Acquasale alla lucana

This is a Lucanian variant, found in a fashion magazine*, which I decided to try because I like recipes with freselle, they taste so much of summer and turned off stoves... And every now and then a holiday from the kitchen is perhaps more than deserved! Aquasale is an ancient recipe belonging to the traditional cuisine of Cilento. A poor but nutritious and well-balanced dish was the breakfast of the fishermen and peasants.

Ingredients

400 g salad tomatoes

1 small red onion

1 cucumber

2 sweet green chilies 

50 g green olives

1 teaspoon oregano

1 clove of garlic

1 cup of water

extra virgin olive oil

4 round freselle (or stale bread)

salt

Preparation

Clean and chop the onion, and cucumber, slicing them thinly. Also cut the tomatoes and collect the vegetables in a bowl. Add the olives and crushed garlic. Add the water, oil – at least 3 tablespoons – oregano and salt to taste. Stir well and let it rest for a few minutes to flavor everything. Arrange the fresella (previously soaked with water) on individual plates and pour the salad over them. If you wish, you can accompany the acquasale with cured meats or hard-boiled eggs. Enjoy your meal!

 

Trapizzino

Staying on the subject of street food, among the Lazio street foods we cannot fail to mention the Trapizzino. One of the latest born among street food, it underwent a sudden rise that soon took it overseas, landing in New York. Born from the inspiration of Stefano Callegari, the Trapizzino is a triangular-shaped pizza pocket, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It is served stuffed with traditional sauces: from chicken cacciatore to Roman-style tripe, from parmigiana to tongue in green sauce, from burrata and anchovies to meatballs with sauce. It's a cross between pizza and a stuffed sandwich. The basic idea is to combine the richness of traditional Roman cuisine with the ease of consumption of street food.

Trapizzino is an innovative way to appreciate the taste of traditional recipes handed down from our grandmothers or from our family, elaborated with unaltered passion, remembering when we got up in the morning and felt the scent of the sauce that was already boiling for hours in the pot, when we secretly dipped our rosette (a bread strictly from the day before) conscious of the risk of being hit on our hands for it.

Trapizzino with Meatball in Sauce

Meatball Ingredients: Ground prime beef, Bread, Grana Padano cheese, Garlic, Salt, Onion, Egg, Nutmeg, Pepper.

Ingredients Tomato sauce: Peeled tomatoes, EVO oil, Celery, Carrots, Onion, Basil, Parsley, Salt

Meatball with sauce is a great classic of family Sunday cooking, and it has become a classic Trapizzino flavor. And if we all remember Grandma telling us, “Meatball is only eaten at home, because you never know what they can put in it”… with our meatball, Grandma can rest assured: I make it only with beef and organic tomatoes. What is it about the meatball Trapizzino that drives you crazy? The tomato sauce that collects inside the pizza triangle and takes us right back to childhood, when we used to sneak it into the pot!

Street food is trendy, and Rome's Trapizzino is one of its trendiest ambassadors. Invented in 2008 in the Testaccio neighborhood of the Italian capital, the half-sandwich, half-pizza treat has been so successful that, in just a few years, it has expanded not only beyond its birth neighborhood, and national borders, it has even opened in New York and Japan * and it plans for more openings.

So what is trapizzino and why is it so successful?

Trapizzino is a play on words that comes from the union of the words tramezzino (the classic Italian triangular sandwich found in many bars) and pizza; trapizzino is half sandwich, half pizza. The dough is that of pizza, shaped in the form of a triangle, made with sourdough starter, soft inside, crunchy outside. Then, rather than tomato and mozzarella, it is filled with classic Roman dishes, which take hours, if not days, to make. So Trapizzino has been able to combine tradition and quality with quick delivery and convenient prices, which is probably the secret of its success.

With time, Trapizzino has expanded its offerings beyond classic Roman recipes such as Roman-style artichokes (yum), Roman-style tripe and Roman oxtail stew; It now also offers stuffings inspired by other regional cuisines such as eggplant parmigiana or chicken cacciatore. 

So, what is the trapizzino and why is it so successful?

Over time, Trapizzino has expanded its offerings beyond classic Roman recipes such as Roman-style artichokes, Roman-style tripe, and oxtail alla vaccinara; It now also offers fillings inspired by other regional cuisines such as eggplant parmigiana or chicken cacciatore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqq-knDmRTE

 

Sicilian street food 

The latest Forbes ranking, published in 2017, placed the Sicilian capital in fifth position for variety, quality and genuineness of street food, the only Italian to have entered the ranking. Palermo and street food have a double thread, which has its roots in ancient times, when the art of getting by was a necessity and good food was created from the poorest raw materials. Most of Palermo's street food has, in fact, nothing sophisticated. No elaborate recipes, certainly a non-gourmet style in its original form, preferring instead leftover meat, such as the fifth quarter, and low-cost raw materials. Not even the advent of fast food has convinced the people of Palermo to abandon the delicacies that are bought on the street corner, from street vendors, immediately feeling at home when they hear people speaking in dialect and accompany a good bread ca meusa with a cold beer.

