Basil and white truffle dough for Bigoli

Basil and white truffle dough for Bigoli

8 cups Semolina
1 cup flour
2 tbsp of white truffle oil
A hand full of basil leafs
4 eggs
100ml of water
100ml of Prosecco
1 tbsp of fine salt
1 tbsp of ground pepper  

Polpette al sugo (Meatballs)


-350g (12oz) of minced veal or pork

-350g (12 oz) of minced beef

-1/2 cup of bread crumbs

-50g (2oz) of pecorino

-1 egg

-1/4 cup olive oil


-1 tea spoon nutmeg

-1 lemon (zest)

-3 minced cloves of garlic

-2 tbsp of chopped parsley

-Salt

-Pepper

-Peanut Oil (for frying)

-Flour to roll the meat balls

-A big pan of tomato sauce




1 - In a big bowl mix all the ingredients (except the peanut oil and flour), and let rest for one hour in a refrigerator;



2 - Make the meat balls in a size of a golf ball and roll it around the flour;



3 - Fry the meat balls in hot oil until golden brown, if you would like a lighter version you can bake it in a 220C / 420F for 15 minutes;



4 - Add the meat balls to finish cooking into the tomato sauce pan. 



5 - Simmer for one hour.

Quail with fresh peas

Quail with fresh peas

8 Quails

1 clove of garlic cut in half
1/2 pound of fresh peas
2 table spoons of butter
3 table spoons of chopped Parma ham
1 cup of beef stock
4 sage leafs
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup of Marsala
1 table spoon of flour
Salt & Pepper

In a big pan where you can accommodate all the quails fry the ham, the sage, the garlic and the bay leaf with the butter.  When the ingredients are almost brown add the quails and the peas.  Turn the heat on high and add the salt and pepper, turn the quails once in a while.  When the quail is brown, add the Marsala and a cup of beef stock mixed with flour.  Cook in low heat for at list 20 minutes or until the sauce reduce in more than a half and get thick.

Rabbit in Apple Vinegar with Fennel

Rabbit in Apple Vinegar with Fennel
1 rabbit

1 pound of cherry tomatoes
1 onion (chopped)
1 cup of fresh fennel
1 stick of rosemary
1/2 cup of white wine
1/2 cup of apple vinegar
8 spoons of olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Recipe:
To start, cut the rabbit in pieces.
In a mixing bowl, add rabbit pieces and all the ingredients (except the tomatoes and olive oil) and marinate the rabbit for at least six hours in a refrigerator.  Take the rabbit and the onion out of the marinate.  Do not discard the liquid.
In a big pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and sautè the rabbit.   Add the liquid from the marinade.  Turn the heat on low and cook for 30 minutes with the pan covered completely.  The rabbit will be ready to be served!

Recommendations for serving:
This savory rabbit dish goes well with steamed carrots and mashed potatoes.

Beer Bread with Sausage and Sauerkraut

Beer Bread filled with Sausage and Sauerkraut

1 cup of white beer
1 table spoon of fresh bread yeast
1 table spoon of sugar
1 table spoon of salt
3 to 4 cups of flour
1/4 cup olive oil
200g cooked Italian sausage (without case)
1 cup sauerkraut

Step 1:
In a big bowl add the yeast and sugar. Let the sugar to dissolve the fresh yeast.  
Add the beer, the flour and the salt.


Step 2: 
Mix with spoon until it's stodgy, add olive oil in your hands and mix all the ingredients.

Step 3: Divide the dough in 12 balls and fill then with the cooked sausage and krauti.

Step 4: 
Raise for at list one hour.

Step 5: 
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked and golden brown. You can tell if it's cooked by tapping its bottom – if it sounds hollow it's done, if it doesn't then pop it back in for a little longer. Once cooked, place on a rack and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes.

Sausage and Radicchio Risotto

Sausage and Radicchio Risotto 

1 cup of Arborio or Carnaroli rice
1 chopped onion
2 sliced cloves of garlic
10 Oz of Radicchio
1/2 pound of sausage or salami
2 tbsp of butter or mascarpone
1 1/2 cup of dry red wine
Olive oil
About 2 1/2 cups of vegetable or meat stock
Fresh parsley or tarragon


Brown the onion and garlic with olive oil in low heat for 10/15 minutes. Add the sausage and let to cook for a while, then add the radicchio and leave to cook for 5 minutes. Add the rice, and cook for 3 minutes, add the wine and then when the wine is evaporated add a cup of stock and let cook. Stir occasionally, and keep adding stock until the rice is al dente. When the rice is al dente, add the wine and turn the heat  on hight, let the wine reduce, turn the heat off. Add the butter/mascarpone, herbs and the cheese. Serve in 5 minutes.

Risotto alla Milanese

Risotto alla Milanese 'alla Lucas'

1 3/4 cups uncooked Carnaroli rice


1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided


1 1/2 quarts beef stock


3 tablespoons beef (the beef of the bones of the home made stock)


1 onion, thinly sliced


1 teaspoon saffron 


3/4 cup dry white wine


salt to taste


1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
Chopped parsley to decorate

 Simmer the onion in the olive oil for about 10 minutes. When the onion is soft, saute the rice in the pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir constantly so the rice will not stick and burn, add the meat from the stock 'bones'. Stir in one ladle of beef stock, and keep stirring until it is mostly absorbed, ladling and stirring in more of the broth as well as the white wine in the same manner, until the rice is almost al dente. Stir in the saffron after the rice is almost cooked add the remaining butter, chopped parsley and cheese. Turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 4 or 5 minutes.

Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti

• 1 pound dry ziti pasta
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
• 6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

2.

In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.

3.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

4.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

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.

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.

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.