4.24.2013


Panna Cotta:

The panna cotta is definitely one of the most popular desserts and appreciated not only in Italy but also abroad, for the simplicity of its preparation and its delicate taste.  The panna cotta does not have a specific historical period because it was probably prepared since ancient times, but we know with certainty that its origins are from Piedmontese region.



INGREDIENTS
cream - liquid 500 ml (2 & 1/2 cups)
Gelatin - 3 sheets (6 g)
vanilla extract - 1 tsp
sugar - 150 gr (1/2 cup) white sugar

Preparation

The first thing you need to do is soak the sheets of gelatin in cold water for 10 minutes.  Put the cream in a saucepan, add the vanilla extract, icing sugar and heat over low heat, but do not boil.  Soak the gelatine into the cream, then stir until it has melted completely.  At this point, strain the mixture through a mesh strainer and prepare the individual ramekins or a single mold cassette; pour in the panna cotta (prior to pouring - wetting the containers for the panna cotta, instead of water, some liquor: the most suitable seems to be rum or the lightest coating of butter).
Keep the panna cotta in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours, and ready to serve, dip the mold for a few seconds in boiling water, then sformatela on a platter, serve natural, with caramel, with melted chocolate or seal that most suits you best.  Lucas likes to serve with some "fruti di bosco"jam.


Ricotta pie with crust


For the pasta frolla:

-1/2 cup sugar
-1/2 cup butter
-1 egg
-4 tablespoons milk
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-2 1/2 cups flour (you can also mix almond flour, 50% maximum ratio)


Ricotta Filling:

-500g - 1/2 pound of ricotta
-1/3 cup of sugar
-2 egg yolks
-1 lemon zested
-2 ripped pears in cubes
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-Pine nuts or almonds (optional)



For the pasta frolla:

1 - Combine sugar, butter, egg, milk and salt in a large bowl and mix well.

2 - Fold in the flour but do not over mix; make sure that the mixture remains cool and does not become pasty.

3 - Shape into a ball/disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.



For the Ricotta Filling: 

1 - Place the ricotta in a large bowl stir in the sugar, lemon zest, then the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and the pears.

Baking in it:

1- Preheat the oven to 355F/180C;
2 - For making the base of your pie, roll the dough on the pie baking dish;
3 - Allow the dough to hang over the edge of the pan. Pour the ricotta filling into the crust base. you can also put almonds or pine nuts on the top of the ricotta if you would like;  

4 - Bake the pie for about 40 minutes, or until is golden brown.



4.17.2013

Roasted baby artichokes

Roasted baby artichokes

12 baby artichokes
2 lemons
4 mashed garlic cloves
Pepper corns
1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs mixed with pecorino cheese
Lots of olive oil
Salt & pepper
Juice one lemon into a large bowl filled wit cold water.  Set the bowl next to the preparation area.  Juice one more lemon and set juice aside.  Take each artichokes and remove top few layers of dark green leafs exposing the lighter leaves.  Snap of the long stems.  Boil enough water to cook the artichokes with the second lemon juice.  Once boiling, add the artichokes for 10 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 400F. Strain the artichokes.  Set the artichokes stem side down into a pot and make sure they are snug.  Add olive oil enough to cover 1/2 of the artichokes.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Once cooked discard most of the oil (you can use for cooking another time), leave enough oil to toss the bread crumbs and pecorino cheese.  Add salt & pepper.

Strawberry jam


*1 kg / 2 pounds of strawberries       
*1 cups of sugar
*1/2 cup of lemon juice


1st step:
Wash and dry the strawberries. Cut the strawberry leafs out.

2nd step:
Cut the strawberries in half and place in a bow.  Add the lemon juice and the sugar. Leave this mix for 12 hours in the refrigerator.

3rd step:
Put all the mix into a big heavy saucepan.  Cook for at list one hour in slow temperature or until you have the jam consistency.

Tips:
Place three small plates in a freezer, after about 10 minutes of boiling place a tsp of the liquid of the jam onto the cold plate. Return to freezer for a minute. Run your finger through the jam on the plate, if it doesn't try to run back together (if you can make a line through it with your finger) it's ready to be canned.

4.16.2013

Pear ravioli with four cheese and walnuts sauce


For the dough:

400g 00 flour
4 eggs

Using a fork begging mixing in the egg with the flour.  Once egg has been mixed in enough, begin using your hands to work the dough.  Continues until reaches a smooth consistency, adding a light dust of flour if necessary.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap to protect from drying.  For best results, let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes.


For the pear filling:

2 ripe pears chopped in small cubes
1/2 cup of ricotta
A pinch of ground nutmeg

Grate the pears and mix with the ricotta and nutmeg.

For the sauce:


3 tbsp Gorgonzola dolce or your favorite blue cheese
3 tbsp Asiago mezzano
3tbsp parmigiano reggiano
3 tbsp fontina cheese
1 cup of mascarpone
3 tbsp of walnuts
1 tbsp butter
Salt & Pepper

In a pan add the mascarpone and butter and let melt in low heat. Slowly add other cheeses and melt it all.






