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RECIPES
All the Recipes from Authentic Italy are Vegetarian
For more recipe ideas click on Tuscany Recipes
I. Something to Drink
A few Drinks for cold days
Amaretto Amore Mio: (per person) heat 4 cl of Amaretto, pour into a Cocktail shaker, top with whipped cream and sprinkle with chocolate shavings
Rossorosso: heat a bottle of mild claret, together with the juice of 2 blood oranges and 5 cl grenadine syrup. If that is too much alcohol for you, use the juice of red grapes instead. That way the children also get to drink it! Decorate the glass edges with sugar (firstly place the glass in blood oranges or grape juice, then dip it into sugar) and from the cross-section of the blood orange add a slice of the fruit.
Café di Saronno: (per person) pour 3 cl Amaretto into an Irish-Coffee-glass and top up with hot coffee, finish with whipped cream, topped with a sprinkle of chocolate shavings.
Galliano Caldo: (per person) heat 2 cl Galliano (an Italian cordial with a distinctive vanilla aroma), in a southern wine glass, carefully add 2 cl hot coffee and then top with cream. [Back to top]
A few Drinks for warmer days
Strawberry Kiss: 6 cl pineapple juice, 10 cl orange juice, 1 cl cream, 2 cl strawberry syrup.
With 4 to 5 ice cubes shake the mixture in a cocktail mixer and strain into a long drinking glass adding a further 3 ice cubes, then decorate with mango, cherry, fresh mint and Physalis(gooseberries) .
Capri: 2 cl Campari, 2 cl Apricot brandy, 1 cl fresh lemon juice, 10 cl orange juice
Place the edge of a long drinking glass first in lemon juice, then into sugar. Mix the ingredients with 5 to 6 ice cubes in the shaker and pour into the long drinking glass. Decorate with orange slices.
Americano: 2 cl Campari, 3 cl Martini rosso, 10 cl soda for topping up. Pour the ingredients into a long drinking glass with 3 ice cubes, fill up with soda, and add a cherry.
C&P: 3 cl Campari, Prosecco. Top up Campari with dry, ice-cold Prosecco.
Papagallo: 3ccl gin, 3 cl peach liqueur, 1 cl Curacao, 1 cl fresh lemon juice, 8 cl pineapple juice. With 4 to 5 ice cubes mix the ingredients in the cocktail shaker and transfer into a long drinking glass with a further 3 ice cubes. Decorate with a cherry.
Saronno Light: 4 cl Amaretto di Saronno, 2 cl lemon juice, 10 cl orange juice. Mix the ingredients with 5 to 6 ice cubes in the Cocktail shaker and then pour into a long drinking glass with 3 ice cubes. Decorate with lime and cherry.
and without alcohol:
Arancia oscura: 16 cl natural pure orange juice, 1 cl lemon juice, 1 cl grenadine, 1/4 of a fresh lemon. Pour orange and lemon juice as well as grenadine into a long drinking glass with 3 ice cubes using a stirrer. Lightly squeeze the quarter lemon over the drink and then add to it.
Tiziano: 10 cl red grape juice, 10 cl well cooled non-alcoholic sparkling wine (those that prefer alcohol could use champagne instead), a spritzer lemon juice. Fill half of a long drinking glass with ice cubes, then pour over the grape juice, add lemon juice and then top the glass with the sparkling wine. Decorate with a grape vine.
Bacio: 9 cl cherry juice, 5 cl pineapple juice, 3 cl lemon juice, 2 cl cherry syrup. Throw a few ice cubes with the ingredients into the cocktail shaker. Strongly shake and then strain into a long drinking glass with 3 ice cubes. Decorate with a cherry.[Back to top]
II. First Course and/or Main Course
Homemade Pasta (pasta fatta in casa)
For 5 portions: 1 kg of flour, 5 eggs, 5 tablespoons olive oil, salt, 5 tablespoons of water
For preparation of real Italian pasta it is preferable to use hard wheat flour and/or a wheat-flour mixture. Whisk the eggs, the water, the oil and some salt together and then gradually introduce approximately half of the flour until a consistent dough emerges. Make a crater in the centre of the pasta board from the remaining flour and add the existing dough. Knead by hand, until the mass of dough no longer accepts any further flour. Divide the dough into three parts, rolling each out with the pasta roller and cover each with a towel for approximately 10 minutes. Afterwards curl the dough loosely and then cut these rolls with the knife into 1-2 cm wide strips. Spread these pasta strips lengthways onto a towel and cook the same day - however please note that the cooking time for fresh pasta is greatly reduced! The rolls of dough can of course also be cut open very finely to make Tagliolini or Spaghetti, or otherwise in short and irregular shapes which is then called Maltagliati.
All pasta dishes are prepared in the Italian kitchen on the minute "al dente". The freshly cooked pasta is then mixed well into the pan of the also freshly prepared sauce, prior to being served on preheated plates or in a bowl. The famous Spaghetti Bolognese is the only exception, where the sauce is served first onto the plate prior to the spaghetti being added.
