Languages: 2011

My first Christmas cookies and my greetings for you!!!

My dear friends...with this post today I want to wish to all of you a very happy Christmas...I hope you will spend it with your loved ones. This year, after 10 years, we will be spending it with our families...and I'm so excited and happy!
On the last few days I've been quite busy decorating biscuit and baking.... It was the first time for me to decorate with the icing, well the result is not great but I can't really complain for the first time. I'm actually quite proud of my self, and if not beautiful they are at least delicious.
INGREDIENTS for 30 biscuit
For the shortcrust pastry
250g flour
150g butter
1 egg
50g sugar
1 tsp grounded cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
For the icing
1 small egg white
200g icing sugar
2/3 drops of lemon juice

Reduce the sugar to a fine powder (alternatively you can use icing sugar). With a food processor mix the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, sugar and butter until you get a mixture that resembles breadcrumbs. At this point add the egg to bind together the dough. Mix quickly.
Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll out the pastry to a 5mm thickness and cut the biscuits. Bake in a warm oven at 150º for 15/20 minutes.
Prepare the icing: In a bowl beat the the egg white with the lemon juice. Add the sifted icing sugar and mix until combined and smooth. Decorate the cookies as your imagination will suggest you!!
Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

Lamb curry and polenta!!!

Plate from Churchill china

For the Italian version click here!!!
Hi everyone!!!! Finally I managed to cook something for Giulia's contest about polenta. I'm not a big fan of polenta to be honest, but accompanied with this delicious curry I have to say was very good!

INGREDIENTS:
300g diced lamb
200ml coconut milk
1/4 of an onion
2 tbs curry powder
1 tbs garam masala
grounded chili pepper
extra virgin olive oil
100g polenta powder
400ml water

Saute' the onion with a few tbs of extra virgin olive oil. When soft remove from pan and set aside.
Brown the lamb on both sides and set aside. In the same pan mix a splash of coconut milk with the grounded spices. Mix well. Add the meat, onions and the rest of coconut milk and cook for a few minutes until the lamb is well cooked.
In the meantime prepare the polenta. Heat up 400ml of water, add the polenta powder and keep stirring. Cook for about 8 minutes.

With this recipe I take part at Giulia's (love at first bite) contest.

Very quick bread....!!!!

My help is my kneading machine Clatronic KM3323

For the Italian version click here!!!
Hello everyone!!!
Finally a bit of rest...the 3rd issue of open Kitchen Magazine is out...I'm so excited!!! And now I can finally relax, and enjoy the Christmas holidays....and maybe even cook something special! Long time ago I published the recipe for this very quick bread....but this time I've modify the recipe a bit, and I used my kneading machine. The result is definitely better!
INGREDIENTS:
250g flour
185g water
10g fresh yeast
1 tsp salt
1tsp barley malt

Simply put all the ingredients in the kneading machine bowl. Mix for a few minutes until you get a smooth but sticky dough. Cover the bowl wit cling film and leave to rise for 2 hours, or until doubled in size. Transfer the risen dough in a well floured surface, cut into 6 pieces. Be careful not to loose all the fermentation gases. Form small balls and transfer them in a oven paper lined tray. Let rest for 1 hour and then bake in a warm oven, at 200º for 20/30 minutes

Linguine with sea urchin!

Plate from Churchill Chinaware

For the Italian version click here!!!
Brrrrrrrrrrr......it is so cold here in Paris...I'm not used anymore to these temperatures!
But at least I've managed to go to the Christmas markets again...I love this time of year...all the Christmas lights. One of my favourite dishes in winter is pasta with sea urchin. Unfortunately in Rome is very difficult to find them, maybe it is better or I would eat them everyday. Last week my husband went to Palermo, in Sicily, and had the chance to buy them. He cook this delicious pasta dish...it's a shame I didn't manage to get a nice picture but I couldn't wait, I had to eat quickly.

