When my friend Kankana from Sunshine & Smile asked me to write a guest post for her site I almost jumped out of my seat! Probably you guys do not know this (not even you Kankana), but she has been the first person to comment on my blog! Since then we have exchanged lots of…
COCOA GNOCCHI WITH MASCARPONE AND WALNUT SAUCE
This was a complete new recipe to me. I had always wanted to use chocolate in a savoury dish, but had never had the courage to actually go ahead and do it. Since I started blogging though, I got a bit more self-confident with my cooking skills and so I thought that my Foodbuzz 24×24…
ARTICHOKE AND RICOTTA MEZZELUNE ON A PARMIGIANO REGGIANO FONDUE
This stuffed pasta dish is the second of my series of posts dedicated to my Foodbuzz 24×24 Christmas in July event. Italians always have some sort of stuffed pasta at Christmas, especially at their Christmas Eve dinner (at this meal we traditionally do not eat meat). This does not mean the meal is light though! …
FOODBUZZ 24×24: CHRISTMAS IN JULY
Since I moved to Australia from Italy 5 years ago I haven’t gotten used to the “reversed” seasons yet. For someone who has spent the majority of her life in the Northern hemisphere where it is summer in July and winter in December, I have to live with the seasons reversed and believe me, it…
ORECCHIETTE CON VERDURA RIPASSATA – ORECCHIETTE WITH SPICY VEGGIES
Steph from Stephfood was our Daring Cooks‘ July hostess. Steph challenged us to make homemade noodles without the help of a motorized pasta machine. She provided us with recipes for Spätzle and Fresh Egg Pasta as well as a few delicious sauces to pair our noodles with! Needless to say I couldn’t have been more…
MOUSSAKA
This is definitely not an Italian recipe. As everyone knows moussaka is a traditional Greek dish. I still remember the first time I ate it. I was in Paris with my parents and we went out for dinner in the area of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, an area filled with little French and foreign restaurants. I was a…
SPAGHETTI WITH TUNA AND CAPSICUM
This is a very simple pasta dish. I like it because it is really tasty, colourful and easy to prepare. I usually make it when I do not have a lot of time, but feel like eating something flavoursome and healthy. Try and make it as a mid week dinner, I am sure you will…
BAKED SWORDFISH
This is one of the easiest recipes to make delicious and healthy fish. It is also the way I prefer eating swordfish as it reminds me of my childhood. My mom would always make it this way at home and when there was swordfish for lunch or dinner I would always be happy. This is…
BEEF AND VEGETABLE PATTIES
Do you have fussy eaters at home? I sure do… my preschooler just refuses to eat any vegetables at all. So, like many moms out there with the same problem, I have to think of ways to make her eat her veggies. I often “hide” them in foods that she enjoys eating and these patties…
PASTA WITH CREAMY BROCCOLI AND PINE NUT SAUCE
I have always liked broccoli (which in Italian are referred to as “broccoletti” to differentiate them from the big roman or purple broccoli), even as a child. Then again, I also used to like brussel sprouts, so I guess I was not a fussy child when it came to eating my veggies. Anyhow, this very…
MARINATED LAMB CUTLETS
This is a very simple lamb dish that I came up with since moving to Australia. Lamb in Italy are much smaller than they are here and it is not easy to find some cuts of meat. I don’t remember seing this kind of cutlets at the supermarkets in Italy… but I haven’t been back…
PAPPARDELLE WITH PORCINI MUSHROOMS
This is a classic dish. It is very easy to make and will impress even the fussiest eater! Porcini mushrooms are the key here. Their flavour and aroma has no comparison. I consider them to be the “king of all mushrooms”. In my opinion, no other mushroom gets even close to them in flavour. They…
POLPETTONE – STUFFED MEATLOAF AND A BUNCH OF AWARDS
Everyone has his/her signature dish… and this is definitely my mother’s. She is a very good cook and I have learnt a lot from her. I have always liked watching her preparing food in our kitchen back in Italy and I would help her any time I had the time. She can prepare all sorts…
FRIED PIZZA – PIZZA FRITTA
This is not a recipe for the faint hearted. It is not light and it is fried… but it is the most delicious of pizza’s! It is my nonna’s (grandmother) recipe and she used to make it for her children and grandchildren quite often. I actually do not remember her making a baked pizza ever……
SPAGHETTI WITH FISH SAUCE
This is another one of my mother’s recipes. It is very simple and very tasty. I love the delicate fish taste that gets in the sauce… yum! To make it, you need a very bony fish that is also very cartilaginous… any fish suitable to make soup is fine. I usually make it with red…
ZUCCHINI AND RICOTTA QUICHE
The other day some friends came over for lunch and I wanted to make something quick and tasty that could be prepared in advance, so that I could spend more time chit chatting with them instead of being busy in the kitchen. I like making all sorts of quiches, which in Italy are called “torte…
LAMB KORMA
Lamb Korma is one of my husband’s favourite curries. It is a delicious, creamy and mild curry. When cooked well the lamb is so soft that it should melt in your mouth. I have been looking for years for the perfect recipe for lamb korma and, as it often happens, I found it by chance. …
KASHMIRI PULAO
When we first moved to Sydney we did not know any good places to dine out in the city, so we asked around and received a few great suggestions. One of these quickly became one of our favourite restaurants: Abhi’s Indian Restaurant. The food is fantastic and some of their dishes are just plain delicious. …
PUMPKIN AND BARLEY SOUP
My mom used to make this pumpkin soup often in autumn and winter, when pumpkin is in season in Italy. It is a comforting and tasty soup, perfect for a cold winter evening. If you are vegetarian you can make it without speck. If you do cook it with speck though, try and find the…
FOCACCIA DI RECCO
This focaccia is typical of a little town called Recco which is near Genoa, in Liguria. It is not the same focaccia that you would normally see. It is not thick and fluffy, as it is not made with yeast but it hides a very tasty and creamy “secret” inside: stracchino. Stracchino is a soft…
POACHED CHICKEN BREASTS IN A MINT SAUCE
This is a very fresh recipe, perfect for a summer lunch. In fact, the first time I ate it I was in Sicily and it was indeed summer. My aunt Daniela made it and I was really impressed both by the vivid green color and by the fresh yet delicate mint flavour. If you have…
CHICKEN COTOLETTE WITH CHEESE AND A SHOWER OF AWARDS
This is the chicken version of my cotolette recipe with a couple of differences. In this case I coat the chicken with flour before putting it in the egg wash and crumbing it. And, above all, I add cheese to it. It is a very easy dish that your kids and you will love. This…