Among the Sicilian culinary specialties, in most cases we refer to humble foods, prepared with a few ingredients that are highly available on the island, but with a unique taste. Thus, Trinacria also rediscovers itself as the homeland of street food, the so-called street food, known to the inhabitants of the island long before this Anglo-Saxon expression was coined. Among the excellences that fully fall into this category we find, without a shadow of a doubt, the panelle, a symbol of Palermo's humble cuisine. Although it would be easier to taste them than to describe them, we can define panelle as "pancakes" prepared with chickpea flour. They have a rectangular (or in some cases round) shape and a thickness that never goes beyond 2-3mm.

Their origin is older than you might imagine. In fact, the first to process the so-called ciciri (chickpeas) were even the ancient Greeks. These, more than two thousand years ago, gave life to a pastry that is commonly identified as the first example of "proto panella". Later, it was the Romans who took up the culinary tradition of the Hellenes, bringing the dough to the ovens for the first time to be cooked. But we will have to wait until the late Middle Ages to have the first version of "panella fritta". At that time, in fact, this food became one of the symbols of the Angevin court: served in the form of savory puff pastry, it used to open banquets and delight guests, whetting their hunger.

Ingredients for the Panelle (Chickpea Fritters)

Chickpea flour 500 gr

Fine salt 10 gr

Water 1.5 lt

Black pepper to taste

Chopped parsley 10 gr

Preparation

Turn off the heat, put the cold water with the sifted chickpea flour in a large pot. Stir vigorously with a whisk and avoid the formation of lumps, then turn on the heat over medium heat and add salt and pepper, stirring constantly. At the end of cooking, the mixture will be firm and compact and can be completed by adding the parsley. Next, spread the mixture on a flat surface, such as the bottom of dishes for example, and let it dry for about 30 minutes. Finally, they will be ready to be fried for a few minutes in seed oil. To date, panelle represent one of the most popular foods of Palermo cuisine. 

Montefalco Rosso

The philosophy of BocaleThe Valentinis’ family has been linked by history and personal experiences to the City of Montefalco for over one hundred years. The background is the special Umbrian region, full of history and culture, where the act of every farmer is full of folk wisdom, simplicity, passion and sacrifice. The philosophy is influenced by the histories of men working in the fields, surrounded by the hilly landscape of rare beauty, where vines encircle the round forms of the earth.Since 2002, the Valentini family has returned to revitalize this environmental and cultural heritage creating Bocale, a company created to build on that old passion for wine passed down through the generations. Bocale is the dialect term used to indicate the two-liter jug of wine or oil, but, above all, the name by which this Montefalco family has always been known.

Bocale is a testament to the artisanal production of high quality wine while respecting the land, the environment and the people who have been working and living there for generations. The company has started in 2020 the conversion to organic farming. In the vineyard herbicides are not used, the soil is grassed between the rows to reduce mechanical work, erosion and runoff. The vineyard is treated with the technique of green manure and soil fertility is replenished with organic and mineral fertilizers without the use of chemicals. In the cellar are used only indigenous yeasts and neither micro-filtrations nor stabilizations are done. The wine obtained is the result of an artisanal process respecting the environmental cycles and the natural attitudes of a territory. The winery spreads over 10 hectares, 6 of which are planted with vines, and has an average annual production of 35,000 bottles.

Bocale in dialect, is a term used to indicate a two-liter mug of wine or olive oil, but also the name by which this family of Montefalco has always been known. The productions of Montefalco Rosso and Montefalco Sagrantino are authentic expressions of an innovation in the tradition, where the fruits of nature are mixed with the perfection and simplicity of human gestures. Central elements of the philosophy behind Bocale wine is the respect given to environmental cycles and the handcrafted process that makes the wine such a natural product full of personality.

Montefalco Rosso is a typical Umbrian wine with great versatility, which can match the complexity of a great wine with freshness and drinkability. It’s made mostly from the grapes of Sangiovese with a small percentage of a well-known indigenous grape, Merlot and Colorino. An ideal companion for a wide variety of dishes.

Grapes: 70% Sangiovese, 15% native vine, 10% Merlot and 5% Colorino.

Harvest: last ten days of September – early October. Handpicked from the vineyards.

Vinification: exclusively with natural enzymes. Wine does not undergo any kind of stabilization and filtration. Presence of sediments should be considered a guarantee of authenticity.

Aging: in barrels and barriques use for about 12 months and then aged in bottle for at least 6 months.

Aging: aging capability of at least 7-10 years if stored in ideal conditions.

Tasting notes

Ruby red with violet hues. Floral scents, reminiscent of violets, accompanied by fruity notes of ripe cherry and lightly spicy notes. Well structured wine, balanced with soft tannins and good persistence.

 

Eggplant caponata

Caponata is a typical dish of the Sicilian gastronomic tradition. It can be served as an appetizer and as a side dish and is perfect for the summer season, as the protagonists are the eggplants. My version is that of a family recipe.