INGREDIENTS for 2
190g of linguine
1 plastic cup full of sea urchin
2 garlic cloves
chopped parsley
extra virgin olive oil

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water. Drain it 1 or 2 minutes before the end of the cooking time. In a a large frying pan heat up some olive oil with the garlic cloves. When golden brown remove them. Drain the pasta and transfer it in the pan with 2 or 3 ladles of the cooking water. Mix quickly over high heat, add the chopped parsley and 3 tablespoons of the sea urchin (be careful no to cook them). Mix well and serve immediately on a hot plate. Top with some more sea urchin.
Enjoy!!!!

Afternoon tea!!! My first scones!!!

Cup and plate Green Gate

For the Italian version click here!!!
Hello everyone!!!!

During the years spent in England I have learnt to love british food. One of the traditions I love the most is The Afternoon Tea. At the beginning I used to drink only tea with lemon...and I didn’t know anything about clotted cream.Ho for years I missed on something absolutely delicious. Clotted cream is on the the things I have ever tasted...yeah not really light But I do understand now that is a MUST with scones.

A few weeks ago I bought it in London so I baked for the first time some scones for a delicious Afternoon cream tea.

INGREDIENTS:

220g self raising flour (I used Molino Chiavazza)

a pinch of salt

50g butter

25g sugar

150g milk

1 egg to glaze

Served with:

clotted cream

apricot jam (I used extra organic jam Casa Barone)

In a bowl mix the flour and salt. Rub in the butter, as you would when preparing a classic shortcrust pastry. Add the sugar and milk to get a soft dough. Knead very quickly the dough in a floured work top. Roll out the dough into a 2 cm thickness. Use a 4/5 cm cutter to form disks. Place them on a baking tray lined with oven paper. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg beaten with some milk. Bake in a warm oven at 200º for 10/15 minutes.

5 cereals rye bread!!!

To knead my bread I used my CLATRONIC KM3323

For the Italian version click here!!!
Finally I get the chance to write even this post and translate this recipe. I've posted in the Italian blog a few days ago. I have to admit that when I published that recipe instead of translating it immediately, I preferred to go to the Christmas Market in the Champ Elysee in Paris. Would you blame me? mmmmmmm I think you would have done the same thing!!!!!!
But let me give you the recipe before I get caught up in something else.
INGREDIENTS:
100 g manitoba flour Molino Chiavazza
150 g rye flour molino Chiavazza
100 g water
1 handfull of cereals
10 g fresh yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp barley malt

Cook the cereals for about 10 minutes in boiling water.
Simply put all the ingredients, except the cereals, on the food processor bowl adding the water little by little.
Knead until you get a smooth and compact dough and then add the cereals. Knead until well combined. Cover the bowl and let rest until double in size. When ready to bake, using a sharp blade score the dough in a diamond pattern. Bake in a warm oven at 200º for approximately 30 minutes.

Sirloin steak and bacon stew!!!

Casserole dish from Easylife design

For the Italian version click here!!!
Here I am, back from a fantastic holiday around Europe. My my other half we have been to Lisbon, Madrid and Toulouse....and I have to say is so sad to be back. I had a great time and tried some fantastic food!!! I definitely have to go back to Lisbon and Madrid were I had no chance to see everything and to eat all delicatessen. Can you believe I had no chance to try Hot Choccolate and Churros in Madrid???? So I have to go back one day....
After this holiday now I'm ready to go back on track talking about my favourite subject: Food!!!
So today I want to give you this simple and delicious recipe...made of course with scotch beef!!

