to follow for the dough is the same, just replace the jam filling with a teaspoon of Nutella, move on to cooking and conclude with a nice sprinkling of icing sugar.

Anecdotes about Abruzzo caggionetti 

The only recipe that left me mine is that of caggionetti  with grape jam. This is not just any grape jam, because in Abruzzo there is only one grape jam: the scrucchiata. It is an extra grape jam obtained without the addition of sugar with red grapes of native vines (of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo). The grapes to make the jam are harvested only when they have passed the optimal ripeness and only then the berries are destemmed one by one and crushed by hand to remove the seeds, tightening them between the index finger and thumb. Precisely from this gesture, called crunching for the noise that the grape makes when it is crushed, this typical Abruzzo jam takes its dialectal name.

Immediately after the Immaculate Conception, my grandmother's kitchen was filled with the smell of caggionetti and I understood that finally the holidays had arrived. My grandfather loved those with chestnuts, my father those with chickpeas, I loved those with grape jam and so my grandmother was forced to make them all. Once all the caggionetti were ready, he put them in baskets covered with a linen cloth and placed them in the cupboard where they were kept fresh and crumbly until Christmas. I don't know how long it took to prepare so many, but since I started doing them myself I can assure you that the preparation, although simple, is a bit long.

Note

They are therefore perfect if combined with a glass of raisin wine, a sparkling wine not too sweet or gentian liqueur. They are also excellent to accompany a cup of steaming tea in Christmas snacks.

 

A very simple Tuscan appetizer

An appetizer of cold cuts presented in an original way... A piadina base, but it could also be a schiacciata, a pizza base, or pastry brisè... What everyone prefers, I opted for the piadina, a thin and crunchy base seemed ideal for this appetizer! I wear the grenbiule... The palette of "Happy" flavors! Let's go!

Ingredients

Tuscan salami happy cured meats

 4 wraps

Pecorino

Green & black olives

Artichokes

Breadsticks

Procedure

I used ready-made wraps but nothing detracts from the fact that you can do it at home. Draw on a cardboard the shape of a painter's palette, cut it out and placing the cardboard on the piadina cut out everything around with a pointed knife, including the inner hole. Heat a non-stick pan and put the wraps, one at a time, to heat, just 30 seconds-1 minute, they must not burn. At this point we begin to stuff them, raw prosciutto, slices of various cold cuts, salami, fennel, artichokes... with these form roses, the cheese cut it into triangles... in short, you can indulge as you want! Complete the whole some olives, gherkins, various vegetables... let your imagination run wild! The breadsticks wrap them with slices of lard, simulating the brushes, once ready place them on the plate and... amaze your guests!

 

Baked figs with goat cheese, walnuts and honey 

There are those who choose to change and those who, instead, jealously defend their routine, those who try their luck by abandoning the old road and those who struggle to get away from the usual routes. There are those who go ahead and those who wait, many steps back, for directions on how to move. This applies to men but also to the fantastic world of bees!

Four years ago after the beekeeping course, I started this path, learning many things, talking and observing the old beekeepers. Think that most of them can understand the state of health of the hive, simply by listening to the buzzing of the bees. The hive is an organization entirely led and managed by women. One is a little surprised by the logic of their nature so ruthless and perfect. In those colorful houses live from 20 to 70 thousand bees, and each one knows exactly what its task is.

There is a lot to say about these little allies of the environment! In fact, they not only produce honey, propolis, royal jelly, pollen and wax, but contribute to the well-being of our planet. Especially in spring and summer their work is concentrated, it is the time when they collect nectar in large quantities, which once stored and matured becomes honey. It will then be up to the beekeeper to collect it and extract it through honey extraction.

This year I made our small honey harvest, the recipe that I propose is the protagonist!

Baked figs with goat cheese, walnuts and honey is a very appetizing way to enjoy these fantastic fruits, which meet very well the salty taste, creating a really pleasant balance.

Ingredients

12 purple figs

200 g goat cheese

6 shelled walnuts

3 tablespoons honey

extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Wash the figs externally keeping the peel. Gently make a cross cut, without separating them. Cut the cheese into strips and stuff each fig in the middle, closing them. Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Wet them with honey and put half a walnut on top. Bake for 10 minutes at 200 C degrees in a preheated oven, remove from the oven and place on the plates. Sprinkle with a drizzle of oil and serve the figs with goat cheese, walnuts and honey.

Gnocchi alla romana with sausage sauce

The GNOCCHI ALLA ROMANA WITH SAUSAGE are a simple appetizing single dish perfect for young and old. It is a very simple recipe that I prepared. Also perfect as a Sunday dish to prepare in advance and bake at the moment. Tuesday gnocchi.., and why not semolina? The classic recipe includes parmesan butter and parmesan cheese, but I wanted to add a strong flavor ... with sausage sauce and to finish with a sprinkling of parmesan. Yummy.

Enjoy your meal!

Ingredients

Parmigiano Reggiano 1 l

Whole milk 1 tsp

Salt 1 pinch

Pepper 25 g

Butter 250 g

Semolina

2 Egg yolks

For seasoning

60 g Onion

30 g Olive oil

250 g

Sausages 50 g

White wine

Salt

Pepper 1 tablespoon

Tomato paste

100 ml White sauce

Preparation

For the gnocchi alla romana just put a large pot on the fire, with salt, pepper and butter. Bring to a boil and rain the semolina and egg yolks. Cook everything for 30 minutes, adding the Parmesan cheese to finish. Put a sheet of baking paper in a large baking tray and spread the prepared mixture on top. Level to a thickness of 1 cm. Roll everything up to form a salami and put in the fridge to compact. Or let cool in the refrigerator and cut discs with a glass. If you have prepared a salami, cut 1 cm disks. Arrange in a buttered baking dish.

For seasoning

Chop the onion finely and sauté in a pan with olive oil. Then brown the crumbled sausage and brown everything. Deglaze with white wine. Season with salt and a pinch of pepper. Add the milk and thicken everything.

To finish

Once the semolina disks have been arranged in a baking dish. Cover with the prepared sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, bake at 180 C degrees until everything is browned. Serve your semolina gnocchi with baked sausage.