The caponata is enjoyed cold, at room temperature, sprinkled with chopped basil. The caponata, kept tightly closed, in the refrigerator keeps well for two or three days, even gaining in flavor. However, remove it from the fridge at least an hour before serving. Caponata: one, a hundred, a thousand. How uncertain is the etymological origin of the name - from caupo, tavern keeper, indicating tavern food? From capon, a joking way invented by Spanish sailors to indicate the galletta, the biscuit that replaces bread during navigation? At Capone's, the fish that was once used as an ingredient instead of eggplant? - so the composition varies according to the season and the area of Sicily in which it is prepared. An example? There is a winter variant that includes artichokes instead of eggplant.

Of course, the preparation of this dish takes a few hours and if done the day before it gives time to the aromas to mix. Once cooled, it should be stored in the fridge to be taken out an hour before the meal. A dish for parties and special occasions, baroque in taste, it is served as an appetizer or side dish. I went to Sicily to find out what are the secrets to a perfect caponata. The version I present is from Messina. Here are the ingredients for six people: the dish is hearty, the portions don't have to be large.

INGREDIENTS

2 silk aubergines

1 large onion 

3/4 seeded and filleted cherry tomatoes

1 red bell pepper

40 g raisins

a stick of celery

100 g whole pitted green olives

30 g pine nuts

1 tbsp salted capers

extra virgin olive oil

3-4 tbsp white vinegar

1 tablespoon of orange blossom honey

2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder

Marsala

salt

Procedure

To begin with: the aubergines should be cut and put in water and salt for about half an hour so that they lose their bitterness. They should then be squeezed well and cut into cubes. Then peel and slice the onion, preferably red onion, which is sweeter. The celery stalk is also cut into cubes, keeping a few leaves. Then the pepper, first in strips and then in pieces. In the meantime, and this is a first secret, the raisins are soaked in a little Marsala. Frying: take all the time you need and follow this rule: onion, celery and then tomatoes together; eggplant aside; peppers aside. Not all at once, and this is another important precaution for the final result, because frying times are different and must be respected. Salt should be added at the end. For the eggplant, the heat must be high and the pan not too full to prevent it from being boiled and not fried. Two minutes before the onion and celery are sautéed, add the raisins, pine nuts and a handful of olives. It is stirred to toast the pine nuts. Then you turn off the stove. The composition: once fried, peppers and aubergines should be drained and pat dry, to dry the grease as much as possible. Then they should be added to onion, celery and tomatoes. The frying oil that you have to taste, and this is another secret, is only that of the sautéed onion and celery.

Meanwhile, in a glass, combine 3/4 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, one tablespoon of orange blossom honey and one or two tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa, stirring to dissolve the honey. When all the ingredients are in the pan of onion and celery, turn on the heat and pour the contents of the glass, stirring for 3/4 minutes, the time for the vinegar to evaporate. Final touch: with the heat off, add a few basil leaves, a sprinkling of chopped and toasted almonds or peanuts. If desired, a grating of bitter chocolate.

 

Scialatielli with clams, mussels, calamari, scampi and prawns, some cherry tomatoes and cascading parsley 

Today I propose a must of Neapolitan cuisine: recipe of Scialatielli with seafood, a tasty dish that is inevitable in fish-based restaurants. The scialatielli * a typical pasta shape of the Amalfi coast * was created by the hand of chef Enrico Cosentino in 1978 (presented at a culinary competition, earning him the entremetier of the year award); The name probably derives from two words of the Neapolitan dialect, namely, "scialare" (to enjoy) and "tiella" (frying pan). Scialatielli with seafood, a Neapolitan recipe from the Amalfi Coast, a classic dish on holidays and special occasions.

This dish that has its roots in the rich gastronomic tradition of Campania, in particular in the picturesque Amalfi Coast, kissed by the sun and bathed by the waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, which has inspired a cuisine that celebrates the fresh flavors of the sea. Scialatielli are a variety of fresh pasta with an irregular shape and soft texture that makes them unique and perfect for capturing the intense flavors of seafood. Preparing this recipe does not require effort, but only the search for quality ingredients. Clams, mussels and prawns make the difference, along with cherry tomatoes, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and parsley, which reflect the Mediterranean influence present in the cuisine of Campania. Precisely for this reason, the dish represents not only a culinary experience, but also a fascinating immersion in the historical and cultural roots of one of the most fascinating regions of Italy. Enjoy your meal!

Ingredients

350 g Scialatielli

500 g Mussels

500 g Clams 

500 g Prawns

500 g Squid

2 cloves Garlic

Extra virgin olive oil

Parsley

Preparation

It is important to cook the seafood separately, so you will need 3 pans. Place the clams in a bowl with water and salt and leave them for about 1 hour so that they drain; Clean the squid by removing the entrails, detach the tentacles and chop into small pieces; Then clean the prawns by removing heads, shells and tails. Clean the mussels well place them in a pan with 2 tablespoons of water, cover with a lid and let them open spontaneously over medium-low heat. Filter the water from the mussels that came out during cooking using a colander lined with a tea towel. This allows all impurities to be eliminated. I recommend keeping a part of the mussels whole for decoration * then * put them on a separate plate. The water of the mussels should then be added to the pan with the clams, this step is important to give more flavor to the dish! In another pan, fry a clove of garlic with oil and pour in the clams, leaving them to open over high heat. At this point, add the shelled mussels and their filtered water. As for mussels, also for clams, take the mollusk out of the shells, keeping a part of it whole for the decoration of the dish. In another pan, fry 1 clove of garlic with a good drizzle of oil and add the squid and prawns. Bake for about 10 minutes. Finally, combine all the ingredients. In another pan, fry 1 clove of garlic with a good drizzle of oil and add the squid and prawns. Bake for about 10 minutes. Finally, combine all the ingredients. Serve your seafood scialatielli and enjoy them piping hot. And if you try them, let me know!