INGREDIENTS for 2 people:
2 sirloin steaks (about 400 gr)
100 gr of diced pancetta or bacon
2 carrots
1 onion
2 bay leaves and thyme
1/2 glass of red wine
1 cup of beef stock
20 gr. flour
20 gr. butter
extra virgin olive oil

Brown the bacon and set aside, remove all the grease. In a casserole brown the diced meat with some olive oil, add the bacon the diced vegetables, season and cook for a few minutes.
Pour in the red wine and beef stock, bring to the boil. Turn the heat down, cover and cook for about 30/40 mins.
When the stew is cooked, remove the meat and vegetables and set aside.
Prepare a roux mixing 20 gr. of melted butter with 20 gr. of flour.
Bring the stew liquid to the boil and add one spoon of the roux mixture. Mix well until the roux has broken up and the sauce has thickened.
Pout the meat and vegetables back into the pan with the sauce and serve hot.

Casserole dish from easylife design, plate from Churchill chinaware

Had Now I just show you some pictures of the great food I tried during my Holidays.

Pasteis de Nata, typical custard cake from Lisbon

Toulouse Cassoulet

Nougatine with chocolate cream

Fresh home made pasta with cavolo nero and sausage!!!

For the Italian version click here!!!
Good afternoon everyone!!!! Did you have a nice weekend? In Italy many are having a long weekend since tomorrow is bank holiday...All Saints day.
Do you have any plans for Halloween?
Me not really...just a long journey to Tokyo as usual.....
At the moment I'm just drinking a nice tea with milk as a proper Italian/English....I arrived here in London far to early today so I decided to kill some time giving you this fantastic pasta recipe!
You will find my home made strozzapreti recipe here!!!

FRESH HOME MADE PASTA WITH CAVOLO NERO AND ITALIAN SAUSAGE

INGREDIENTS for 2 people

160 gr fresh pasta

5 black cabbage leaves

100 gr. sausage

3 parma ham slices

Extra virgin olive oil 100% italian

some butter

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Slice the well cleaned cabbage leaves, Bring a pan full of water to the boil o cook the pasta.

In the meantime in a frying pan cook the sausage and sliced parma ham with a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Cook the pasta and the cabbage in the boiling salted water for a few few minutes. When cooked drain it, add it to the sausage with some butter, grated parmesan cheese and toss.

Serve Hot!!!!

I would also like to remind you that you have time until the 15th of november to enter the OPEN KITCHEN MAGAZINE CONTEST!!!! Don't be shy send us all your best recipes!!!!

Open Kitchen Magazine in the English Version!!!!!

My dear friends today with great pleasure I would like to share with you the English Version of Open Kitchen Magazine!!!! We took a while to publish it but finally we made it!!!!
I really hope you can enjoy our articles and recipes, tutorials for Halloween and much more....
And please enter the Christmas contest with your fantastic recipes....you can win great prices!!!!
For all the informations go to our website or just ask me and I'll be happy to tell you everything.
To browse the magazine and to download it click on the picture below....

Open publication - Free publishing - More cucina

Cake with caramelized peaches!!!!

Plate from Green Gate. Cake tin from Pavoni Idea

For the Italian version click here!!!
Whoooo what a day.....here in Rome has been raining constantly since 5:30 am....But lots of rain...is flooding everywhere around Rome. Now seems to be calm..lets hope is going to last!!!
Today I want to give the recipe of this great last minute cake. Totally improvised.... That day I had nothing ready for breakfast so I decided to prepare a nice cake with the ingredients I could find in my fridge. I had this peaches there for weeks...and actually the first thought of the day was " I need to remember to throw those peaches in the bin"...but they were still good so I decided they were going to be the main ingredient of my cake.
I prepare my breakfast in a few minutes and definitely my day started with a good way....
INGREDIENTS:
25 gr. soft butter
50 gr. flour
50 ml skimmed milk
lemon zest
50 gr. sugar + 50 gr. for caramel
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder

First of all prepare start to prepare the caramelized peaches by melting the sugar in a small saucepan. Toss the peaches in the melted sugar for just a few minutes and then distribute them in the cake tin (I used the silicon base mini cake tin from Pavoni Idea , 13.5 cm diameter)
Whisk the egg with sugar until is completely dissolved. Add the melted butter and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and fold them with care using a spatula.
Pour the mixture on top of the peaches and bake the cake in a warm oven at 180º for 30 minutes.

plate from Green Gate

Broccoli and gorgonzola soup!!!!

