Italy Archives - Page 3 of 10 - Manu’s Menu

Lavazza #FromItalywithPassion

I am very excited about today’s post… as it is all about coffee and Italy. If you follow me on Facebook, you would have seen that I posted a special message for Manu’s Menu a few days ago. Yep, the Lavazza barista contacted me to help him spread the word about the Lavazza #FromItalywithPassion campaign. I…

Burrata and Truffle Oil Risotto

Maybe not everyone is familiar with Burrata. It is a kind of fresh cheese typical of the Italian region of Apulia, in the south of the country. It is in fact a “composite” cheese as it is made of a mozzarella outer shell filled with soft mozzarella scraps and cream and then closed to form…

Roasted Bell Peppers

Bell pepper, or capsicum as they are known here in Australia, are among my favourite vegetables. I have always liked them, ever since I was little. In summer, they would make a regular appearance on our table and I was always delighted. My mother would make them in many different ways and even though my…

Sarde Allinguate

I know I have said this before, but sardines are my favourite fish ever. They are cheap and so good for you and I highly recommend you try them. I just wish I could find them more often here in Sydney! Today I will share with you a traditonal Sicilian recipe, very common in the…

Gnocchi alla Romana

This month, the Daring Cooks challenged us to think inside the box – the icebox, that is! Audax taught us some really cool tips and tricks for stocking our freezers with prepare-ahead meals that can keep our taste buds satisfied even during the busiest of times. It is back to school time for many families in the…

Beetroot and Ricotta Gnocchi with Gorgonzola

I have always love beetroot, a taste I share with my dad. I remember often buying it at the store whenever it was available. We would buy it cooked, ready to be sliced and eaten. My favourite way to eat beets was to make them into a simple salad with extra virgin olive oil and…

Home-made Verzini

As you may know, I was born and brought up in Milan. Foodwise, Milan is famous for risotto (especially Risotto alla Milanese, made with saffron), ossobuco, cotoletta, panettone and cassoeula. As you can see, I have already shared the recipes for the most famous Milanese food… all, but one: Cassoeula. The reason why it took…

Pomegranate Risotto

As you know, autumn has come to the Southern hemisphere. I can’t lie… I don’t mind it. I welcome the fresher air and the leaves changing colour on the trees. It is a beautiful season. And I LOVE autumn food: mushrooms, chestnuts, quince… pomegranates. In fact, pomegranates always put a smile on my face: I…

Radicchio and Taleggio Lasagne

This, together with my Pesto Lasagne, has to be one of my all time favourite vegetarian lasagne! It is very easy to make and it only requires a few ingredients. Yet, the end result tastes amazing. I think Taleggio and Radicchio were created to be eaten together as their flavours complement each other perfectly. These…

THE DARING COOKS’ JANUARY 2014 CHALLENGE: ARANCINE

This month’s challenge is very special for a few reasons. For starters, our hostess, Manu, graciously stepped in with very little notice and created an entire amazing challenge in pretty much no time at all. Secondly, Manu managed to do all of this while publishing her very first e-cookbook. Seriously, you simply must check it…

PARMIGIANO REGGIANO TARTS WITH COTECHINO

If you follow Manu’s Menu quite regularly, you will remember me saying that Italians always have cotechino for New Year’s Eve. It is like having turkey for Thanksgiving… it’s a given and something that can never be missing from our table. I have shared with you a few recipes for it during the years… from…

COTECHINO WITH ITALIAN MASH POTATOES

As the last post of the year, I had to share with you a cotechino recipe. That’s because Italians always have at least one slice of cotechino on New Year’s Eve! It’s a tradition that I love to keep alive even down under. I often make my own cotechino (you can find my tutorial and…

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…

SMOKED SALMON AND VODKA RISOTTO

Today’s recipe is the perfect dish to make for your New Year’s Eve dinner party: it’s classy and delicious and it is done in 20 minutes! We always have smoked fish during the holidays, both as appetiser and as part of a main dish like this one. I love smoked salmon, and Vodka goes really…

CARAMELISED RED ONION AND TALEGGIO PASTRIES

As you know, cheese is probably my favourite food. I like all kinds of cheeses and I often eat them plain, with bread or crackers for lunch… but I also love to cook with them and make all sorts of savoury and sweet dishes. Today’s recipe is utterly delicious: I find it simply irresistible! I…

POLPETTE DI SARDE ALLA SICILIANA – SICILIAN SARDINE PATTIES

I know I have said this already, but sardines are my favourite fish. Unfortunately it is not easy to come across fresh sardines in Sydney. I find it weird as they are so common in Italy, but that’s just the way it is. So whenever I see some, I buy them! Today I will share…

ORECCHIETTE WITH SAUSAGE AND FENNEL TOPS

I know many people find making bread relaxing. And I do understand why… kneading is good for you and it does take your mind away from everyday worries. I have a very similar experience when making pasta. And more precisely when shaping pasta with my hands. I find it a very relaxing and fulfilling activity. …

LASAGNE WITH ZUCCHINI PESTO, SPECK AND SMOKED SCAMORZA

Mmmm Lasagne! My favourite dish ever. Growing up my parents and I would make Lasagne for big occasions, like Christmas or birthdays. And they would always be the classic meat version (you can find my recipe here). Well, lately I have been making all sorts of Lasagne. Remember my Pesto Lasagne (my all time favourite!), or…

APPLE CROSTATA WITH STREUSEL TOPPING

Today I want to share with you the recipe for a crostata that I used to make in Italy. I used to make it quite often, especially in the colder months. I love crostate and apple crostate are my favourite. In fact, one of the very first recipes I ever published on the blog was…

RICOTTA FILLED GRAFFE

Today’s recipe comes from the Sicilian town of Trapani, where my mother was born. These are similar, but not the same as the more famous Neapolitan graffe, the dough of which includes potatoes. Graffe in Trapani are like doughnuts, fried and then filled with the same sweet ricotta filling used for Cannoli, Sfinciuni di San…

FRESH TUNA RAGU

This is a recipe that I learnt from my dad. He loves tuna (and so do I), so whenever we saw tuna at the markets, we would buy some and make a ragù with it. Ragù is a generic term that Italians use for tomato based sauces predominantely made with meat, but not only. The…

HOME-MADE COTECHINO

A few months ago, I took part in a Daring Cooks challenge about salumi. At that time, I chose to make Salame Cotto, and it was a great success. That, and the fact that I regularly make my own Pork Sausage, encouraged me to try my hands at making another popular Italian meat product: Cotechino….