4.15.2013

Roman Artichokes


Roman Artichokes

Ingredients:


8 artichokes
1 lemon
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup mint, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup of olive oil plus extra for finishing
dash of dry white wine


1. Discard the tough outer leaves and chop the stems of the artichokes off just below the bases. Firmly press each artichoke upside down on the counter to make it “bloom.” Scoop out the choke (the hairy white part) and place the cleaned artichokes in a bowl of water with the juice of 1 lemon squeezed in. This prevents the inside of the artichokes from becoming an unappetizing greyish-brown when exposed to the air.
2. Mix together garlic, lemon, herbs, bread crumbs, and olive oil. Take artichokes out of lemon bath, rub the mixture inside, spooning any extra inside. Salt and pepper liberally.
3. Place artichokes side by side, like soldiers at attention, upside in a heavy-bottomed pot with 1 1/2 – 2 inches of water and a dash of wine. You want the artichokes close enough together so that they can”t tip over and bob around.
4. Cover the top of the pot with a damp paper towel and place a tight-fitting lid over that – this is to prevent any steam from escaping. Cook on medium for 30-40 minutes. The artichokes are ready when a fork pierces them easily. Remove the artichokes from the pot and set on a plate to cool. Once they are lukewarm, drizzle olive oil over them. You want to wait to add the oil until the artichokes have cooled a bit so that they don’t immediately suck it up and become soggy.

4.13.2013

Whole grain French style bread


 Whole grain French style bread


1 1/2 cup of 00/cake flour
1 cup of whole grain flour1 cup of milk
2 table spoon of apple or white vinegar
1 Table spoon of sugar
1 table spoon of butter
1 table spoon of salt
1 table spoon of sugar
1 sachet of dried yeast (1 table spoon)


Mix the yeast, the warm milk, melted butter and the sugar in a bow.  Mix very well until the yeast is dissolved.
Add the flours, salt and the vinegar. Mix very well, work with this dough a lot and very energetic for at list 10 minutes.  Add more flour if necessary.
Divide this dough in two and make two bagetes like the picture below.  Don't forget to cut the bread dough before they raises.
let raise for at list 1 hour in warm days or 3 hours in cold days.

Bake at 350F for approximately 20 minutes.

4.11.2013

Baked trout filets

Baked trout filets


4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
4 trout 
lemon wedges
Rosemary

Oil or spray a shallow baking dish with olive oil non-stick spray. Add sliced mushrooms, 1 tablespoon of parsley and garlic. Arrange fish in dish. Season lightly with salt and pepper; brush with olive oil.Toss with bread crumbs. Sprinkle over fish.
Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes, or until fish is tender, opaque and flaky and crumbs are lightly golden. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.
Sprinkle with parsley, and garnish with lemon wedges.
Makes about 4 servings.

Pesto Genovese


Pesto Genovese Here you will find two ways to make pesto, the classic and the modern.

The classic

Essential equipment

  • 1 marble mortar
  • 1 wooden pestle


Ingredients

  • 100 gm of fresh Genovese basil. 
  • 30 gm pine nuts ( Sicilian are the best but also in California there is a great quality of this product)
  • 60 g aged Parmigiano Reggiano
    40g Pecorino
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 10 gm flaky salt
  • 80 cc Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Procedure

  1. The marble mortar and wooden pestle are the tools traditionally used to make pesto.
  2. Wash the basil leaves in cold water and dry them on a paper towel but don’t rub them.
  3. In a mortar finely crush the basil leaves the garlic clove and pine nuts, add  the salt  and cheese to he mixture and keep pounding using a light circular movement of the pestle, add some of the Extra Virgin Olive from time to time and keep pounding  and mixing until  you obtain a very fine and smooth creamy sauce, pesto should not be greasy and the amount of oil used must be well absorbed and not floating on top
  4. The preparation must be done as quickly as possible to avoid oxidation problems.
NOTE: The reason why, you should not use a blender, is because rather than having its juices released by crushing action of the wooden pestle, the metal blade of the blender will chop the leaves and this action will compromise the flavor.

Modern Pesto

Essential equipment

100 gm of fresh Genovese basil. 
30 gm pine nuts ( Sicilian are the best but also in California there is a great quality of this product)
60 g aged Parmigiano Reggiano 
40g Pecorino
2 garlic cloves
10 gm flaky salt
80 cc Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Blender or immersion blender

Combine all the ingredients on the blender. Blend until paste forms, stopping often to push down basil. You can store in a jar and keep it for two months after you made.




Trofie dough

Trofie dough (one portion)


1/2 cup of semolina flour
50ml of water 
1 pinch of salt

Place the flour and salt in a bowl and add 3/4 cup water to start. Use a fork and mix together, adding the rest of the water as needed to create a dough.
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
Use your hands and knead the dough, adding a little additional flour as needed until you create a smooth, non-sticky dough.
Wrap your dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. This step allows the dough to relax and allows it to be shaped much easier than if you began to work with it immediately.
Once the dough has rested, break off about 1/4 of the dough keeping the rest wrapped. On a lightly floured surface use your hands to roll the dough into a tube about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch arund. Keep the dough lightly floured to prevent sticking.

Watch the video to learn how to make the shape! :)

(Video will be here soon!)