Plate and bowl from Churchill chinaware

For the Italian version click here!!!
Good morning to all of you my dear friends.....I'm sure the majority of you is still sleeping....I don't usually wake up very early....I'm simply in Japan. Mmm actually I started to write this post a few hours ago so I guess most of you are awake now....
Today I want to give you the recipe of a classic dish at home...thats actually the first time I made it...usually I just enjoy when my husband prepares it.
Last week He bought lots of broccoli and steamed them....since I didn't really want to eat broccoli for a week I decided to make this delicious soup. Is a classic soup we had lots of times in England, Broccoli and Stilton soup...but since in Italy Stilton is impossible to find in Italy we now use a strong gorgonzola cheese. I have to say it still tastes delicious!!!

INGREDIENTS:
2 head broccoli
100/150 gr. gorgonzola
1 small onion
water
extra virgin olive oil
100 ml double cream
salt

In a large pan soute' the onion and broccoli with some olive oil for a few minutes. Pour over the water, until the broccoli are covered. Bring to the boil and cook for a few minutes until broccoli are tender.
Transfer everything in a food processor, add the gorgonzola cheese (or stilton) and blend until smooth.
Transfer the soup into a pan, add the cream (or 2 tbs of flour) and bring gently to a simmer. Reduce it if too thick.
Serve hot with croutons or some focaccia bread!

Japanese cuisine: Sukiyaki

For the Italian version click here!!!

Mmmmmm I can’t remember If I’ve told you before how much I love japanese food. I love especially some dishes that I would eat every time I’m in Japan and I crave them...like when I don’t eat pizza or pasta for a long time. One of my favourite dishes is “Sukiyaki”, bat I also love shabu shabu, tonkatsu and above all sushi. As you now know I’m the Tokyo eye on Open Kitchen Magazine, and this recipe was published on the first issue. Is a japanese dish in the “nabemono” style (japanese hot pot). Beef is the main ingredient and is usually cooked on the table. Japanese prefer Kobe beef, a delicacy renowned for the tenderness, flavour, fatty and well- marbled texture. Is a very expensive meat, actually the most expensive in the world. Popular beliefs said that the cows were fed with beer and massaged with sake. Japanese eat this dish with steamed rice and a row egg, slightly beaten with chopsticks were you can dip the ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
200 gr. finely sliced beef
1 leek o 1 negi
150 gr. mushrooms
4 shiitake mushrooms
1 tofu about 200 gr.
200 gr. chinese cabbage
70 gr. Konyaku noodles
1 egg per person
Sukiyaki sauce:
75 gr. sugar
50 ml sake
50 ml soy sauce

First of all if you don’t find sukiyaki sauce, prepare your own mixing sake, soy sauce and sugar.Wash and clean all the vegetables.Slice diagonally the leek or negi. Slice the cabbage. Clean mushrooms and divide the tofu into 4. Cook in boiling water the noodles for 4/5 minutes. Heat up a large frying pan, preferably a cast-iron pan, brush some oil and cook the meat on both sides for a few seconds. Add the tofu, vegetables, the sukiyaki sauce and the noodles. Bring to the boil and cook for a few minutes all the ingredients.

Fish Ravioli with cherry tomatoes and pecorino cheese!!!!

For the Italian version click here!!!
Finally today I had the chance to cook again something nice and different than usual!!! I don't feel grate (a bad flu) at all, but I can't say no to a tasty pasta dish. And I was craving for some for quite a few days now....but when I'm away for work usually I never go to an Italian restaurant.
So here I'm today with some grate ravioli, I prepare then a while ago...but I still had 3 left in the freezer.
And I'm really glad because with this recipe I can enter Barbara's contest "Get an AID in the kitchen".

