The other day my eldest daughter came home from school saying she wanted to bake a crostata for the whole family. We usually make a butter-based crostata dough (click here for the recipe) which tastes amazing and never fails! However, I have recently found out that I am lactose intolerant and she absolutely wanted mummy…
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Pumpkin Jam
Have you ever had Pumpkin Jam? I personally love it and I also love the fact that it is really easy to make. This version also has a hint of freshly grated ginger to it, and I think it works really well with the pumpkin flavour. You can use this jam to make tarts, pies,…
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White Chocolate Almond Fudge
My husband adores both white chocolate and condensed milk (yes, he has a very sweet tooth!), so I am always looking at ways to use these ingredients together. This White Chocolate Almond Fudge was a huge success. I also liked the slight crunch that the crushed almonds added to it. This fudge makes for a…
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Homemade Jelly Candies
Jelly candies covered in sugar were among my favourite candies as a child. I used to love the citrus flavoured ones the most. The crunchiness of the sugar coating and the gummy softness of the candies, the sweetness and tartness were all contrasts I could not resist! This homemade version is healthy and delicious… it…
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Aromatic Olive Oil
This Aromatic Olive Oil is a great recipe to have. I personally love the mix of herbs, garlic and chilly it uses and I find is very versatile. You can use this oil for bruschetta, meat, fish, salads, and even as a simple pasta sauce! It also makes for a fantastic edible gift, so make…
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Pineapple Vanilla Jam
The first time I had this delicious Pineapple Vanilla Jam I was in Tahiti. The islands abound in both pineapples and vanilla, so to them is a normal combination. However, to my Italian taste buds it wasn’t and I was literally blown away but how good these two flavours were together! This jam has become…
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Cicatelli all’Arrabbiata
If you follow Manu’s Menu you will very luckily know by now that I have just written a book about pasta: Homemade Pasta Made Simple. It’s been available for pre-order on Amazon for a few weeks, and it has now been officially released! Yay! Click here to get your copy now! So, to celebrate such…
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Homemade Pasta Made Simple
As you probably already know, in the past few months, I have been working really hard on a very exciting project. I know I have been keeping you on your toes, but the time has finally come to introduce my latest work of love: Homemade Pasta Made Simple. Pin It
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Peach Jam
Peach jam has always been a favourite of mine. If you have read my Apricot Jam Crostata post though, you may remember that I was complaining about the fact that I can’t find any Peach Jam at a normal supermarket. I have no idea why that is. Growing up in Italy Peach Jam was, together with…
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Parmigiano Reggiano Tortellini with Artichokes
If you follow Manu’s Menu regularly, you will know that artichoke is my absolute favourite winter vegetable! Today I will show you how to make Parmigiano Reggiano Tortellini with Artichokes, a real treat! The tortellini are filled with Parmigiano Reggiano and the artichokes are used in a very simple sauce. The combination is amazing and…
Baked Ndunderi
Today I am back with a traditional recipe from the south of Italy: Baked Ndunderi (pronounced “doon-der-ee”) . Ndunderi are hand-made gnocchi-like pasta from the Amalfi Coast, near Naples. I must admit that, unfortunately, this pasta is not very well known around Italy, which is a real pity as it tastes amazing. Ndunderi are a…
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Home-made Apple Pie Spice Mix
Living in Australia, I do not find many of the spice mixes available in North America (or in Europe), so I often make my own. Besides, these spice mixes are usually made by stirring together spices that are commonly available everywhere in the world. I already showed you how to make Cajun Seasoning, Pumpkin Pie…
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Home-made Doritos
Today’s recipe is addictive. I could eat a whole bowl of these without even realising it, so be advised! Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you Home-made Doritos! Yep, you read that right! I have a confession to make… whenever I am at a party and I see a bowl of these next to a…
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Skinny Tuna Sushi Roll
Today I want to share with you one of my favourite recipes: Skinny Tuna Sushi Roll. While waiting for my gallbladder surgery I was on a strict low fat diet and this Skinny Tuna Sushi Roll was my dinner for almost 1 full month! I kept on making it, as it tasted really good even…
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Black Olive Tapenade
Black Olive Tapenade is a Provençal dish consisting of puréed olives, herbs and olive oil. It is a popular condiment in the south of France, where it is generally eaten as an appetiser, spread on bread. Maybe not everyone knows though, that olive based tapenades are very common in Italian cuisine and trace back to…
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Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches
I am very excited about today’s recipe, as it brings together 2 of my favourite things: chocolate cookies and home-made vanilla ice cream. Is there anything better than Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches? YES: home-made Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches! The cookies are chocolate heaven and they go so well with…
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Home-made Ranch Dressing
I must confess that I had never heard of Ranch Dressing before I started blogging. It’s definitely not an Italian thing. We use more vinaigrette based condiments for our salads and vegetables, so I never really knew it. After trying it though, I must say that I fell in love with it. I am a…
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Kinder Cereali
Since moving to Australia 10 years ago (!), there are many things I am not able to eat as they are not sold here. In all this time, I have learnt how to make some of these things like sofficini or pizzoccheri for example. Today’s recipe is another one of such items: Kinder Cereali. It…
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Home-made Spanish Chorizo
Here goes my third, and last, Spanish recipe in a row. And what better than home-made Spanish chorizo?? You already know I LOVE to make things from scratch and sausages always come out great! To tell you the truth, I had never thought to make Chorizo at home… I was somehow “obliged to”, as the…
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Mango Liqueur
As you already know, I love to make my own liqueur. I really like to experiment with different flavours and fruit based liqueurs are the ones I like the most. I must confess that I don’t drink much (I know… I am a weird kind of Italian who doesn’t really appreciate a good glass of…
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Orange Caramel Sauce
Who doesn’t like a gooey, sticky, decadent caramel sauce?? I am a huge fan of caramel anything and this Orange Caramel Sauce has quickly become my favourite sauce! It’s sweet, slightly tangy, salty, bitter… all at the same time. The flavour is so intense and complex that it is really hard to explain… you just…
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Marzipan Lambs
Today’s recipe is a classic Sicilian sweet that is made and eaten to celebrate Easter. In Italian these delicious treats are called Pecorelle di Pasqua or Agnelli Pasquali which literally mean Easter Lambs. As they are made out of marzipan, I thought that Marzipan Lambs would be a better translation… at the end of the…
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