And to accompany the fresh noodles another delicious sauce: 600 g tomatoes, a little fresh Basil, 100 g freshly grated parmesan cheese, 1 level tablespoon of dried Oregano , 300 g cream cheese, salt. Steam and mash tomatoes. Separate some basil, and quickly bring the creme fraiche to the boil. Add tomato puree, Basil, parmesan cheese and oregano, with a pinch of salt. Re-heat once more, then mix into the meanwhile 'al dente' cooked and well drained pasta and serve. [Back to top]
Piemont Bagnacauda
This meal is a starter or side dish. One can however increase the portion and serve it with fresh white bread and parmesan cheese as a light supper. Ingredients for 4 persons: any vegetable which can also be eaten raw, for example 4 carrots, 2 peppers (yellow or red), 4 celery sticks, 2 fennel, 2 salad cucumber, 2 tomatoes, 2 spring onions, 8 radishes, 2 courgettes; in addition 6 garlic cloves and olive oil, salt, pepper. Wash, dry and cut the vegetables into slices and decorate a platter with it. Fry the finely chopped garlic cloves in a pan with the olive oil. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. One of the characteristics of this sauce is that it must be be served warm. You should therefore keep a plate warmer nearby. One can enjoy Barbera with this meal - a typical red wine from Piemont. [Back to top]
Schiaccina al pecorino Toscano e rucoletta
Ingredients for 4 persons:
For the dough: 500 g wheat flour, 30 ml extra virgin olive oil, 25 g yeast, 10 g salt, 200 ml full milk
For the topping: 500 g Pecorino Toscano (if possible the virtually fresh type of Tuscany hard cheese from sheeps milk with a light rind), Rucola
Gently heat the milk and crumble the yeast into it. Then, one by one add flour, oil and salt and work it in until the dough is soft and elastic. Leave the dough in a covered bowl in a warm place, until it has doubled its volume. Then divide it into 4 parts, knead these pieces again thoroughly and let it stand for another hour. After a further quick knead, use a rolling pin until it is thin and place onto a baking sheet, and leave for another 30-35 minutes. In the meantime grate the Pecorino cheese, and cut the washed Rucola into little pieces mixing both together. Save a few pretty Rucola leaves for decoration. Put this consistency on top of the dough and bake the entire product for 15-25 minutes at 220 C, until the cheese and the dough edges turn appetizingly brown (a wood fired pizza oven would be best of course, but who owns one .....). Subsequently serve this with a couple of fresh Rucola leaves and compliment with a good Tuscany claret. Bon appetite! [Back to top]
Fettuccine al tartufo - Nest Noodles with Truffles
For 4 persons: 400 g nest noodles, 100 g butter, ca. 40 g truffles, salt. Cook the noodles al dente in salt water. Melt the butter in a large casserole, adding half the truffles and gently stirring for about 5 minutes over a low flame.
The well drained noodles should then be added and tossed for a few minutes. Place on a pre-heated plate and sprinkle with the remaining Truffles.
Or another variant: ingredients for 4 persons: 400g wide pasta strips, salt, 1 tbs olive oil, 80 to 100g piece of Parmesan cheese, ½ ltr whipping cream, 2 egg yolks, fresh truffles (ca.15 g per person) HINT: alternative to the fresh, you can also use pickled Truffles and Truffle oil. Bring plenty of salted water to boil for the noodles. Coarsely grate the Parmesan. Heat half the cream in a saucepan and take care that it does not boil over. Take off the stove and cook the noodles al dente. Carefully bring the reduced cream back to the boil. Whisk the egg yolks with a couple of spoons of the hot cream and stir this mixture into the cream until the sauce is creamy. Once ready drain the noodles well. Place together with Parmesan and the sauce into a preheated bowl and serve immediately. Whatever your choice, you could add the truffles now but we recommend the shavings to be sprinkled over the plate once on the table. [Back to top]
Pasta e Fagiolo - Band Noodles with Beans
Ingredients for 4 persons: 400g Borlotti- or quail beans, 2 small onions, 2 small carrots, 3 stalks Celery, salt, pepper, 10 tbs native olive oil, 500g hard wheat pasta strips
Soak the beans over night in 1 ltr water. Clean the vegetables, chop them and add to the beans. Boil everything and leave to simmer on a low heat for approx. 15 minutes, add salt. Continue to cook until the beans are soft but not falling apart. Drain half the beans, the remainder to be liquidised with the vegetables and a little butter to make a creamy sauce. Season to taste with salt, pepper and 6 tbs olive oil. Cook noodles al dente and toss them in 4 tbs olive oil. Heat the bean puree and distribute over the noodles. Accompanied with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. [Back to top]
Neopolitan type Pizza
Ingredients for 2 persons: 500 g flour, a cube of yeast, salt, olive oil, 500 g peeled tomatoes, black olives, at least 2 morzarella, oregano
For the dough: break up the yeast and leave it in a cup of lukewarm water. Wait until foam appears on the water, and then knead the fluid with the flour, together with a little olive oil and salt. Leave the covered dough to stand for a couple of hours in a warm room. Cut the morzarella into cubes, switch the oven to 250 degrees C and core the olives. Place the dough on an oiled baking tray (special pizza-baking trays are best, as they have holes in them. This means that the pizza gets more heat from underneath, and for the Pizza, the hotter it is - the better! By the way, also the thinner, the better. Therefore roll the dough out as thinly as possible!) Cover the dough with the peeled tomatoes, a little salt and then the entire product with a little oregano. After that place the pizza in the oven. The dough will be done after approx. 10 minutes. Take it out of the oven (but leave it turned) and cover with morzarella and olives. Put this all back in the oven, until the cheese has melted (2 to 3 minutes). [Back to top]