Tip

You can add pepper or chili pepper to taste. You can also prepare another shape of pasta with the mussel and clam sauce such as spaghetti, fettuccine or paccheri. 

Pizza Sausage and chips 😻😱

The frankfurter and chips pizza is definitely the most loved pizza by children and it is also the pizza loved by my son. The one he has made actually involves a base of tomato puree on which frankfurters, chips and fior di latte are then placed. The recipe that I leave you is that of the classic potatoes and frankfurters.

Ingredients

Pizza dough

Potato sticks 

280 g Fiordilatte

Salt

300 g Sausages

Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Prepare the pizza dough. Place the fries on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake them in a preheated oven for half the time indicated on the package. Roll out the pizza dough into 4 discs. Place a few chips, a little Fiordilatte and a few sliced sausages on each disc. Lightly oil, salt and bake the pizzas at 200°C in a preheated oven until preferred. 

 

Linguine and octopus

Let's debunk a myth: although it is not a common practice, you might find some Italians who serve pasta with a slice of bread, linguine and octopus 😻🤩

Today I propose linguine with octopus, cherry tomatoes, a really tasty dish where the intense flavor of octopus meets the delicacy of the soft and sweet embrace of cherry tomatoes. Octopus is an excellent food for those with high cholesterol, in fact it has anticholesterolemic properties, and is low-calorie: for every 100 g of octopus, only 82 calories are assimilated. It is also a versatile raw material that lends itself to different preparations.

Ingredients

350 g of spaghetti

800 g of small octopuses (about 50 g each)

600 g tomato puree (or peeled tomatoes crushed and pureed)

1 clove of garlic

60 g parsley

100 g white wine

40 g of Italian extra virgin olive oil

salt

black pepper

Procedure

Rub the octopuses with fine salt and a little water in order to remove the external viscosity, rinse them well under running water and remove the beak, eyes and all the entrails. Pat dry and set aside. In a saucepan, fry half a clove of garlic with the parsley stalks and add the octopus; Pour in some of the white wine, remove the garlic and parsley stalks and cover with a lid. Continue simmering for about 20 minutes, drizzling with the remaining white wine from time to time. Add the tomato puree, cover again and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, always over low heat. Season with salt and black pepper, turn off the heat and let it rest with the lid ajar for at least 30 minutes: in this way the sauce will absorb all the aromas of the octopus. Dip the linguini in plenty of salted water, cook, drain, and add to the sauce in the pan. Finally, season with chopped parsley and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, stir in extra virgin olive oil and serve.

 

Fusilli and mushrooms

Même si les champignons sont généralement assimilés aux mois frais de l’automne, de nombreux champignons sauvages atteignent leur apogée saisonnière à d’autres moments de l’année. De plus, les méthodes de culture modernes ont permis de disposer d’une variété de champignons frais toute l’année, ce qui est une excellente nouvelle pour ceux d’entre nous qui aiment les cuisiner et les manger tout le temps.

Pour ces pâtes ai funghi riches et copieuses, nous faisons dorer un mélange de champignons frais dans une poêle chaude, puis nous les cuisons dans une sauce terreuse avec des aromates, du vin blanc et du bouillon de poulet enrichi en gélatine. De nombreuses recettes de pâtes aux champignons et de risotto nécessitent des cèpes séchés coûteux - et il ne fait aucun doute qu'ils contiennent une tonne de saveurs savoureuses dans un petit emballage - mais vous pouvez préparer de délicieuses versions des deux plats sans eux. Ici, nous utilisons un peu (très peu traditionnel) de sauce de poisson pour donner aux champignons une touche savoureuse. Terminer la sauce avec du beurre et du parmesan lui donne une richesse crémeuse, et une poignée de feuilles de persil frais hachées offrent une touche d'éclat.

Vous pouvez décider d'associer la sauce à des pâtes séchées ou à de délicates nouilles fraîches à la pâte aux œufs. Quoi qu’il en soit, ce plat réconfortant par temps frais est parfait pour une soirée agréable à la maison à tout moment de l’année.

