InVINtions Carnival party menu

 

Feijoada

Brazilian rice

Farofa

Sagu

Wine pearls tapioca balls (Brazilian Sagu)

Ingredients
• 150 g tapioca pearls
• 700 – 900 ml water
• 300 ml red wine
• 150 g sugar, approximately
• 3 dried cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 15 pitted dried prunes, optional

Preparation method
1. In a thick bottomed saucepan bring the water to the boil with the “sagu”, the cinnamon and cloves. Reduce the heat and cook over low heat for 20 – 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost all pearls become clear, almost transparent. Add more water, if necessary.

2. Add the wine, the sugar and cook until all the pearls are clear, almost trasparent. If you like, add prunes cut into small pieces. It takes about 15 minutes. Once cooled, it hardens a bit.

3. Discard the cinnamon and cloves.

4. Pour into a serving bowl or on individual dessert bowls and serve cold. You can serve “sagu” with pastry cream, English cream or eggnog.

5. Store in fridge.

Yield: 6 – 8 servings.

Cooking Classes in Pismo Beach, California

We are very happy to announce that we will be on the beautiful town of Pismo Beach in California. On our stay we will be organizing two classes.

Dates 
March 9th 2023 starting at 6pm
- Grissini with Parmigiano, garlic and oregano
- Ravioli stuffed with pears, served with Parma ham on a prosecco and walnuts sauce
- Risotto with Saffron served with a Slow cooked beef stew with wine 
- Tiramisu
Price per person USD100


March 10th 2023 starting at 6pm
- Focaccia with Rosemary
- Gnocchi stuffed with mozzarella served with authentic Bolognese sauce
- Chicken wrapped in prosciutto stuffed with pears served with prosecco and porcini mushrooms sauce
- Ricotta cake with figs and almonds
Price per person USD100

Payment in cash, Paypal or bank transfer. Unfortunately we do not accept Venmo.

Easy Four Cheese Sauce

-2 cups of whole milk
-1 cup heavy cream
-2 tbsp butter
-4 tbsp flour
-2 cups of four cheese mix (grated)
- teaspoon of nutmeg
- teaspoon of white pepper
- Salt to taste

1. Combine all ingredients on a big jar with a lid exept the four cheeses.
2. Close the lid and shake like you are making a cocktail. More you shake the better.
3. Pour all the mix on a pan on medium heat and cook for until the sauce gets thick.
4. Combine the cheese and serve it.

Seven deadly sins dinner party for Invintions

1. Greed (Pesto genovese served with bread)

2. Sloth (Polenta with four cheeses sauce and spinach)

3. Lust (Puttanesca)

4. Pride (Bolognese sauce with Gnocchi stuffed with cheese)

5. Wrath (Sausage ragu + Polenta)

6. Gluttony (Amatriciana + Pasta)

7. Envy (Pannacotta)

Limone Sauce

• 40 g (2 1/2 tablespoons) of butter
• 1 lemon, large size
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley1/2 tablespoon of coarse salt
  

1. Wash the lemon and then grate the zest, avoiding the bitter white part. Squeeze out the juice and set aside.

2.  Place the butter, oil and grated lemon zest in a large non-stick pan. Remember to save some of the zest to add at the end.

3. Melt the butter and sauté it. Stir well with a wooden spoon and add the lemon juice. Finally add the garlic clove. Simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in 1.5 liters (7 cups) of water with 1/2 tablespoon coarse salt.

Take a look at the cooking time of the spaghetti on their package. Halfway through cooking, drain spaghetti and place in skillet with lemon sauce.

Spaghetti should be very much al dente, practically still raw, and finish cooking in the pan with the sauce.

5.  Add a ladleful of the starch-rich cooking water. Finish cooking the spaghetti in the pan, stirring well. If necessary, add a little more water.

Serve hot with more lemon zest and a little chopped parsley on top

Quick and easy truffle sauce

Serves six

- 90g/3.2oz black truffle paste or three or four black truffles
- 1 cup parmigiano cheese, grated or 1 cup taleggio cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream or mascarpone
- 1/2 cup white wine
- Salt and pepper to taste

1. On medium heat combine wine with truffle paste and let it cook for three minutes.
2. Add cream and let cook for another three minutes.
3. Combine cheese, salt and pepper and mix vigourosly.
4. Toss pasta and stir it very well. You might need to combine some pasta water in order to make the sauce a bit thiner.
5. Serve with shaved truffles on the top of each plate.