Spinach Pancake with Mushrooms
Ingredients for 4 persons: 150 g flour, salt and ground black pepper, 1 egg (whisked), 475 ml milk, 400 g spinach, olive oil, 25 g butter, 650 g mushrooms (cut into thin slices), 3 large crushed garlic cloves, grated nutmeg, 125 g morzarella, parsley. Place 100 g flour, with salt, pepper, egg and 300 ml milk into a bowl and whisk into a smooth dough (best done with an electric mixer). Leave the dough to stand for 1 hour in a cool place. Meanwhile cook the spinach quickly (if fresh until it collapses, if frozen spinach, until it is properly heated), drain well. Then liquidise and stir into the pancake dough. If necessary thin down with milk (the dough should be of a thick fluid consistency). Heat olive oil in an approx. 20cm diameter sized pan . Pour only so much of the mixture into the pan, such that only the bottom of it is covered even when tilted. Fry the pancake for approx. 1 minute, turn and quickly brown the other side. Keep warm and continue to proceed with the remaining mixture. Heat the butter in a flat pan and steam mushrooms and garlic until they draw water. Coat the mushrooms with the remaining flour, quickly steam a little longer and then stir in the remaining milk until a smooth sauce emerges. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Fill the pancakes with the mushroom mixture, roll them and place onto a baking tray. Cut the morzarella into slices, distribute over the entire pancake and place into the oven to bake for 15 minutes. Decorate with parsley and serve hot. [Back to top]
Grappa-potatoes with tomatoes-Rucola-vegetables
Ingredients for 4 persons.
For the potatoes: 4 large floury potatoes, coarse sea salt, 1 tbs cumin, aluminium foil, 6 tbs native extra virgin olive oil , 10 g butter, 3 tbs Grappa, salt, ground black pepper, nutmeg, 4 tbs freshly grated Parmesan. Wash the potatoes, and individually wrap up with salt and cumin in aluminium foil (shining side inner) and bake in a pre-heated oven of 200 degrees for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours until tender. Unwrap, cast off and halve the cumin lengthways. Carefully hollow out four halves with a spoon, so that the skins and some of the contents remain. Peal the leftover potato halves and take the cut out potato mixture and mash thoroughly. Mix this together with olive oil, butter and the Grappa and season with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg. Then fill the four potatoes, and sprinkle each with a tbs of parmesan and grill shortly until the parmesan has changed colour.
For the vegetables: 150 g Rucola, 4 large beef tomatoes, 1 tbs olive oil, 1 small onion, 10 g butter, 30 ml vegetable broth, salt, pepper.
Cover the tomatoes with boiling water, peel and cut into cubes. Wash Rucola, remove cut coarse stems and cut into strips. Peal onions and finely dice. Heat the oil in a pan, add the cubed onions and brown. Then together with butter add the tomato cubes and the vegetable broth and leave to simmer for around 3 minutes. Add the Rucola and leave to enhance the flavour. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve together with the Grappa-potatoes. [Back to top]
Spaghetti with olives - a little Sicilian recipe
Ingredients for 4 persons: 500g long Spaghetti, 2 small onions, 250 g de-cored green olives, 500 g Panna (alternatively 250 g sweet cream, 250 g soured cream), 150 g of freshly grated spicy hard cheese (best of all, parmesan), olive oil, ground black pepper, salt
Finely dice the onions and brown in olive oil. Slice olives and mix with the Panna, 75 g of the grated cheese, with salt and black pepper to taste. Bring mixture to the boil and then leave to simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes. Cook the spaghetti al dente in boiling water. Drain through a sieve. Add spaghetti to the sauce, fold shortly, and serve remainder of the grated cheese. The monks of Santuario on the Monte San Galógero served this traditional dish in following style:
First of all the spaghetti was poured from the pot onto a large, scrubbed wooden table. The next monk then poured the sauce on it, and a third grated the cheese directly over the noodle mountain. Each of the monks sitting around the table took a fork in hand, and they all stuck in. A mad experience, try it yourself! [Back to top]
Aubergine-herb Souffle
Ingredients for 6 persons:
1,5 kg fully ripened tomatoes (skinned), 8 tbs natural olive oil, 1 large onion (cut into cubes), 2 tbs garlic (chopped), 175 g tomatoes puree, a piece of fresh oregano, Basil and thyme (chopped), 1 kg aubergines (cut diagonally into 0,5 cm thick slices), 3 tbs flour, salt and ground black pepper, 250 g morzarella (sliced). Cut the tomatoes into little cubes, heat 1 tbs olive oil in a pan and stir in the onion and the garlic to brown for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree and finally the herbs. Stir well and carefully boil. Then cover and leave for 30 minutes on very low flame. Pre-heat oven to 180° C. Toss the aubergine slices into the flour and bake with the remaining olive oil in a large pan on a medium heat.
