While growing up I never enjoyed eating liver… with one exception: chicken liver. I do not know why, but it may have been because they taste milder and are less bitter than other liver. Anyhow, there are 2 dishes made with chicken liver that I have always LOVED and I am going to share one…
DARK CHOCOLATE AND MACADAMIA NUT BROWNIES
This is obviously not a typical Italian recipe and, unlike many of you, I haven’t grown up eating and baking brownies. I have discovered them relatively late in life, but it was “love at first bite”. And how could it not be? I adore chocolate! After eating them once, I tried to find a recipe…
HAM AND CHEESE SOFFICINI
After moving to Australia I haven’t been able to eat many of the dishes I grew up with as they simply do not exist. If you have ever moved internationally, you will know the feeling… At the beginning you do not miss the food you left behind as you are too busy discovering all the…
CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND COOKIES
My mom often used to make these cookies for me when I was a child. I used to love them… but is there a child who does not like chocolate cookies? I don’t think so. But these are special, as the almond meal gives them a little extra flavour. Besides, they are really easy and…
PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN TEA CAKES – THE SECRET RECIPE CLUB
Another month has passed and it is time again for the “Secret recipe club” reveal! I am sure everyone knows what the club is about, but for the few of you who still don’t know about it, here goes a brief explanation. Each month you are assigned a participating food blogger to make a recipe…
MULTI GRAIN PANINI
My girls love bread. They would eat bread all day long if I let them! So, in an attempt to give them something healthier, I am baking more bread than I used to. And I have taken up baking whole meal or multi grain breads more than white bread. This is a very easy recipe…
ROSEWATER, CARDAMOM AND PISTACHIO CAKE – GUEST POST FROM DIVYA OF FLAVOUR FIESTA
As you probably know, I am enjoying some well-deserved R&R with my family and have organized a few guest posts for Manu’s Menu to leave you all in great company while I am gone. This is the last guest post for now as I will be back very soon, but I am already thinking of…
CORSICAN STUFFED COURGETTES – GUEST POST FROM JILL OF MAD ABOUT MACARONS
If you follow me regularly, you may know that I am off for a short holiday with my family for some well deserved R&R. While I am gone, I thought I would leave you in good company. I have wanted to host some guests on Manu’s Menu for a while and this sounded like the…
WHOLE MEAL PITA
I love home made bread. I think there is nothing better than the smell of freshly baked bread in the house, at any time of the day. Maybe not many of you know, but some of the best bakers in Milan are actually of Arab origin. And they make fantastic bread. One of my favourite…
PORK ROAST WITH APPLES AND PRUNES
This is another one of the dishes I have learnt from my mom. She used to make it often on Sundays and it is a fantastic and juicy roast. I guess apples and pork are a classic combination, but it is one that I never get tired of. The sweetness of the apples goes very…
SWEET AND SPICY CHICKEN WINGS
Chicken wings are a delicacy that I have started to appreciate only recently. Growing up I would always eat chicken breast… no thighs, no wings. I know, thighs are supposed to be tastier and juicier, but I never really liked them. Since moving here I have eaten chicken wings made in different ways and found…
RED ONION TARTE TATIN
This recipe was one of the first recipes that I had decided to try out when I bought the recipe book in which it was published. And then, for one reason or another, I never got around to making it. The other day I was looking for another recipe and I saw this one. I…
SALMON WITH POMEGRANATE MOLASSES GLAZE
Salmon is a kind of fish I have always loved. When I was little, it wasn’t a very common fish in Italy… it would actually be a rare find at the local markets and would be quite expensive, but now it has become quite common and very popular. It is also the only fish that…
Curry Puffs
Crispy golden Curry Puffs with flaky pastry and warmly spiced potato filling make such a satisfying homemade snack, especially served warm with sweet chilli sauce.
Baked Anelletti (Anelletti Ca Carne Capuliata)
Layers of tiny pasta rings, slow-cooked meat sauce, peas, and melted cheese make Baked Anelletti everything you want in a Sicilian pasta bake.
TARALLI
These could be considered the Italian equivalent to pretzels, they are that famous! They are typical of Apulia, a region in the South of Italy, but you can also find them in the surrounding areas. Well, nowadays you can easily find them everywhere in Italy and I often find them here too! Anyhow… on my…
BAGUETTES
As many of you already know I spent quite some time holidaying in France as a child. My parents have always loved our transalpine cousins and whenever possible they would squeeze in a few days to visit France. I wasn’t too happy about it back then… l would have preferred to visit different places… not…
Stuffed Crespelle
Finished with a light golden crust, Stuffed Crespelle blends soft crêpes, smooth sauce, and melted cheese that create creamy layers from the first slice.
GINGERBREAD MEN
These are definitely not Italian traditional cookies, but I have always loved them and I have made them every Christmas since moving to Australia (my girls leave some on a plate for Santa to eat on Christmas Eve along with a glass of milk…). I guess you could say it’s an “acquired” tradition in our…
POTATO, SPECK AND LEEK PARCELS
In my opinion, there is no better side dish for a steak than potatoes, in whatever shape or form, so I knew I had to make some to go with the Beef fillet roast that I prepared for my Foodbuzz 24×24 Christmas in July event. The thing is, when you are making a special meal, you want…
WARM BAKED PRUNES WRAPPED IN CRUNCHY BACON AND SAGE
This very easy appetizer that can be made in a matter of minutes is the first of a series of posts dedicated to my Foodbuzz 24×24 Christmas in July event. I love all finger food and this is no exception. I find it a lot of fun to make and it tastes delicious. The combination…
FOCACCIA CON LE OLIVE
In Italy you can find all kinds of focaccia and after finding the perfect recipe for plain focaccia, I decided it was time to start jazzing it up a little. I made focaccia con le olive for Victoria’s birthday as it is very common to find it at birthday parties in Italy and also because…
PANINI AL LATTE – MILK PANINI
I guess we all have memories of our childhood birthdays… I was born in February which is often the month of Carnevale in Italy, so I used to have dress up birthday parties. It was a lot of fun. There would be games, prizes, music and lots of laughter! If I think back about the…
CHOCOLATE AND RASPBERRY MINI CUPCAKES
I have only recently discovered the “world of cupcakes”. I had never eaten one before moving to Australia and I had not made any up until a month ago when I made my Triple Salted Caramel Cupcakes for the first time. Victoria adores cupcakes: she cannot resist them! Whenever she sees them at a party,…
VICTORIA’S 4TH BIRTHDAY
As many of you know, these last few days have been quite hectic for me as I have been organising my eldest daughter’s birthday. Victoria turned 4 on July 16th and we had a nice and quite family day. We hid her birthday presents and she had fun finding them and opening them. She loved…
TRIPLE SALTED CARAMEL CUPCAKES AND THE GIVEAWAY WINNER
I must admit it: I am officially in love with salted caramel! I have discovered only recently and now it is on the top of my “sweet treats” list! As always when I like something, I have to find a recipe to make it at home so that I can have it whenever I feel…
ADRIANO ZUMBO – MACARONS REVIEW
A couple of weeks ago I started a section on reviews. If you have missed the first review of the series, make sure to check it out as it was about some of the best pizza in Sydney at Caffe’ Moretti. Today I am changing topic: no pizza, no Italian food at all. Since I…