INGREDIENTS:
pasta dough
200 gr. all purpose flour
100 gr. semolina flour
water
salt
Filling
1 sea bass
4 king prawns
1 large squid
Sauce
Cherry tomatoes
1 garlic clove
extra virgin olive oil
grated pecorino cheese

For the pasta simply mix the 2 types of four with salted water. Knead until you get a smooth and elastic dough. Let it rest for about 30 mins.

Roll the dough flat with a rolling pin into very thin sheets.

For the filling: With a mixer blend all the fresh fish.

Form the ravioli, I made them quite large but you can make them on the shape and size you prefer.

Prepare the sauce by cooking for about 10 minutes the cherry tomatoes with some olive oil and the garlic clove, then pass them through a strainer to remove skin and seeds. In the meantime cook the ravioli in salted boiling water. Add to the sauce the grated pecorino cheese and a few spoons of the pasta cooking water. Drain the ravioli with a slotted spoon,add them to the sauce with some chopped and deseeded tomatoes and toss.

Plates from Churchill

Dish up and sprinkle some more grated cheese. Serve hot.

Sometimes...we come back.....

For the Italian version click here!!!

I'm back.... I wasn't still in holiday but still lots of thing to do! I've been working on the magazine a lot recently.... for a surprise for you all!!! I will tell you all about soon!!!
Since I had no much time to cook recently, Today I want to propose you one of my recipes that have been published on the first issue of Open Kitchen.
It's a great focaccia!!!

FOCACCIA PUGLIESE

ingredients:
250 gr strong flour
100 gr semolina flour
280 gr water
15 gr fresh yeast
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 boiled potato
cherry tomatoes
oregano
granulated salt

Mash the potato with a fork or with a potato masher and add it to the flours previously sieved. Make a well and crumble the yeast in the centre. Dissolve the yeast adding the water little by little. Add the salt and oil at the end.

Knead until you get a smooth and soft dough. It will take some time because it’s quite sticky. Put the dough in a bowl, cover with cling film and let raise until doubled in size, approximately 2 hours.

Then grease a baking tray with a drizzle of oil and pour the dough, level it with your hands.Cover the focaccia with halved cherry tomatoes, sprinkle with oregano and salt, add a drizzle of olive oil. Let rest for 30 minutes.Bake in a warm oven at 220º for 20 minutes until golden brown.

To prepare the focaccia dough I used my Clatronic Km3323

Bread with poolish.....and finally vacation time....

my helper to knead the dough is my Clatronic KM3323

For the italian version click here!!!
My dear friends.....recently I have really no time to post something on my blog....I'm so busy...but finally tomorrow I'll go in holiday for a week to Sardinia. I can't wait!!!! I do really need a relaxing holiday...even though I know it wont be so relaxing going up and down to see our parents and relatives.
Today I'll leave another bread recipe...this one is great to make fantastic bruschetta's!

INGREDIENTS:
Poolish:
150 gr strong flour
150 gr water
2 gr yeast
Final dough:
150 gr strong flour
30 gr water
2 gr fresh yeast
12 gr salt

First of all prepare the poolish the night before, simply mix the flour with water and yeast. Let rest for at least 12 hours.
In the morning `mix the rest of the flour, water, yeast and salt and add the fermented poolish. Knead well until you get a smooth and soft dough, cover with cling film and let rest for 1 hour then flatten the dough with your hands and fold the dough twice. Give again a round shape and let rise for another hour cover with one cloth. Heat up the oven at 220º with a small pan full of water. Bake the bread for 10 mins, then remove the water, turn the oven down to 200º and cook for 20/30 mins.
Let cool down completely before slicing the bread.

Aggiungi didascalia

Home made strozzapreti with a seafood cream!!!

For the italian version click here!!!
Here I'm again......After a long pause!My summer holidays will start officially tomorrow!! Finally!!!!! Even though on the last few days I managed finally to go to the beach..I did really need a rest and recently I've been quite lazy and didn't cook much. Next week I'm going to Sardiniaso I'll be away again for a while!!
But today I'll give you another pasta recipe...really delicious!