Ingrédients

1 tasse (240 ml) de bouillon de poulet faible en sodium fait maison ou du commerce

1 1/2 cuillères à café (4 g) de gélatine en poudre, comme Knox

2 cuillères à soupe (30 ml) d'huile d'olive extra vierge

1 1/2 livre (675 g) de champignons mélangés (tels que shiitake, pleurotes, maitake, hêtre, cremini et girolles), nettoyés, parés et tranchés finement ou déchirés à la main

Sel casher et poivre noir fraîchement moulu

3 échalotes moyennes, finement hachées (environ 3/4 tasse ; 120 g)

2 gousses d'ail moyennes (10 g), hachées

2 cuillères à soupe (4 g) de feuilles de thym frais hachées

1/2 tasse (120 ml) de vin blanc sec

1 cuillère à café (5 ml) de sauce de poisson

1 livre (450 g) de pâtes courtes séchées

6 cuillères à soupe de beurre non salé (3 onces ; 85 g)

3 onces de Parmigiano-Reggiano râpé (1 tasse; 85 g)

1/4 tasse (10 g) de feuilles de persil plat frais hachées

Directions

Versez le bouillon dans un petit bol ou une tasse à mesurer et saupoudrez uniformément la gélatine sur la surface du bouillon. Mettre de côté. Dans une grande poêle en fonte ou en acier inoxydable de 12 pouces, chauffer l'huile à feu moyen-vif jusqu'à ce qu'elle brille. Ajouter les champignons, assaisonner de sel et de poivre et cuire, en remuant fréquemment avec une cuillère en bois, jusqu'à ce que l'humidité se soit évaporée et que les champignons soient bien dorés, 12 à 15 minutes. Ajouter les échalotes, l'ail et le thym et cuire, en remuant constamment, jusqu'à ce que le parfum et les échalotes soient ramollis, 30 secondes à 1 minute. Ajouter le vin et cuire en remuant la poêle et en raclant les morceaux collés avec une cuillère en bois, jusqu'à ce que le vin soit réduit de moitié, environ 30 secondes. Ajouter le mélange de bouillon de poulet, assaisonner légèrement de sel et porter à ébullition. Réduire le feu à moyen-doux, ajouter la sauce de poisson (le cas échéant) et cuire, en remuant de temps en temps, jusqu'à ce que le mélange de champignons épaississe jusqu'à obtenir une consistance sauce, environ 5 minutes. Éteignez le feu. Pendant ce temps, dans une casserole d'eau bouillante salée, faites cuire les pâtes. Si vous utilisez des pâtes sèches, faites cuire jusqu'à ce qu'elles soient légèrement al dente (1 à 2 minutes de moins que ce qui est indiqué sur l'emballage). Si vous utilisez des pâtes fraîches, faites cuire jusqu'à ce que les nouilles soient à peine cuites. À l'aide d'une écumoire araignée (pour les pâtes courtes) ou de pinces (pour les pâtes fraîches longues), transférez les pâtes dans la poêle avec les champignons avec 3/4 tasse (180 ml) d'eau de cuisson des pâtes. Vous pouvez également égoutter les pâtes à l'aide d'une passoire ou d'une passoire à mailles fines, en veillant à réserver au moins 2 tasses (475 ml) d'eau de cuisson des pâtes. Chauffer la sauce et les pâtes à feu vif et cuire, en remuant et en remuant rapidement, jusqu'à ce que les pâtes soient al dente (les pâtes fraîches ne seront jamais vraiment al dente) et que la sauce épaississe et enrobe les nouilles, 1 à 2 minutes, en ajoutant plus d'eau de cuisson des pâtes dans 1/ Par incréments de 4 tasses (60 ml) selon les besoins. À ce stade, la sauce doit recouvrir les pâtes tout en restant suffisamment lâche pour s'accumuler sur les bords de la poêle. Ajouter le beurre, remuer et mélanger rapidement pour fondre et émulsionner dans la sauce. Retirer du feu, ajouter les 3/4 du fromage râpé et tout le persil, et remuer rapidement pour incorporer. Assaisonner avec du sel au goût. Servir immédiatement, en passant le reste du fromage râpé à table.

Conseil

Ces pâtes sont à leur meilleur lorsqu'elles sont dégustées immédiatement, surtout lorsqu'elles sont préparées avec des pâtes fraîches. Si vous utilisez des pâtes séchées, elles se conservent bien pour les restes et peuvent être réfrigérées dans un récipient hermétique jusqu'à 3 jours.

Rigatoni alla "Sangiovannara" Style 

A sauce to prepare while the pasta is cooking. It solves a lunch or an unexpected guest with a few ingredients and an exceptional result, obviously as long as you have the rigatoni ready...

Ingredients 

500 gr of Rigatoni 

1 onion

100 g of bacon

1 coast of celery

 1 carrot

1/2 cup of dry white wine

40 gr of grated pecorino Romano cheese

6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

salt

Preparation

Cut the onion in thin washers, carrot and bacon and chop the coast of celery. Fry everything in oil for about 5 minutes, then add the with wine and let evaporate and cook for about 15 minutes adding occasionally a little water took from the cooking pasta. Drain the rigatoni and sauté all in the pan by adding the cheese.

