I cannot believe it’s Carnevale time already! Didn’t we celebrate Christmas just the other day?? Anyhow, today’s recipe had to be related to this amazing festivity, which also happens to be the one I like the most. I soooo miss Carnevale… back in Italy we all dress up in masks and go around playing tricks and having…
GORGONZOLA FILLED POTATO GNOCCHI WITH BUTTER AND SAGE
When I saw these gnocchi, I could not resist. If you follow this site, I am sure you know that yours truly is a gorgonzola-holic (?!) and just the thought of biting into soft pillowy potato gnocchi to find a gorgonzola treasure made my mouth water. I must admit I had never even contemplated filling gnocchi, but…
BEEF SCHIACCIATINA
This is one of my “go to” recipes for a quick, yet delicious mid week meal. Schiacciatina means “something small that has been pressed”, and it is basically a very flat burger made with only ground beef, Parmigiano Reggiano, salt and pepper. My mum used to make this often for me as a child. I…
CHESTNUT GNOCCHI VALCHIAVENNA STYLE
Today’s Regional Italian recipe comes from the region I grew up in: Lombardy. To be precise, this recipe is from Valchiavenna, an Alpine valley to the north of Lake Como. It is a truly beautiful area and the food you can eat there is genuine and very much linked to the territory and local produce. …
PENNE WITH SALAMI AND PROVOLONE
Today I want to share with you one of my husband’s favourite pasta recipes. He loves salami and provolone, so when he first tasted these penne, he told me “this is the best pasta I have ever eaten”. Now, that’s a complement! It is very tasty indeed: salami does not require any “introduction”, but what…
RADICCHIO AND GORGONZOLA RISOTTO
First of all… HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Today’s risotto is pure comfort food, a dish I often cook when I want to spoil myself… what better dish to start the new year with? It is very easy to make and it rewards you with great flavours. I truly believe that radicchio and gorgonzola were made to…
GREEN LASAGNE WITH STRACCHINO, ARTICHOKES AND SAUSAGE
When I think of comfort food, the first image that comes to my mind is a plate full of lasagne… no matter how they are made (with a classic beef sauce, with pesto or with any other ingredients), lasagne represent comfort food to me (and the majority of Italians). They are easily going to be…
PIZZA FLAVOURED PIGGY BUNS
I saw these piggy shaped buns on Pinterest and I could not get them out of my mind! They look too cute! As the theme of my youngest daughter’s birthday party was Peppa Pig, I thought it would be a good time for me to try and make them! I had so much fun and…
PUMPKIN AND FONTINA CROQUETTES
I found this recipe while browsing the Internet and it was love at first sight! I must admit I had only ever made croquettes out of potatoes, so the idea of being able to use pumpkin instead opened up a whole new world of possibilities! It is a delicious recipe that can be served either…
CHICKEN INVOLTINI WITH SPECK, SPINACH AND STRACCHINO
Today’s recipe is another spur of the moment creation. I had some Italian Speck and stracchino cheese in the fridge that needed to be used. I also had some baby spinach (I often do, as it is one of my favourite items for salads!) and decided to use all of these ingredients to jazz up…
TALEGGIO AND APPLE RISOTTO
Today’s Regional Italian dish comes from Lombardia, the region of Milan. It is a delicious risotto made with one of the most famous cheeses of the area: Taleggio, paired with apples. Taleggio is a soft cow’s milk cheese made and named after Taleggio Valley (Val Taleggio) in the Italian Alps. It has a very strong aroma,…
CIAMBELLA RUSTICA – SALAMI AND SMOKED SCAMORZA BUNDT CAKE
The weather is getting warmer around here… this is the time of the year when I prefer to eat out. In a few weeks it will be too hot for my liking. So I try to enjoy this weather as much as I can! Today I am going to share with you the recipe for…
QUICHE LORRAINE
Today I am going to share the recipe for a Quiche Lorraine. I am saying A Quiche Lorraine because there are many variations of this classic French dish and I am not claiming this to be THE traditional one. Actually, it looks like the original Quiche Lorraine did not have any milk or cheese in…
GATTÒ DI PATATE – POTATO PIE