INGREDIENTS:
for the pasta:

200gr. of flour

100 gr. of semolina flour

salt

water

sea food cream:

fish bones and skin

prawns

150 ml of double cream

1 tbs of tomato pure

For the cream prepare a fish stock with the fish bones, skin and prawns. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 1 hour. Remove the fish bones and skin and blend the stock with the prawns. Pass through a fine sieve a few times. Bring agin to the boil and reduce by half. Let cool down and chill. I used it the day after. In a saucepan heat a few spoons of the fish stock with the double cream and tomato pure.

For the pasta simply mix the 2 types of four with salted water. Knead until you get a smooth and elastic dough. Let it rest for about 30 mins.

Roll the dough flat with a rolling pin, cut some stripes about 1 cm thick and roll each of them with your hands.

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for just a few minutes. toss the pasta with the seafood cream add chopped parsley and serve immediately!

Green tea panna cotta with chocolate sauce!!!

Tea towel GREEN GATE . Rose mould Pavoni idea.

For the italian version click here!!!

On my last trip to Tokyo I couldn't resist shopping and I bought quite a few things. I really wanted some good quality green tea and some matcha powder. I went, as I usually do, to my favourite shop...The yaku yen shop ( 100 yen).... I had to stop myself or I would have spent a fortune there.....so I ended up buying only a green tea cup, a small plate with the same design, a small tea pot and a few other things.

On my first day off obviously I couldn't resist and I had to try something, I really fancied a dessert but being really tired and with the flu I didn't really wanted to make something to complicated. I still had home a mix for panna cotta from molino Chiavazza, so I opted for a green tea panna cotta with milk chocolate cream.

INGREDIENTS:
300 ml of milk
200 ml of double cream
panna cotta mix
1 tsp of matcha powder
Chocolate sauce:
100 gr of milk chocolate
100 ml of double cream

In a small saucepan bring to the boil the milk and double cream. Remove from the heat and add the panna cotta mix stirring well to obtain a smooth cream. Bring it to the boil once again for 2 minutes continuing to stir.
Pour the mixture into the moulds, let it cool down and then refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours.
For the cream simply bring the double cream to the boil, take off the heat and stir in the broken chocolate. Stir until dissolved. Let it cool down before serving.

Scotch beef filet with gorgonzola sauce!!!!

For the Italian version click here!!!!
Hello everyone from Paris....Hope you are enjoying your sunday. I'm almost ready to go out for lunch...the sun is shining (behind big clouds though), and the air is fresh. But I do really hope I can enjoy a nice french meal sitting outside.... Today's recipe is the romantic dinner we enjoyed on our 10th anniversary day.... I was supposed to cook the meal, but my lovely man was worried I would ruin this fantastic meat so he end up cooking dinner.
This meat was absolutely fantastic, I love scotch beef and I'm so grateful for the M&S at Heathrow airport, so that I've got the chance to do a bit of shopping before boarding for my flights back to Rome.

INGREDIENTS:
2 filet steaks
1 tbs of butter
half cup os beef stock
some red wine
gorgonzola piccante to taste
250 ml of double cream
salt and pepper
Side dish:
potatoes
swiss chard
extra virgin olive oil 100% italian (OLIO DANTE)
salt

Heat up an heavy based pan, the pan has to be very hot. Season the meat with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes at each side in melted butter.
Transfer the steaks in a hot plate, cover with foil and let it rest for a few minutes. In the meantime prepare the gorgonzola sauce.
In the same pan, heat up the beef stock with the red wine, bring it to the boil and reduce. Then simply add the double cream and crumbled gorgonzola. Bring the sauce to the boil, and let the gorgonzola melt. Keep starring and cook until you reach the desired thickness. Season if necessary.
Slice the meat and pour over the sauce, serve with some steamed swiss chard, simply seasoned with salt and extra virgin olive oil, sliced roast potatoes and fresh seasonal salad.