As you may know, my eldest daughter loves everything coconut at the moment, and she has a very sweet tooth (she took after her daddy in this). So she always wants something sweet in her school lunch box and I try to make something from scratch for her, so at least I know what she…
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Coconut Ice Cream
My eldest daughter loves coconut flavoured treats. She asks me to make coconut cakes, muffins, cupcakes, cookies… You name it. And off course, coconut ice cream is one of her favourite flavours! I am happy to oblige as I too like coconut. It always makes me feel like I am on a tropical island, enjoying…
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Minestrone
Having grown up in Milan, where winters are quite cold, I have had my fair share of soups. In fact, my mum would often make soup for dinner. My favourite has always been Pasta e Fagioli, but she has always made a fantastic Minestrone. Contrary to what it may seem, Minestrone is actually a pretty…
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Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Finally a pasta dish again! I cannot believe I haven’t published a recipe for pasta in a while! When we were living in Italy, we used to eat pasta once a day… almost every day. Yep, that’s the way Italians do it. But after moving to Australia, we don’t eat it quite as often. Still,…
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Poire Belle Helene
Today’s recipe is a dessert: Poire belle Hélène is a beautiful looking treat made up of vanilla poached pears, served with a warm chocolate sauce, whipped cream (or vanilla ice cream) and toasted almonds. Need I say more? I personally love it. I think pear and chocolate, just like orange and chocolate, is a match…
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Yakitori
Lately I have been on a bit of a Japanese food bender. I am discovering more and more dishes, and the more I discover, the more I love Japanese cuisine! There’s so much more than sushi (which I love too!). I had heard a lot about Yakitori – 焼き鳥, but I had never eaten them…
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Kaffir Lime and Yogurt Panna Cotta
By now you know how much I love panna cotta. To me, it’s one of the fastest, tastiest and easiest desserts to make. I love that you can make it in advance with minimum effort and present it as a very sophisticated looking dessert to your guests. I have a few panna cotta recipes on…
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Home-made Aioli
Mmmmm aioli! I love it. It’s a condiment that gained a lot of popularity in recent years, but for the few who still don’t know what it is, aioli (also known as alioli or allioli) is basically a garlic flavoured mayonnaise traditionally made in some areas of France and Spain. Having grown up in Europe, I…
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Irish Coffee
As Paddy’s Day is fast approaching, I thought of sharing a classic recipe: Irish coffee. You know I love my coffee and I generally have espresso (better yet, macchiato), but on a cold winter’s evening, I love to indulge with something more. Irish coffee is simply delicious and very easy to make. It is the…
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Linguine with Potatoes
Today’s recipe is not my own. It’s actually my mother’s. It is one of her favourite pasta sauces and she made it for all of us when visiting from Italy. Usually, as a rule of thumb, Italians do not eat other carbs together with pasta, but this is a delicious exception. I often say that…
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IMPEPATA DI COZZE – PEPPERED MUSSELS
Today I am back with a recipe for my Regional Italian dish series! I am taking you all to Campania and Naples with a delicious and very easy to make dish: Peppered Mussels. All you need, besides mussels, are garlic, good quality extra virgin olive oil, parsley and… pepper. The more pepper the better. This…
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JASMINE AND MANGO PANNA COTTA SHOOTERS
These panna cotta shooters are a very elegant and exotic dessert. I believe they would be the perfect dessert for any New Year’s Eve dinner party. When I smell jasmine, I am always brought back in time… you see, in the house I used to spend my summer holidays in Sicily, we had a beautiful…
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ROSE DEL DESERTO – DESERT ROSES
Today I want to share with you a recipe that my mum learnt from one of her friends years ago and that has become a family favourite. We call these cookies “Rose del deserto” or Desert Roses as they resemble the minerals of the same name that can be found in the desert. Besides looking pretty,…
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CHILLED YOGURT CAKE WITH BLUEBERRY COMPOTE
Today’s dessert is a cold treat and it is one that is actually not too bad for you as it is made (mainly) with natural yogurt. Back in Italy there is a famous pre mixed version of this that is sold in little boxes… you mix in some fresh ingredients and there you have your…
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COUSCOUS, OLIVE AND ORANGE SALAD
Ohhh I love couscous and I make it in all kinds of ways. My all time favourite is my mum’s (and grandma’s) traditional Fish Couscous, but I also make the pre cooked version and serve it as a side dish. And then there is leftover plain couscous. Which is like a white canvas that can…
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NUTELLA TARTS
I love leftovers. I really do. What I love the most about them is the possibility to create something completely new out of something old. It is a bit like giving a second chance or a new life to something that many consider useless or unworthy. I also like the fact that leftovers can easily…
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PAN FRIED SICILIAN PORK SAUSAGE WITH FENNEL
Sausage is one of the meats I used to love the most while growing up. I still do, but now I am much more selective and try to make my own sausage every time I can. There is nothing better than fresh, home-made pork sausage: you know what’s in it, you choose the cuts of…
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GINGER SESAME CHICKEN
I always have chicken tenders in my freezer… they are very versatile, quick to cook and they always please the whole family. I love the fact that they are always moist and not dry. I have never seen these in Italy, where you either buy breast or thighs (or the whole chicken). I stumbled upon…
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SWEET AND SOUR TUNA WITH ONIONS
I really enjoy eating fresh tuna. It is very common in Italy, especially in Sicily so I kind of grew up on it. Since moving here, I haven’t seen it often at the stores, but when I do, I usually buy some. Today I will share with you one of the ways my mum would…
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COUSCOUS AND HERB SALAD
Couscous is one of my favourite side dishes. I love the fact that it is so versatile and that it can be easily turned into a light and healthy main dish for a weekday lunch. I usually make couscous to go with my Lemon Chicken Tajine with Olives or my LambTajine with Quinces and I sometimes have…
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EASY EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA
Today I want to share with you my family’s recipe for Eggplant Parmigiana. It is a simplified and lighter version of the classic Parmigiana that has mozzarella inside and needs baking. This is a much faster recipe and I love to make it in summer, when I do not feel like turning on the oven…
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PASSION FRUIT CURD AND LIME TARTS
I had some pasta frolla dough and some Passion fruit Curd sitting in my freezer and I could not wait to use them up… together! You see, pasta frolla is the Italian pie crust that we use to make crostata or simple cookies. So the pairing was really very easy. I just cooked the tarts…
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