Today’s recipe is another one of my family recipes and one of my favourites! It is actually a regional dish that is very popular both in Campania and Sicily (so I will be tagging it under both regions for my Regional Italian dish series), with some variations. Some people put ham in it instead of…
PORCINI, SPECK AND POTATO SAVOURY PIE
Today’s recipe is great in every season. The ingredients are perfect for the cooler months, but the fact that you can eat it cold (or at room temperature), makes it perfect for the warmer months too. I actually love to take this to picnics and barbecues when the season is right, but it is also…
POTATO GNOCCHI WITH TALEGGIO AND ORANGE FONDUE
There are many sauces that you can make for potato gnocchi, but my favourite ones are cheese based. I think the creaminess of a cheese based sauce goes perfectly well with those pillowy bites of goodness! I have already shared with you the recipe for Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola, which is one of my favourite, and…
PARMIGIANO REGGIANO GELATO
Today I want to share with you a recipe that may sound unusual, but it is one of the best appetisers I have eaten in a looong time: gelato made with Parmigiano Reggiano! It is very easy to make, yet it is very fancy… it is one of those dishes that I love serving at…
RICOTTA AND LEMON MUFFINS
There are some flavours that I think are a perfect match and ricotta and lemon are definitely on the top of the list. It is a very common combination in Italian pâtisserie and when you try it out, you will understand why. Ricotta is a very mild cheese that is often used in Italian sweets…
PEAR AND GORGONZOLA RISOTTO
If you follow this blog more or less regularly, you already know I have a huge love for blue cheese. And to me, gorgonzola is the king of blue cheeses… I guess I am also biased as I was born not too far from a place called Gorgonzola, from where the cheese supposedly originates. I…
POLENTA CONCIA
Rachael of pizzarossa was our August 2012 Daring Cook hostess and she challenged us to broaden our knowledge of cornmeal! Rachael provided us with some amazing recipes and encouraged us to hunt down other cornmeal recipes that we’d never tried before – opening our eyes to literally 100s of cuisines and 1000s of new-to-us recipes!…
LABNEH
If you follow this blog, you know that cheese is my weakness. I can do without dessert, but if I see cheese… well, I have to have some! After making home made yogurt, I had to try my hands at making home made labneh. I had seen a picture of it on my friend Sawsan’s…
BAKED FETA
After hosting the June 2012 Daring Cooks’ challenge and making a few batches of Cannelloni, I was even more curious to see what this month’s challenge would be! I must admit, I had never thought about what goes “behind the scenes” of one of these challenges, but after hosting one I can tell you… it’s a…
GNOCCHI ALLA SORRENTINA
This week’s Regional Italian dish comes from Campania and more precisely from Sorrento. I am sure that all of you have heard of this beautiful coastal village, which is renowned for its world famous lemons (from which the best limoncello is made). I would love to share with you the recipe for limoncello, but as…
MUSHROOM AND ASIAGO CALZONI
The other day I had some Asiago cheese left in the fridge and while trying to figure out what to do with it, I stumbled upon this recipe. I also happened to have all the other ingredients, so I thought of trying it out for dinner. It was really tasty! I loved the contrasting flavours…
EGGPLANT INVOLTINI
I think I have already said this but eggplant is one of my favourite veggie. You can make so many things with it and it always tastes so good! Today I am going to share with you the recipe for what has to be my all time favourite side dish (that can easily double up…
AUSSIE BURGER WITH “THE LOT”
Today I am going to share with you the recipe of what is known as “Aussie burger with the lot”. The reason for the name is evident: this isn’t your everyday cheese burger… it is made up of A LOT of goodies! And it is irresistible! What’s not to love about a sandwich filled with…
MINI VEGEMITE AND CHEESE SANDWICHES
Vegemite is probably the most iconic Australian product. Wiki describes it as “a dark brown Australian food paste made from yeast extract. […] Vegemite is made from used brewers’ yeast extract, a by-product of beer manufacturing, various vegetables, wheat and spice additives. It is salty, slightly bitter, and umami or malty – similar to beef bouillon.” …