Spaghetti with seafood 

Today I'm going to post a simple and tasty recipe: Spaghetti With Seafood. It is a dish that can be found on the menu of many restaurants in Naples, which can be considered the younger brother of the famous spaghetti allo scoglio. This preparation is much simpler than the second, but also less rich: in fact, only the freshest mussels that are available are used, such as clams, and mussels (but also clams, truffles, lupins). Only shelled seafood is used.

As I mentioned, it is a preparation that requires less attention than the timeless spaghetti allo scoglio. In fact, in this recipe I only use fasolari, mussels and clams that I cook at the same time, which is not the case with the recipe for spaghetti with seafood. The latter, in fact, also includes crustaceans and squid that have different cooking methods and therefore it is necessary to follow the orderly preparation steps. In addition, in the recipe for Neapolitan-style spaghetti with seafood, there is no use of alcohol (cognac, wine, brandy). What I'm posting today is a recipe that makes simplicity its strong point!

Before moving on to the procedure, I want to tell you an anecdote about spaghetti with seafood, a recipe that has a particular flavor for me. The reason? Simple: it was the ace up my sleeve to steal my partner's heart. In other words, I grabbed him by the throat and the mission was successful. In short, but not too much: we were at the beginning of our relationship and for the first time she came to eat at my house (I was single and lived alone). I decided to make a dish that I had seen my parents cook many times, Spaghetti with Seafood With Cherry Tomatoes: it was a real success and I like to think that also thanks to that first course I now find myself happily married! So if songs are the soundtrack of love stories, for us spaghetti with seafood are the 'taste' of our story. Perfect for Sunday lunch with guests.

Ingredients

600 gr. Mixed Seafood

160 gr. Spaghetti

Extra virgin olive oil to taste

1 clove of garlic

1 chili pepper

10 cherry tomatoes

Salt to taste

Parsley to taste

Procedure

Clean seafood thoroughly: mussels, clams; Then let them drain thoroughly to remove any sand residue. Drop the spaghetti in plenty of salted water and in the meantime open the seafood in a pan where you have sautéed a crushed garlic clove and a crumbled dried chili. Once the seafood is opened (3, 4 minutes), transfer it to a plate. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve. Pour the liquid back into the pan and let it cook, over high heat, a dozen cherry tomatoes, salting them lightly. Add a handful of freshly chopped parsley. Also add some of the shelled seafood and sauté the whole thing. Put the spaghetti on individual plates with the help of a ladle. Complete the dishes by arranging mussels and clams (the mussels in half of their shells) around them. Your Seafood Spaghetti is ready to be enjoyed!

Ligurian Picagge

Traditional of Liguria, picagge resemble large fettuccine: they are made with flour and eggs and served with pesto, but there are variations. A traditional pasta from Liguria, picagge are egg tagliatelle a few centimeters wide whose dialect name means "cotton ribbons". They can be seasoned with pesto - as the Ligurian tradition dictates - or with a meat or fish sauce. Try to prepare them at home: in the recipe I suggest how to make fresh pasta, but also how to best make pesto, the symbolic condiment of Liguria that has become famous all over the world. Picagge can also be made by mixing wheat flour with chestnut flour, as I have done here, and in this case they are called picagge matte. On the other hand, green picagge are those kneaded with marjoram and "advantaged" if made with whole wheat flour.

Ingredients

for the pasta

500 g white flour

2 eggs

salt

For the pesto

40 basil leaves

20 g pecorino cheese

20 g Parmesan cheese

30 g pine nuts

two cloves of garlic

olive oil

Salt

Procedure

To prepare the Ligurian picagge, put the flour in a well on the pastry board, add the eggs, a pinch of salt and about 150 g of warm water. Knead everything well until you get a uniform and consistent dough. Roll out a thin sheet, let it rest for about half an hour, then cut it into tagliatelle 1.5 cm wide, like fettucce (picagge). Let them air dry and, in the meantime, prepare the pesto, possibly in a marble mortar, working and adding in succession the basil, lightly toasted pine nuts, a pinch of salt, garlic and cheeses. Complete with half a glass of oil. Boil the pasta, drain it then season it with the pesto diluted with half a ladle of the cooking water.

 

Fugazzeta

Fugazza con queso (from Genoese dialect: fugassa; Italian: focaccia), or simply fugazza, is a common type of Argentine pizza, originating in Buenos Aires, that consists of a thick pizza crust topped with onions, cheese, and sometimes olives. It is derived from a combination of Neapolitan pizza with Italian focaccia bread. Fugazza and its variations are believed to have been invented by a Genoese-Argentine pizza maker named Juan Banchero sometime between 1893 and 1932, who served it out of a pizza shop bearing his name. Banchero's pizza shop continues to sell fugazza to this day in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of La Boca, which historically served as a home to Genovese immigrants to Argentina. Genoese and Neapolitan traditions have been meeting for more than a century in this leavened specialty of Buenos Aires: discover the recipe for Fugazzeta.

