Does it ever happen to you to feel like having a little sweet treat but you don’t really want to go out to the stores to buy the ingredients?? To me, it happens oh so often. So, what do you do when you have a sweet craving to quench?
Archives for January 2012
FALAFEL
The first time I ate falafel I was in Paris… as it often happened with Middle Eastern food that was almost unknown in Italy. I am talking about 20+ years ago! I still remember the shop I bought them from. It was near Place des Vosges, in my favourite area of town: the Marais, which…
SAUSAGE ROLLS
Today we celebrate Australia Day! You all know I was born and brought up in Italy… but I also became an Australian citizen 2 years ago. I love this country and I am very happy to be part of such a wonderful and diverse community. People often ask me how I cope so far from…
MALLOREDDUS ALLA CAMPIDANESE
This week’s Regional Italian recipe comes from the region of Sardinia or, as we say, Sardegna, one of the 2 biggest islands of Italy (the other being Sicily). It is a fantastic place with some of the best food and seaside in the world (I am not kidding you). It is well known in Italy as…
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!
Today we celebrate the Chinese New Year: 新年快乐! I am not Chinese, nor do I have Chinese relatives, but I live in a city with a huge Chinese community, so I feel it is the right thing to celebrate this special day. To do so, I made some special sugar cookies… they are eggless and have…
BACI DI ALASSIO
My Regional Italian recipe series is back after the holiday break. This week’s recipe takes us to Liguria once again. This time, I am going to take you to the little town of Alassio, near Savona in the western area of the region. This little town is very popular for its beautiful sea and is visited by…
FISH COUSCOUS
I finally get to share with you what we ate on Christmas day and one of my all time favourite dishes: fish couscous. It is a traditional and ancient recipe from Trapani, the town in Western Sicily where my mum is from. In fact, this is a “guest post from my mum” who is presenting…
1 YEAR BLOGIVERSARY AND A GIVEAWAY
I cannot believe a full year has passed since I started blogging. It is so true when they say “time flies when you are having fun”! 1 year has indeed gone by and I find myself celebrating the first blogiversary of Manu’s Menu. People often ask me why I started blogging. I guess there are…
AUNT MARIA’S ALMOND PARFAIT
Almond parfait is my favourite semifreddo. I love the crunch of the almond that contrasts with the otherwise soft ice cream like texture! It is a traditional Sicilian dessert, very popular in the area of Trapani, the city where my mum was born. I have already shared a recipe for almond parfait when I first…
ICED ESPRESSO
I love coffee… well, I am addicted to coffee. Not to the brewed coffee but to espresso. I restrict myself to no more than 2 a day, but I could drink so much more. Only the smell of a freshly brewed espresso in the morning sets the day in the right direction. You know what…
BUCCELLATO – CUCCIDDATU
Buccellato is a Sicilian cake traditionally eaten during the holiday season, especially on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve… so it had to be featured on the Sicilian Street Food New Year’s Eve Party I organised for this month’s Foodbuzz 24×24 event! It is a ring shaped shortbread cake filled with dried figs, raisins, candied fruits,…
GELO DI MELONE – WATERMELON JELLO
This is another traditional dessert from Palermo and it was included in the Sicilian Street Food New Year’s Eve Party I organised for this month’s Foodbuzz 24×24 event. I asked my aunts for my grandmother’s recipe and here it is. I still remember her making it during the hot summer months. It doesn’t take long and…
CARBONE DELLA BEFANA – SWEET COAL
I thought of taking a little break from my Sicilian Street Food Party series of posts, to share this recipe with you. In Italy, Christmas holidays always end after January 6th as we celebrate the day of the Epiphany and the visitation of the Biblical Magi to the baby Jesus. That is also the last occasion…
CASSATINE SICILIANE
These cassatine are the snack version of the bigger and more famous Cassata Siciliana. They are pretty much the same thing (apart from the lack of candied fruits on the top), only smaller and more “street friendly” as they are often consumed on the go on the busy streets of Palermo. They are delicious little…
PISTACHIO GELATO
Sicily is very famous for its nut production, especially almonds and pistachios. There is a town in the Eastern part of Sicily called Bronte which is reknowed for the quality of the pistachios that grow in the area. I wanted to make ice cream and serve it in a brioche (as it is typically served on…
SPIEDINI – SPITINA
My dad often tells me about his grandmother making Spiedini and Crostini when he was a child. She would spend the whole afternoon making these in the kitchen, having to feed them to her many grandchildren. My dad would sit next to her and watch. And that’s how he learnt how to make them. As…
CROSTINI
Picture this: slices of bread, covered with a thick meat sauce, topped with cheese, breaded and fried. Imagine eating one of these treats… with the slightly melted cheese stretching out into the rich sauce and the crunchy slice of fried bread. Is your mouth watering already? These are crostini and I made them as a…
RAVAZZATE
Ravazzate are yet another great street food dish from Palermo, in Sicily. They are soft buns, filled with a thick and delicious meat sauce, covered in sesame seeds and then baked. I love them! Among all sorts of fried (yet amazing) street food items to choose from, these never fail to be among the items…
RASCATURE
This dish was not originally included in my proposal to Foodbuzz for my 24×24 event on Sicilian Street Food New Year’s Eve Party: it was a spur of the moment decision. As they turned out great, I am sharing the recipe with you as well! It is really not a recipe per se, but it…
PANELLE
Panelle are, together with cazzilli and arancine, the most famous Sicilian street food, and that is why I immediately knew I had to feature them on the menu of the Sicilian Street Food New Year’s Eve Party I organised for this month’s Foodbuzz 24×24 event! They are delicious on their own when eaten hot, but…
MAFALDE – MAFALDINE
Mafalde are typical bread rolls from Palermo, in Sicily. They are very easy to make and are great to accompany any dish. You can make them as dinner rolls, or serve them in a more traditional way: filled with hot panelle. When planning the menu for the Sicilian Street Food New Year’s Eve Party I…
CAZZILLI – CROCCHÈ DI PATATE
I love all potato croquettes! My mum used to make them often, even though she makes them differently (I will share her recipe too as soon as possible). These, instead, are exactly like the ones you can buy on the streets of Palermo and they were on the top of my list for the Sicilian…