Season the tomato sauce well. Pour some of the tomato sauce onto a baking tray and layer the aubergines on top. Continue with alternative tomato sauce and aubergine layers until all ingredients have been used. The top layer must consist of aubergines. Distribute the morzarella slices and then bake for about 1 hour in the oven until golden brown. Accompany this dish with fresh salad! [Back to top]
Broccoli Cheese Tart
Ingredients for 6 persons: well cooked dough (75 g soft butter or margarine, 1 ample pinch of sea salt, 175 g flour, 3 tbs cold water), 1 large onion (chopped), 1 tbs olive oil, 350 g broccoli , salt and ground black pepper, 125 g goats cheese (small cut, preferably Ricotta), 4 fresh eggs, 150 ml sweet cream (can be replaced though, with semi- fat milk).
Crisp dough: work with all the ingredients of the dough using a hand whisk or an electric food processor to make it a crumbly consistency. Knead well on a floured kitchen board and prior to use leave to stand in a cool place for at least 1/2 hour. If neither hand whisk or a food processor is available, sieve salt and flour, knead flour onto a baking tray, add butter and knead until a solid dough emerges. If the dough consistency resembles fine breadcrumbs, add some water and continue to knead, until it is smooth.
Flan: pre-heat the oven to 200° C (Temperature control 6). Roll out the dough , place into a well greased (diameter ca. 25 cm) baking tray and bake blindly (Many flan bases must be pre-baked prior to anything being placed on them. Place the dough into the form and slightly press into the edges. Stab a few times with a fork. Cover flan base loosely with aluminium foil that protrudes over the edges by approx. 5 cm. Then pre-bake for approx. 15 minutes, until the dough itself has set entirely. Remove the foil and put back in the oven for another 5 minutes. The dough will then be a light brown, but not yet quite cooked.) Meanwhile brown the onions in oil . Blanch the broccoli in plenty of salted water. Then leave to drain, mix with the onions and season with salt and pepper. Distribute the vegetables and the cheese pieces onto the flan base. Scramble the eggs together with the cream and milk, season with salt and pepper, add the cheese and pour the mixture uniformly over the broccoli. Bake the flan for around 1/2 hour until light brown. - Also tasty when cold - i.e. ideal for a spring picnic! [Back to top]
Stuffed mushrooms, courgettes and aubergines
Ingredients for 4 persons: 2 courgettes, 2 aubergines, 6 large mushrooms, 150 g Grünkernschrot, 2 spring onions, 2 tomatoes, 2 garlic cloves (chopped), ground pepper, salt, 4 tbs extra virgin olive oil, 6 tbs freshly grated parmesan. The courgettes and the aubergines to be halved lengthways and hollowed out, remove the stems of the mushrooms. Finely chop up what was hollowed out from the courgette and aubgergine, together with the stems. Soak Grünkernschrot for approx. 10 minutes in lukewarm vegetable broth. Cut tomatoes into little cubes, spring onions into little rolls and the morzarella into little cubes. Heat the oil in a pan. Next fry the finely chopped hollow out mass, then drain the Grünkernschrot and add to it. Finally add garlic, spring onion and Basil and again fry shortly. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the stove and the mozarella unterheben. Fill the aubergines and courgettes halves as well as the mushrooms with the mass, sprinkle with parmesan and grill in the oven for approx 45 minutes at 180 degrees.
Serve with fresh white bread (Ciabatta) and mixed salad. [Back to top]
Tuscany Vegetable Salad
Ingredients for 4 persons: 2 aubergines, two red and two green peppers, 8 tomatoes, 5 garlic cloves, 2 tbs fresh lemon juice, 100 ml natural extra virgin olive oil, a little salt. Additionally fresh white bread or Ciabatta. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (heat setting 6) and place the all of the washed vegetables onto a roasting rack; Place a baking tray underneath and grill the vegetables for around 30 minutes, until slightly brown. Take out of the oven, leave to cool, remove the skin and the pips as well as the dividing walls of the peppers. Cut up the vegetables into large pieces with a very sharp knife, place into a deep bowl and add the peeled and chopped garlic cloves. Then pour over the olive oil and lemon juice, season with salt and serve with warm white bread. [Back to top]
Radish and Chicory Salad
Ingredients for 4 persons: 2 radishes, 2 chicories, 100 g Peccorino cheese, 50 g walnut kernels, 1 box water cress, freshly ground pepper, 2 tbs Balsamic vinegar, 4 tbs walnut oil, salt. In addition white bread or Ciabatta. Remove the outer leaves of the radishes, wash, cut the heads into quarters and then into strips. Clean and wash the chicory, cut off a slice from the root end and cut out the wedge-shaped stalk. Cut the chicory diagonally into thin slices and mix with the radishes. Halve the walnut kernels, finely chop the cress and cut the cheese into small cubes. Then sprinkle both on top. Finally add vinegar and oil, ground pepper and a pinch of salt, then stir well. Serve with white bread. [Back to top]
Gnocchi with tomato sauce - a recipe from the Foresteria di Serègo Alighieri
Ingredients for 4 persons: fresh tomatoes, 2 small onions, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, fresh Basil, 1 kg potatoes, 200 g flour, 1 egg, freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Preparation of the Gnocchi: Cook unpeeled potatoes in hot boiling salted water. Then peel and crush into a pulp. Increase size with egg and flour and season with salt. Divide into little pieces and shape the Gnocchi. Then place in hot salted water and leave. The Gnocchi are ready when they float on top.