Ingredients

400 g crumbled mozzarella

150 g re-milled durum wheat semolina

150 g flour

50 g milk

10 g fresh brewer's yeast

3 medium onions

granulated sugar

oregano

chili pepper

extra virgin olive oil

salt

Procedure

Mix the lukewarm milk with the baking powder, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of flour and let the mixture rest for 10 minutes. Mix the flour with the semolina in a bowl; make a hollow in the center and add 1 tablespoon of oil and a pinch of salt; Then add the mixture of milk, yeast, sugar and flour and start kneading with your hands. Gradually add 130 g of warm water, continuing to knead for about 5-7 minutes, until you get a soft dough. Let it rest for 1 hour. Peel the onions and slice them very thinly; Soften them in a pan with 2 tablespoons of oil (they should not brown), seasoning them with oregano, salt and ground chili pepper (or pepper, to taste). Divide the dough into 2 loaves, one smaller and one larger. Oil a pizza pan and roll out the largest loaf on it, spreading the dough well with your hands; Spread the crumbled mozzarella on top, keeping a little for the surface of the fugazzeta. Roll out the second dough with a rolling pin and place it on top of the fugazzeta; Seal the edges and pierce the surface with a fork. Spread the onion on top, drained from its cooking liquid, and the mozzarella kept aside. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes at 200 °C; Remove from the oven and serve immediately. 

 

Cocoa cake with a soft heart 

The chocolate cake with a soft heart for cocoa lovers borders on perfection. The meltability inside leaves you enraptured. And it is also a fairly simple dessert to prepare, which can be served on its own or as an accompaniment. The cocoa cake with a soft heart is a simple dessert, but it hides pitfalls: if when you sink the spoon the heart melts, you have overcome the challenges. The preparation of the chocolate cake with a soft heart is not difficult at all. You need dark chocolate, flour, eggs, butter, sugar and above all a mountain of cocoa to make this perfect dessert for any occasion. Here are all the steps in the recipe.

Ingredients

Dark chocolate 200 g 

Butter 200 g 

Sugar 130 g 

Flour 50 g 

Eggs 4 

Unsweetened cocoa powder to taste 

Icing sugar to taste 

Salt to taste

Preparation

In a saucepan, melt the dark chocolate and butter together over low heat, then add the sugar and mix. After adding the egg, add the flour in a sprinkle. When the mixture is homogeneous, add the salt and continue mixing. Then put everything in a cake pan previously buttered and dusted with bitter cocoa. Bake at 180°C for about twenty minutes, constantly checking the cooking. After taking it out of the oven, let it cool for a couple of minutes and before serving, sprinkle with more bitter cocoa or icing sugar.

Orange parfait or Semifreddo 

Semifreddo is not my strong point, I don't really like 'frozen' desserts but sometimes I can make an exception, if there is something I can't resist is to accompany them. A perfect dessert for a special occasion, less cold and creamier than ice cream: find out how to prepare orange parfait with my recipe. A parfait like orange parfait is a perfect spoon dessert for special occasions. Spectacular when presented as a cake, elegant in single portions, it can be prepared in many flavors, from chocolate to fruit to nougat.

As the name implies, semifreddo is stored and served cold but has a higher temperature than ice cream. Compared to this, it is also firmer and creamier. In our recipe we prepared it with a syrup of sugar and orange juice that we incorporated into the eggs and to which we added whipped cream. We then paired the citrusy taste of the parfait with a chocolate and Grand Marnier sauce.

Ingredients

400 g fresh cream

200 g dark chocolate

150 g sugar

125 g orange juice

8 Biscuits

4 Egg yolks

2 Oranges

butter

Grand Marnier

Procedure

Boil the orange juice for 3 minutes with 125 g of sugar. Once hot, drizzle it over the egg yolks, working the mixture with an electric whisk in a bowl, kept in a hot water bath over low heat. As soon as the mixture is creamy, move the bowl from the hot to a cold water bath and continue to whip it until it has cooled; Then add the whipped cream and flavor with a tablespoon of Grand Marnier and the grated peel of an orange. Distribute the mixture into 8 serving loaf molds with the bottom covered with parchment paper, close each mold with a ladyfinger, then put them in the freezer for 6 hours. To serve, prepare a sauce by boiling the chocolate for a couple of minutes with 300 g of water. Cut the peel of the orange into fillets and peel the wedges of both. Sauté everything in a knob of bubbling butter with the remaining sugar (25 g) and a finger of Grand Marnier. Serve the desserts on plates with the chocolate sauce, fillets and orange wedges.

 
 

 

Poulet Vesuvio

Le poulet Vesuvio est un plat dans une poêle composé de morceaux de poulet, rôtis avec de l'ail, de l'oignon et des pommes de terre, servis avec une belle sauce à la poêle et des petits pois. Nommé d'après le volcan Vésuve près de Naples en Italie, il est devenu un plat emblématique de Chicago que vous allez adorer !

