Happy Halloween everyone! I cannot believe it’s the end of October already! This year has just flown by so fast. That means that Christmas is around the corner and I cannot wait as my parents will be arriving soon… and this year we already have our menus set for the holidays. They want to try…
PINEAPPLE CRUMBLE WITH BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE
Today’s recipe is a spur of the moment kind of recipe. I had some fresh pineapple in the fridge and some butterscotch sauce leftover from another dish and I knew they would taste delicious together. So, I came up with a quick dessert: pineapple and butterscotch crumble. We all loved it. The slight tanginess of…
PINEAPPLE AND PASSION FRUIT JAM
If you follow Manu’s Menu, you already know that my family and I have recently returned from a holiday in French Polynesia (Tahiti). Both in my travel diary and in my review of Hilton Moorea, I have told you about the amazing jam we tasted while we were there. Moorea actually has some of the…
SPINACH, ROCKET AND STRAWBERRY SALAD WITH STRAWBERRY VINAIGRETTE
I have seen quite a few recipes of salads that include strawberries lately and I was very curious to try one myself. I usually enjoy having fruits in savoury dishes and I think strawberries (and berries in general) make for fantastic savoury ingredients as they are slightly tart and not overly sweet. I have even…
WATERMELON GELATO
Today, for my Regional Italian dish series, I am going to take you all back to Sicily with the perfect summer recipe. I know, I know… it’s winter down here and it’s also been quite cold lately, but my family and friends are enjoying summer in Europe, so I thought of publishing this today. I…
STRAWBERRY, BANANA AND APPLE SMOOTHIE
I won’t lie… my kids, especially my 5 year old daughter, do not like fruits. Yes, I know what you are thinking “you are food blogger, and you can’t get your own kids to eat their fruits?!”… ehm… sort of. But I am working on it and smoothies are a great way to get my…
STRAWBERRY AND LEMON CHEESECAKE IN A GLASS
Who doesn’t love cheesecakes?? I do! I must say that I discovered them quite late in my teenage years as they are not an Italian “thing” (though now they are quite popular in Italy too). I was in New York for 3 weeks as an exchange student when I was 17 and one of the (many) things…
BANANA, COCONUT AND PASSION FRUIT SMOOTHIE
Lately I have been experimenting quite a bit with smoothies and shakes. The truth is, I have been left with some ripe fruits that needed to be used and I wanted to make something light and healthy with it. Besides, I always find that smoothies are a great way to get my fussy children to…
MIMOSA COCKTAIL
Today I want to share with you a very easy recipe for quite a sophisticated drink: the Mimosa cocktail. This delicious and pretty looking drink is basically made of sparkling wine mixed with fresh orange juice, could it get any easier? As tomorrow we celebrate International Women’s Day, I thought this would be the most…
LAMB TAJINE WITH QUINCES
When I feel like having some comfort food, I often make stews. Just the aroma of a stew cooking on the stove (or in the oven) has a somewhat relaxing and almost therapeutic effect. When I make a stew on a rainy day, even the bad weather seems more bearable and from annoying, it becomes captivating and…
GRILLED FUJI FRUIT, SPINACH AND ROCKET SALAD
I have noticed that l don’t have enough recipes for side dishes on the blog, so I thought of remedying that and today I am going to share with you the recipe for a delicious salad. This is perfect for autumn, when fuji fruits are in season. In fact I have had this recipe in…
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,…
BLUEBERRY RISOTTO
I know that this may sound like quite an unusual dish, but after making a delicious Strawberry risotto last year, I have been on the look out for some other fruit based risotto recipes. So, when I saw this beautiful Blueberry risotto, I knew I had to try it. I love the colour, so intense…
HALLOWEEN PUNCH
I cannot believe it is Halloween again! Before you know it, it will be Christmas time! Where does time fly?? It seems like last week that I published my Halloween Treats, instead it’s been a year already! As you may know, Halloween is not something that we celebrate in Italy, so I did not grow…
MAPLE PEAR MOUSSE SHOOTERS WITH CHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUTS
I love serving desserts in shooter glasses. I find them so cute and the best part is that you can eat them even at the end of a full meal without feeling too bad (or too full). Today’s recipe is very easy to make and it uses up some of the pears that are lying…
WALNUT BANANA BREAD
If you like banana bread, this is a fantastic recipe. I must admit I am not a great Jamie Oliver follower when it comes to his take on Italian food, but I do trust him for the rest. I had already tried and fallen for his brownies a little while ago and this recipe was just…
VANILLA PANNA COTTA WITH PASSION FRUIT COULIS
Today’s recipe is a delicious twist on a classic Italian dessert. The base is a simple and evergreen vanilla panna cotta (a great addition to any home chef skill set), but I think the passion fruit coulis on the top is the best part and it gives it a very exotic touch. I also love…
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…
FRUIT SALAD EN PAPILLOTE – MACEDONIA AL CARTOCCIO
Our July 2012 Daring Cooks’ host was Sarah from All Our Fingers in the Pie! Sarah challenges us to learn a new cooking technique called “Cooking En Papillote” which is French and translates to “cooking in parchment”. As I already said in my Baked Feta post (the first of the recipes I created this month), I was really…
APPLE STRUDEL – APFELSTRUDEL – STRUDEL DI MELE
Today’s Regional Italian dish comes from the northern region of Trentino – Alto Adige that borders with Austria. This region (and some areas around it) was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and it shares many culinary traditions with Austria and the surrounding areas. It seems that Strudel was born in the area now known as…
PASSION FRUIT & COCONUT CRÈME BRULÉE
Crème brulée is one my favourite desserts. I love to break the thick and bittersweet caramel crust to find the silky sweet cream underneath. I love contrasting flavours and textures in food as you find that they all melt together when you savour them giving you ONE distinctive taste. It is a bit like all…
PAVLOVA
The last recipe from my “Come have some Aussie tucker, mate!” party is the Pavlova recipe. I kept the best for last… I have to warn you. It is not an easy dessert to make and mine did not come out perfect either, as it did crack a bit. Luckily the taste was not affected…