Preparation of the sauce: pour boiling water over the tomatoes and skin. Then cut into little cubes. Dice onions and brown in olive oil. Add the cubed tomatoes and cook to a creamy mass. Add salt, pepper and crushed garlic. Finally stir in the freshly cut basil but do not bring to the boil. Arrange the Gnocchi on plates, pour over the sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. [Back to top]
Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients for 4 persons: 500 g mixed mushrooms (stone mushrooms, chestnut mushroom, oyster mushrooms etc.) cut into mouth-sized pieces, 4 tbs natural olive oil, 2 garlic cloves (crushed), 2 tbs parsley (chopped), 1 onion (finely diced), 175 g Arborio (a tasty Italian grain rice) or other risotto rice, 1,5 ltr hot vegetable broth, 75 g Parmesan (grated), 1 tbs tarragon (finely chopped), nutmeg powder, salt, ground black pepper.
Sharply fry the mushrooms in 2 tbs olive and, as soon as they draw water, add the garlic and the parsley. Reduce the heat and let the mushrooms simmer for a few minutes. Before the water completely evaporates, take the mushrooms from the stove and cover them. Brown the onions in the oil, add the rice and, whilst stirring, fry until all the grains have been covered with the oil. Pour a ladle of vegetable broth and let it cook (whilst continuing to stir) until all the rice has been absorbed by the broth. Continue this process ladle by ladle until the rice is soft. Add the grated parmesan and the tarragon and gently stir the mushrooms including juices into the rice. Serve the Risotto hot, having seasoned with nutmeg powder, salt and pepper.
To accompany:
Mixed leaf salad with vinigarette from capers and lemons
50 ml natural olive oil, 40 ml lemon juice (freshly squeezed), 1/2 tbs capers (chopped), 1 tbs mild mustard, 1 bunch chives (chopped), 1 spring onion (finely chopped), salt, ground black pepper, various salad leaves according to taste.
Place all the ingredients for the vinegarette into a glass with screw cap and shake well, until a creamy consistency is reached. Prior to serving, place onto the cleaned, washed and chopped up salad and mix well. [Back to top]
Spaghetti al Pesto
Ingredients for 2 persons: 1 tbs chopped walnut halves, 1 bunch fresh basil, 2 garlic cloves, iodene salt, 3 tbs olive oil, 3 tbs freshly grated parmesan, 200 g wheat spaghetti, ground pepper
Wash basil, shake dry and chop finely. (Leave a couple leaves for decoration). Crush garlic cloves. Mix the nuts with the basil, garlic, 1/2 tbs salt, 3 tbs oil and the parmesan and leave the Pesto to enhance the flavour. Cook spaghetti al dente. Stir the Pesto with 1-2 tbs of noodle water and then mix the drained spaghetti with the Pesto mix and serve onto 2 plates. Decorate with Basil leaves. Per portion approx. 550 calories. [Back to top]
Gianni Brunelli's Festive Menu
All the ingredients, unless otherwise indicated, are for 4 persons
Aperitivo: 5 parts of white champagne, 1 part Campari, 2 parts of red Vermouth, a few drops Fernet Branca, ice cubes
Primo: Insalata Caprese. 500 g ripe tomatoes, 250 g Morzzarella (if possible di Buffalo), olive oil, basil, a few capers, oregano, salt and pepper. Cut open the tomatoes but ensure that they still hold together and place thin slices of Morzzarella between the pieces. Prepare a marinade from the oil, herbs, capers, salt and pepper, and pour it over to let it draw. Garnish with fresh Basil leaves and serve.
Secondo: Maccheroni al sugo di courgettes: 400 g Maccheroni, 400 g courgettes, flour, Frittier oil, olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, 6 tomatoes, 2 dried pepper pods (peperoncini), salt, 80 g parmesan cheese. Wash the courgettes, remove the stalk and cut into slices, dip into flour and quickly deep fry. Let kitchen paper absorb the fat. Heat the olive oil in a casserole and brown the garlic cloves and add the tomatoes and the pepper pods and simmer of a low flame for about 15 minutes. Add the courgette slices, salt, and leave to cook for a further 10 minutes. Place the al dente cooked pasta into the vegetable pan, then sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese and mix thoroughly.
Terzo: Risotto all punte di asparagi. 1 kg green asparagus, ground pepper, salt, 40 g butter, 1 small onion, 400 g round grain rice (Italian risotto rice), 50 g parmesan cheese, 2 tbs sweet cream. Clean the asparagus, bundle and cook in a saucepan of boiling water for 5 minutes. The asparagus heads should protrude out of the water. Then cut the heads from the stems, and place the stems back into the boiling water until tender. Subsequently brown the chopped onion and the asparagus heads for a few minutes in half of the butter. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm. Cut the asparagus stems into pieces and liquidise. Put the rice with the asparagus puree into a heavy pan, cover with the asparagus water and stirring constantly for 15 to 20 minutes cook on a lively flame. Keep adding asparagus water to ensure that the rice stays wet, as a risotto should always be crisp. Once the rice has expanded (and the grain should have a little bite to it), stir in the remaining butter, the grated parmesan cheese as well as the cream. Transfer the risotto into a pre-warmed bowl, mix in the asparagus heads and serve.