Ingrédients

2 livres de morceaux de poulet 

sel et poivre noir fraîchement moulu au goût

¼ tasse d'huile d'olive

2 tasses de quartiers de pommes de terre Yukon Gold

½ oignon, haché

5 gousses d'ail, tranchées

⅔ tasse de vin blanc sec

⅔ tasse de bouillon de poulet

2 cuillères à soupe de persil frais haché

1 cuillère à soupe d'assaisonnement italien

1 cuillère à soupe de beurre, ou plus si nécessaire

½ tasse de petits pois surgelés

Directions

Préchauffer le four à 400 degrés F (200 degrés C). Bien sécher les morceaux de poulet et assaisonner généreusement de sel et de poivre. Chauffer l'huile d'olive dans une poêle allant au four à feu moyen. Ajouter le poulet, peau vers le bas, et cuire jusqu'à ce que la peau soit croustillante, 5 à 7 minutes. Retourner et cuire jusqu'à ce qu'il soit doré de l'autre côté, 4 à 5 minutes supplémentaires. Retirer le poulet et réserver. Ajouter les pommes de terre, l'oignon et l'ail dans la poêle et cuire jusqu'à ce que l'oignon soit translucide et que les quartiers de pommes de terre commencent à bien dorer sur les côtés coupés, 5 à 7 minutes. Retirer les légumes de la poêle et réserver. Versez le vin dans la poêle et faites cuire jusqu'à réduction de 1/2 tout en grattant les morceaux de nourriture dorés du fond de la poêle avec une cuillère en bois. Remettez les pommes de terre, l'oignon et l'ail dans la poêle. Incorporer le bouillon de poulet, le persil et l'assaisonnement italien. Ajouter les morceaux de poulet dessus; couvrir avec un couvercle allant au four. Cuire au four préchauffé jusqu'à ce que le poulet soit bien cuit et ne soit plus rose au niveau des os, environ 45 minutes. Un thermomètre à lecture instantanée inséré près de l'os devrait indiquer 165 degrés F (74 degrés C). Remettez la poêle sur le feu et retirez le poulet et les légumes en laissant le liquide; porter à ébullition. Ajouter le beurre et remuer jusqu'à consistance lisse, environ 5 minutes. Assaisonnez avec du sel et du poivre selon votre goût. Ajouter les petits pois et cuire 1 à 2 minutes de plus. Servir le poulet sur les quartiers de pommes de terre et garnir de sauce poêlée et de petits pois.

 

Pizza with Brussels sprouts, gorgonzola, onions and almonds

Gorgonzola and mozzarella go perfectly with Brussels sprouts and onions, which are bound together by another typically German ingredient: beetroot syrup. This dark, sweet, slightly malty syrup (easily replaced with corn syrup) imparts a pleasant flavor to the dressings. The recipe is completed with the crunchy texture of almonds and I am sure that it will win over even the most skeptical.

Ingredients

4 dough balls of 250 g or 3 of 330 g

12 Brussel sprouts

1 liter of water

15 g fine sea salt

25 g extra virgin olive oil

30 g beetroot syrup (alternatively corn syrup)

2 red onions, thinly sliced

25 g extra virgin olive oil

25 g balsamic vinegar

Fine sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

30 g beetroot syrup (alternatively fondant corn syrup)

160 g of gorgonzola cheese

160 g mozzarella cheese, chopped or grated

60 ml cream

Flour, for dusting

30 g sliced almonds

Sea salt flakes, to taste

15 g beetroot syrup (alternatively fondant corn syrup)

Extra virgin olive oil, to taste

Preparation

Clean the Brussel sprouts and use a mandolin or sharp knife to cut them as thinly as possible. In a medium saucepan, bring the salted water to a boil. Add the sliced Brussel sprouts, blanch for 1 to 2 minutes, and drain. In a small bowl, mix the sprouts with olive oil and beetroot syrup and set aside.

For the caramelized onions

Preheat your oven to 250°C. Use the infrared thermometer to quickly and accurately check the temperature in the center of the firestone. Preheat the cast iron skillet in the oven for 10 minutes. Once heated, remove the pan with gloves on; Add the onion slices, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper to the pan and stir until the onion slices are completely coated. Return the pan to the oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the onions become translucent. Add the syrup and bake for another 5 minutes in the oven until golden brown. Remove with gloves and set aside.

For the pizza

Add the gorgonzola, chopped mozzarella, and heavy cream to a bowl and use a fork to mix the ingredients thoroughly until fully combined. Increase the temperature of the oven, aiming to reach a temperature between 350°C and 400°C on the baking stone inside. Use the infrared thermometer to quickly and accurately check the temperature of the stone. Place a ball of pizza dough on a lightly floured work surface and push the air out of the center of the dough toward the edge. Use your fingers and knuckles to gently stretch the dough to 30 or 40 cm in diameter. Transfer the rolled out dough to a lightly dusted pizza peel by gently pulling on the edges to stretch it further. Take 2 tablespoons of the cheese mix and spread it in a thin layer from the center of the pizza base to the edge. Spread the slices of Brussels sprouts, onions, and sliced almonds over the pizza. Bake the pizza with the peel. Bake the pizza for 1 to 2 minutes, flipping every 20 seconds to ensure even cooking. Remove the pizza from the oven and toss it with a sprinkling of sea salt flakes and drops of beetroot syrup and extra virgin olive oil. Cut, serve, and enjoy!