Antique spicy sausage ragu with red wine and Cognac

Ingredients for six servings:

- 4 Italian Spicy sausages (out of casing)
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup tomato paste or 2 cups of passata
- 1 cup red wine
- 1/2 cup cognac 
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 cup Mascarpone or heavy cream (Optional)
- Crush red pepper flakes (Optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon (Optional)
- Fresh parsley 

1. On a big heavy bottom pan, cook the garlic, cinnamon, pepper flakes and sausages on olive oil.
2. Using a wood spoon break the sausages in smal pieces.
3. Combine Cognac and light the pan on fire! Watch your eyebrows, facial hair and anything flammable!
4. When fire is off, combine red wine and cook until all eevaporates.
5. Add the tomato paste and two cups of water and let it cook on low heat until it reduces in half.
6. If adding cream or mascarpone, combine it and turn of heat.
7. Serve with pasta or polenta with fresh parsley on top.

Soups

 

Lentils and chestnuts soup

Avgolemono (Greek lemon and chicken soup)

Carrot and Ginger soup

Pasta e Fagioli

Harira (Moroccan Soup)

White beans, chicken and sausages soup

Thai soup

French Onion Soup

Coconut, cashew and lime soup

Tunisian fish soup

Vodka Sauce with Smoked ham

 

Ingredients

17 Oz (500g) Pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium shallots (or one onion), diced
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup vodka
2/3 cup Greek yogurt + 1/2 cup warm water
2/3 cup grated parmesan
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped smoked ham
Fresh parsley (Optional)

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions.
• In a large saute pan, add the olive oil and diced shallots. 
• Saute for 3-4 minutes, then combine ham and cook for another 5 minutes,
• Pour in the vodka in and light on fire, 
• Add in the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes to bring out the flavors.
• Combine the greek yogurt,
• Add in the parmesan, red pepper flakes, and salt.
• Let simmer for a couple of minutes. Leave as is or blend until completely smooth, adding more water if necessary.
• Stir in the cooked pasta. 
• Remove from heat and garnish with fresh basil, parmigiano, and red pepper flakes

Sauces

 

Vodka Sauce

Chickpeas, spinach and lemon sauce

Bolognese Sauce

Amatriciana

Putanesca

Chickpeas pasta with Spinach, lemon and rosemary

¼ cup olive oil

1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish 

½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or ¼ to ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional) 

Black pepper 

1 large shallot, finely chopped 

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

1 cup Greek Yogurt

1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach 

12 ounces spaghetti or bucatini 

½ cup finely grated Parmesan 

Lemon wedges, for serving

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. 

2. In a wide, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the chickpeas, rosemary and Aleppo pepper, if using. Season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas start to caramelize at their edges and pop, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer about half the chickpeas to a bowl. Reserve for garnish. 

3. Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallots and garlic to the skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the Greek Yogurt and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the spinach and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

4. Add the pasta to the boiling water and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the pasta until a couple minutes short of al dente according to package instructions, about 5 minutes. Do not drain the pasta, but using tongs, transfer the pasta directly from the pot to the sauce. Add 1 cup pasta cooking water and the Parmigiano, and cook over medium-high, stirring vigorously with the tongs, until the sauce is thickened and the noodles are al dente, about 2 minutes. Add a splash of pasta water to loosen sauce, if needed. 

5. Transfer to bowls, and top with reserved chickpeas, rosemary and black pepper. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges for squeezing on to and lots of fresh cracked black pepper! 

Orange Fragrant Goulash

 

1 kilo 2 lbs stewing beef cut into bite-sized pieces
1 kilo 2 lbs yellow onions finely sliced or minced
2-3 Tbs Hungarian paprika sweet or a mixture of sweet and spicy
Red wine or Beef Stock
One sprig of fresh rosemary, a sprig of fresh thyme (or marjoram) and a bay leaf tied into a bundle
2-3 Tbs tomato paste
Zest on one orange (Just zest, not the white part)
Lard or olive oil 
Salt and pepper

• In a large braiser or sauté pan, melt two large dollops of lard. (If using olive oil, heat up enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Add the onions and orange zest and gently sauté them, turning often, until translucent and quite soft and reduced by at least half. 
• Raise the heat to medium and add the beef. Sauté the beef until browned lightly, taking care not to burn the onions. Season with salt and pepper, and then sprinkle over the paprika, stirring so that all the beef pieces are covered. Continue sautéing the beef and onions for just a few moments more.
• If using, add a good pour of red wine and simmer until the wine has evaporated. 
• Now add enough water (or broth) so the beef is nearly covered, along with the tomato paste if using. Nestle the herb bundle in among the beef pieces. 
• Cover and braise for 2-3 hours, until the beef is tender and the onions have completed melted. Remove the herb bundle.
• The cooking liquid should have reduced into a dark and unctuous sauce, abundant but full of flavor. Add water or broth as needed if things seem to be drying out too much. If, on the other hand, the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered until it has reduced to the right consistency. Taste and adjust for seasoning. 
• While you can serve your goulash immediately, it is better after a good rest of several hours. Or, even better, overnight.