Quarto: Verdure al forno. per person 200g aubergines, courgettes, pepper pods (variety of red, yellow, green), potatoes, cooking onions, tomatoes, salt, ground pepper, 3 garlic cloves, olive oil, 1 bunch parsley. Clean and wash the vegetables, skin the tomatoes and peel the potatoes. Cut the vegetables according to size, i.e. for longer cooking times it must be cut into smaller pieces. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with garlic and using a flat roasting tray layer, ensuring that all vegetables that omit a lot of water during steaming, are at the top. Pour sufficient olive oil over the entire lot and roast in the oven for 1 hour at approx 200 degrees. Sprinkle chopped parsley and serve with white bread.
Dolce: Pasta frolla con le fragole. 1kg flour, 300 g sugar, 300 g butter, 6 egg yolks, 200 g peach marmalade, 1 glass Vermouth, 2 glasses water, fresh strawberries. These ingredients suffice for 5 to 6 portions and since most will be fairly full already, there will be leftovers for the following day. That does not matter, as everyone will be pleased! Mix the soft butter, sugar and egg yolks and transfer to the crator of the heaped flour. Slowly incorporate the flour and knead thoroughly, to a solid dough. Roll out to a 2cm thick base and place onto a buttered and floured baking tin for approx 5 minutes on 200 degrees. Prepare a syrup from marmelade and Vermouth, coating a thin layer onto the pre-baked base and cover with strawberries. Then pour over the remaining syrup and bake for a further 15 minutes. Afterwards leave to cool and cut into pieces.
Do not forget to end the menu with a strong expresso coffee and maybe a good Grappa. Enjoy a light Chianti Annata with your meal - this is a young Chianti that still maintains the taste of the Mostes, whilst a Chianti Classico Riserva originating from the Florence and Siena region - being at least three years old, would go nicely with the main course. [Back to top]
Menu for a little Summer Festival with Friends
All meals can be well prepared in advance so that the busy chefs can also enjoy the cozy evenings.
Tuscany bread salad
Ingredients for 4-5 persons: 300 g wholemeal bread, 3 onions, 1 garlic clove, 1/4 ltr vegetable broth, 3 tbs white wine vinegar, 1 laurel leaf, 1 branch of fresh thyme, 750 g beef tomatoes, 2 bunches basil, 2 tbs Pine kerns, 3 tbs capers, 1/8 ltr extra virgin olive oil, salt, freshly ground blacker pepper.
Cut the bread into thin slices and leave spread out on a table for a whole day to dry. Peel an onion and the garlic clove, halve, cut into slices and together with the vegetable broth, vinegar and the laurel leaf as well as the thyme, boil for a short while and then leave to simmer (covered up) for 10 minutes. Strain through a sieve and leave to cool. Once the bread slices have been broken into pieces and placed into a bowl, pour mixture over the top. Peel the remaining onions and chop finely. Wash the tomatoes, dry off and dice into small pieces. Wash basil, tear off some leaves and shake to dry. Pull the bread apart with two forks, and mix with onions, tomatoes, basil, Pine kerns and capers. Sprinkle the olive oil on top and season the bread salad with salt and pepper.
Summer tomato soup with dill
Ingredients for 4-5 persons: 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil, 2 large onions (cut into thin rings), 2 large garlic cloves (crushed), 1 bunch of freshly chopped dill, 1 1/2 ltr vegetable broth, 1 1/2 kg skinned tomatoes, 1 ts sugar, the finely chopped peel of 1/2 unused orange, 125 ml Panna (alternatively double cream or sour cream), dill to trim, salt, freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a pan and keep the onions covered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and leave to simmer for a further 5 minutes, then add half of the dill and once again leave to simmer for another 3-4 minutes. Subsequently add the vegetable broth, and add small chopped tomato chunks, stirring together with sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Bring quickly to the boil and then leave to simmer for about 40 minutes on a low flame. Remove from the stove adding the orange peel. Leave to cool off a little and liquidise (put to one side until the evening), then re-heat and season accordingly. Arrange a large spoonful of Panna on deep plates and, having sprinkled with a little dill, trim with the remaining dill.
