This is probably the most traditional pasta you can eat in the area of Trapani, in western Sicily. Both the pasta and the sauce are, together with fish couscous, the most well known dishes of the area. The sauce is very easy to make and it is the Trapanese version of pesto. It is similar…
Archives for February 2011
LIGHT BLUEBERRY MUFFINS WITH LEMON SUGAR CRUST
I know there are many blueberry muffins recipes out there. A couple of years ago I was looking for one, but I did not find exactly what I was looking for. So I came up with this one that is really a mix of 2 or 3 recipes. I tried to look them up on…
MY SPAGHETTI CARBONARA – SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA ALLA MIA MANIERA
That’s right… “my” spaghetti carbonara. Carbonara is a very popular dish and it is well known all over the world. The name derives from “charcoal” (carbone in Italian) either as a tribute to the secret society Carboneria (whose members were known as Carbonari – Wiki) that fought for the unity of Italy in the 19th century,…
OSSO BUCO MILANESE – OSSOBUCO ALLA MILANESE
This osso buco (or oss bus a la milanesa) is another typical dish from Milan, the city where I was born, and it is traditionally served with Risotto alla milanese on the side. The ingredients are very simple, but the flavours are really intense, thanks to the gremolada, a mix of parsley, garlic and lemon…
SAFFRON RISOTTO – RISOTTO ALLA MILANESE
As I said in my post A special birthday with… an award, Risotto alla milanese is the first dish I have ever cooked all by myself. I remember watching my mother continuously stirring the rice in the pot as a small child and waiting impatiently for it to be ready. It surely was my favourite…
QUICK COCONUT CREME BRULEE – CREME BRULEE VELOCE AL COCCO
I love all sweets with a sugar crusty top… whenever I am in Spain, I always go for a Crema Catalana and in France I must eat Crème Brulée at least once! This is my version of a very quick crème brulée-style dessert. It is one of those dishes that I came up with not…
A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY WITH… AN AWARD!
As I have mentioned in the post Ricotta gnocchi with three sauces, yesterday was my birthday, so I was even happier when Elyse from The Cultural Dish told me that she had awarded me with the “Stylish Food Blogger Award”. Getting my first award ever surely is a great way to celebrate! Thank you so…
RICOTTA GNOCCHI WITH THREE SAUCES – TRIS DI GNOCCHI DI RICOTTA
What can I say? Ricotta gnocchi is one of my favourite dishes… and for my birthday, I thought I deserved a triple treat! The classic way to serve ricotta gnocchi is with butter and sage, but I love them with lots of different sauces. Have I mentioned that gorgonzola is my favourite cheese? So, I…
BOILED SALMON WITH PINK SAUCE – SALMONE LESSATO CON SALSA ROSA
After all the Valentine’s Day sweets I needed to eat something healthy and simple… and what’s healthier than fish? This is a very quick and easy fish dish. I have always liked boiled fish with mayo… must be because when I was a child I had a nursery rhymes book about food and one of…
LIGHT CHOCOLATE MOUSSE WITH ORANGE LIQUEUR – MOUSSE DI CIOCCOLATO “LIGHT” AL LIQUORE D’ARANCIA
I love everything chocolate… and what’s better than a chocolate mousse to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the one you love? This is a lighter version than the traditional chocolate mousse because it does not require cream: I just use egg whites to make it fluffy. I usually make this mousse with rum, but this time…
CANDIED ORANGE ZESTS – SCORZETTE D’ARANCIA CANDITE
This is a typical Italian winter sweet and is often (but not only) used as a decoration for other desserts or served at the end of a meal with some coffee. My mom used to make lots of them for Christmas because that is the time of the year when oranges are at their best. …
“CAT’S TONGUES” BISCUITS – LINGUE DI GATTO
These biscuits are a classic of Italian cuisine. Every pastry shop sells them and they are very often served with ice cream. Their name literally means “cat’s tongues” as their shape and size resemble a cat’s tongue. I simply love them… they are thin and crispy and the aroma that they create while baking takes…
BAILEYS ICE CREAM – GELATO AL BAILEYS
A couple of days ago, my dear friend Nat asked me to publish this very recipe. I had actually thought of posting the recipe of another sweet for Valentine’s Day, but this request gave me an idea. Why not publish both recipes? In the southern hemisphere it is still very hot, so ice cream is…
PENNE WITH SAUSAGE SAUCE – PENNE CON SUGO DI SALSICCIA
This is one of my family’s favourite pasta sauces! The first time I have eaten this dish was many years ago, at some family friends’ house in Sicily. Their names are Giovanni and Giovanna. It is a very earthy pasta dish and my girls love it. Do not worry about the Brandy/Cognac shot… the alcohol…
ALMOND COOKIES – DOLCETTI DI MANDORLE
This is a recipe of traditional Sicilian sweets. Sicily is renowned for its citrus fruits, its pistachio nuts and almonds. All these products make fantastic ingredients for sweets. Whenever I go to Sicily, the little mountain top medieval town of Erice (Wiki) is my favourite spot to enjoy almond based sweets. This is a very…
"LIGHT" SWEET AND SOUR CAPSICUMS – PEPERONATA "LIGHT"
I love all things “sweet and sour”, or as we say “agrodolce”. There are many versions of this dish… I could say that probably every family has its own. In our home, we have 2 recipes! This is the “light” version, as the capsicums are not fried. It is really tasty and its tangy flavour…