Summer lasagne
Ingredients for 4-5 persons: 1 kg courgettes (blanched and cut into slices), salt, black ground pepper, 1 bunch fresh basil (finely chopped), 250 g Ricotta-cheese, 250 g summer lasagne (the type that does have to be pre-cooked), 150 ml Panna or sweet cream, 50 g freshly grated Parmesan, 3 yolks of fresh eggs (utilisation of the whites. Tiramisu)
For the tomato sauce: 2 tbs olive oil, 1 small chopped onion, 2 ts flour, 1 kg tomato (skinned and cut into little cubes), 1 bunch basil (chopped), salt
For the bechamel sauce: 50 g butter, 3 tbs flour, 300 ml milk, 1 pinch nutmeg, salt and pepper
Bechamel sauce: Heat butter in a pan, whisk in flour, and stir continuously for approx. 2 minutes, frequently adding milk and continuing to stir until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg
Tomato sauce: Heat oil in a pan, adding onions and leave to simmer on a lesser heat for around 8 minutes. Coat onions with flour and leave to brown for a further 3 minutes. Mix in the remaining sauce ingredients, leaving the sauce covered first of all. Then leave uncovered for a further 20 minutes until it is creamy. Stir from time to time. Spread some tomato sauce on the base of an ovenproof tray and layer with courgettes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with basil. Top with a little Ricotta and a few drops of tomato sauce and finally cover the entire with sheets of lasagne. Continue to build further layers until all the ingredients has been used. The final layer should be lasagne. Warm the Bechemal sauce and stir in Panna. Add parmesan and whilst stirring constantly leave to melt. Season with salt and pepper. Remove pan from the stove and with a whisk beat the egg yolks. Cover the lasagne with the sauce. Put to one side. Prior to the lasagne being served preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Place the lasagne into the oven and grill until golden brown (approx. 75 minutes)
Tiramisu
Ingredients for 4-5 persons: 150 ml expresso coffee, 2 tbs Vecchia Romagna (Brandy), 175 g biscuits, 250 g Mascarpone, 125 g Ricotta
125 g yoghurt, 125 icing sugar, a few drops of vanilla essence, 3 fresh egg whites, 1 tbs chocolate chippings
Mix the brandy with the coffee in a bowl. Drench half of the biscuits with the fluid and arrange at the bottom of a glass bowl. Put Mascarpone, yoghurt and Ricotte together into a mixing bowl and stir to a creamy consistency, adding sugar and vanilla essence. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and leave to draw under the Mascarpone cream. Distribute half of the cream over the biscuits in the bowl. Place a further layer of the coffee and brandy soaked biscuits followed by the rest of the cream. Sprinkle the Tiramisu with chocolate chippings and leave to cool for various hours prior to serving.
To accompany
Orange bowl
Ingredients: 10 peaches (diced), 100g sugar, 10 cl peach liquor, 5 cl Maraschino liquor, 1 ltr rose wine, a bottle of dry champagne
Prepare all the ingredients with the rose wine and leave for one hour, and refrigerate. Prior to serving top up with champagne.
and for the children:
Aranciata
Ingredients: per child 5cl orange juice, 2 cl lemon juice, 2cl sugar syrup, soda water to top up
Pour juices and syrup into a jug and stir thoroughly. Put ice cubes into a glass, half-fill with juice/syrup mixture and top up with soda water [Back to top]
Mushroom Pizza - pizza con funghi porcini
Ingredients: yeast dough: 300 g flour, 1/8 ltr milk, 20 g yeast, 1 ts salt, 4 tbs olive oil. Place flour onto a baking sheet, making an impression in the centre. Add the yeast that broke down in the luke warm milk into this centre and leave to stand covered for 15 minutes. Add salt and oil and knead the whole into a smooth dough. Leave this dough to stand covered for half an hour in a warm place. Then knead well again, roll out and distribute onto a baking tray that has been oiled with olive oil, stab several times with a fork.
Topping: 300 g mushrooms, 3 small onions, 1 large tin of peeled tomatoes, 3 tbs olive oil, salt, fresh ground pepper, 250 Buffalo morzzarella. Clean mushrooms and cut into slices but dice the stems. Peel the onions and chop finely. Heat up the olive oil in a pan and add mushrooms and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Continue on a lower temperature for another 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Slice tomatoes and arrange onto the base. Subsequently distribute mushrooms and onions evenly over the top. Cut the morzzarella into strips and place on top. Bake at the highest possible temperature for approx. 15 minutes, until the edges start to turn brown. [Back to top]
Acqua Sale (Salt Water)
Ingredients: dry white bread, saltwater, fresh tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil
Slice bread into pieces and dip briefly into the salt water (fishermen used to dip their bread directly into the sea). Then place the diced tomatoes on top and sprinkle a little olive oil. I bet that you will never again throw away old white bread. [Back to top]
Pasta e Ceci (Pasta with Chick Peas)
Ingredients for 6 persons: 200 g chick peas, 400 g tagliatelli, natural extra virgin olive oil, one tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 3 peeled tomatoes, salt, a little celery, peperoncino
During the night before soak the chickpeas in water. Prior to preparation taking place the next day drain in a colander and together with the celery cook for approx. 2 hours in the salt water. Then drain, remove the celery (if preferred it can be cut into very small pieces and put back) and place into a pan together with olive oil. Add the tomato pieces and the vinegar and season with salt and peperoncino. Leave to cook for around 10 minutes on a very low temperature, stirring constantly. In the meantime cook the tagliatelle al dente, drain and blend in a little olive oil. Serve the tagliatelle onto plates and arrange the chick pea mixture on top. [Back to top]
III. Desserts
Mamma Ada's Rice Pudding
Ingredients: 1 vanilla pod, 1 ltr milk, salt, 200 g Vialone-Nano-rice (or milk rice), the grated peel of an un-squeezed lemon, 500 g sugar, 250 g butter, 300 g rice or wheat flour, 1 sachet baking powder, 5 eggs, icing sugar
Bring the milk to the boil with the slit-open vanilla pod and salt, introducing the rice and half of the lemon peel, leaving the rice to expand on a low heat. Stir the 20 g butter and 1 ts of sugar into the rice. Grease a 32 cm false base baking tin and lightly coat with flour. Separate eggs, and whisk the egg white with 1 pinch of salt until stiff. Stir in the remaining butter with 300 g sugar together with the last of lemon peel and baking powder until frothy. Fold in this mixture with the egg white and then into rice flour. Place dough into the sprung cake tin form raising the edges. Stir the egg yolk with the remaining sugar until frothy. [Back to top]
Caldarroste - Roasted Chestnuts
.Chestnuts are at their best at the beginning of the season. Sometimes they contain worms, therefore in order to avoid involuntary meat supplements, carry out the following simple test: Sort out those chestnut that float on top of the cold water. Slit their top side and place into lightly salted water for approx. 30 minutes. Straight away afterwards roast on charcoal embers. Afterwards place into a bowl that has been kitted out with a kitchen towel, sprinkle with white wine and leave to sweat in the bound cloth for a couple of minutes. Serve hot, adding young wine. [Back to top]
Mont Blanc - Chestnut Pie with Whipped Cream
Cook the chestnuts for a few minutes, remove shells and skin and cook further. Mash the soft cooked chestnuts with a fork, adding some sweet cream, vanilla, sugar and a glass of rum. Place into a pan and stir over a low heat, until it is entirely dry. Use a liquidiser and then heap onto a platter covering with whipped cream. [Back to top]
IV. Vegetarian Barbecue
Grilled Aubergines
Ingredients: Aubergines, garlic cloves (crushed), breadcrumbs, Parmesan (grated), olive oil, salt
Cut aubergines into 1 cm thick slices. Sprinkle with salt and leave to draw for 15 minutes to extract the bitterness. Wash slices and dab dry. Grill for 5 to 10 minutes on an oiled grill. Mix the remaining ingredients (quantity depends upon the number of aubergines - 3 garlic cloves, 3 tb breadcrumbs, 3 tbs parmesan and 3 tbs olive oil as well as a little salt per 2 aubergines). Spread this over the aubergine slices and grill for a further 5 minutes. [Back to top]
Tomatoes with Basil
Ingredients: beef tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic cloves (crushed), fresh basil (chopped), herb salt, blacker pepper
Cut the beef tomatoes into slices but not too thin. Prepare a marinade from olive oil, vinegar, garlic and basil (for 4 tomatoes use 2 tbs olive oil, 1 tbs vinegar, 1 garlic clove, 4 tsp basil as well as herb salt and pepper). Coat the tomatoes with the marinade. Grill for 3 minutes on an oiled grill. Turn and coat with rest of the marinade for yet another 3 minutes. [Back to top]
Grilled Peperoni
Pickled pepperoni, garlic cloves (crushed), olive oil, lemon juice
Mix garlic, oil and lemon juice. Per 20 pepperonies use 4 garlic cloves, 3 tbs oil and 1 tbs lemon juice. Coat the pepperoni with the mixture. Leave to grill for as long as it takes for the pepperoni to change colour. [Back to top]
Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients: 8 large mushrooms, 1 tomato, 100 g morzarella, fresh basil (chopped), herb salt, lemon juice, 2 tbs sesame, soft butter
Clean the mushrooms. Twist off the stems and chop finely. Cut tomato and morzarella into little cubes. Mix with the mushroom stems with the tomato, cheese and basil, seasoning with herb salt and lemon juice. Place mixture into the mushrooms and sprinkle with sesame. Dip the mushrooms into soft butter and leave to grill of 15 minutes. [Back to top]
Mozzarella-Spears
Ingredients: 200 g morzarella, 4 thick slices of wholemeal bread, 100 ml olive oil, 2 tbs tomato puree, 1 shallot, fresh basil (chopped), salt
Leave morzarella to drip well and cut into 12 cubes. Quarter the bread slices. Stick the morzarella and white bread pieces onto four sticks, so that there is always a piece of morzarella between two pieces of bread. Mix olive oil and tomato puree for the marinade, chopping the shallot very fine indeed, and subsequently stirring in the basil. Season with salt. Place spears onto the grill, so that the cheese does not disappear. When grilling turn these spears constantly. They are finished when the cheese begins to melt. Arrange onto plates and coat with the marinade. [Back to top]
Grilled Polenta
Ingredients: 250 g corn semolina, 1 ltr vegetable broth
Bring the corn semolina and the vegetable broth to the boil and let it expand on a low heat for 30 to 45 minutes. Caution, as Polenta sticks easily one should stir a little more often. The Polenta is cooked when it separates itself from the edge of the saucepan. Leave to cool off and with damp hands roll into a thick shape. Cut into 1 to 2 cm thick slices. Grill the Polenta on both sides?
To compliment, another tasty mixed salad and fresh morzzarella, cool wine and fresh bread (little hint amongst buyers: one can even order very delicious bread via the Internet! Once you find a good site, you must try without fail the IBI spread-especially IBI Italian!) [Back to top]
Finally.....
You should finish your Italian meal with a glass of Vin Santo, a liqueur type dessert wine that has matured for many long years in little oak kegs. It tastes even better with "Cantuccini alla Mandorla", the typical Tuscany almond pastry. It is customary in Tuscany, to dunk the Cantuccini into the glass of Vin Santo, so that it can be fully absorbed. The aroma of the almond pastry combined with the honey aroma of the wine is irresistable! [Back to top]
Good Appetite! - buon appetito
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