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Authentic Italian Home Cooking & More

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Smoked Salmon and Prosciutto Crespelle Snails

SMOKED SALMON AND PROSCIUTTO CRESPELLE SNAILS

For my daughter’s 6th birthday party, I wanted to make a few savoury items as well.  As the theme was fairies and nature, I thought of playing around with shapes.  My first thought was to make sandwiches and cut them into cute shapes, but then I changed my mind as I wanted something a bit…

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Pixie Dust Marshmallow Pops

PIXIE DUST MARSHMALLOW POPS

Pops are always a great idea for kids parties.  I love cake pops, but they can be quite time consuming to make and as I was already making quite a bit of time consuming food for Victoria’s 6th birthday party, I decided to go for marshmallow pops instead.  They were a great hit at her…

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Butterfly Cupcakes

BUTTERFLY CUPCAKES

My eldest daughter requested some cupcakes for her Tinkerbell birthday party.  I love cupcakes, I think they are the cutest little things, but I was making a cake covered with fondant, serving marshmallows, chocolate and lots of other sugary items already.  The thought of making frosted cupcakes too, was not really appealing to me.  I…

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Full view of the Tinkerbell fondant cake with green base and character decorations.

Tinkerbell Cake

Sprinkle some fairy magic on your next party table. This Tinkerbell Cake has soft layers, cute details, and all the charm kids love.

VICTORIA’S 6TH BIRTHDAY

On the 16th my eldest daughter turned 6!!!  I cannot believe how fast time flies.  Before I had kids, a year seemed to last forever… now it’s finished before I even get used to saying “Victoria is 5”!!!   She is turning into a precious little girl and she can look so “grown up” at times……

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Caramel Espresso Bars

CARAMEL ESPRESSO BARS

It is time again for the “Secret recipe club” reveal!  I am sure you all know what the club is about, but for the few of you who still don’t know about it, here goes a brief explanation.  It is a great concept… each month you are assigned a participating food blogger to make a…

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CHOCOLATE AND ORANGE MINI CUPCAKES

If you follow this site more or less regularly, you already know that I love small desserts… I love the fact that they are (almost) guilt free and even more I love the fact that you can eat 2 or 3 different desserts for the calories of a single big one.  You see, I love…

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WHITE CHOCOLATE PANNA COTTA SHOOTERS WITH RASPBERRY COULIS

If you are not new on this site, you will know that I love all desserts that you can eat with a spoon: mousses, creams, trifles… and panna cotta!  I also like individual servings and I have been making these panna cotta shooters for a while now.  I often take them to friends’ houses for…

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PINEAPPLE & COCONUT GLAZED PORK SPARE RIBS

Today’s post is a “fight-against-waste” recipe!  I had a nice rack of pork spare ribs in the freezer, so I gathered all the left overs I had in my fridge and built up a recipe from there.  I also did some research on the web and saw I could make something yummy out of these…

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A full tray of decorated Peppa Pig Chocolate Cookies displayed on a patterned tablecloth.

Peppa Pig Chocolate Cookies

Peppa Pig Chocolate Cookies are playful piggy delights. The chocolatey dough and cheerful icing always bring giggles to the kitchen and make baking feel like a muddy-puddle moment children love.

Peppa Pig Muddy Puddle Cups decorated with biscuit crumbs, gummy worms, and colourful paper umbrellas.

Peppa Pig Muddy Puddle Cups

Bring giggles to little faces with Peppa Pig Muddy Puddle Cups. Creamy chocolate panna cotta, crumbly cookies, and sweet fizzy worms turn playtime in a cup into a tasty party treat.

Pizza Flavoured Piggy Buns

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…

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A tray of Peppa Pig cupcakes decorated with green and blue icing and fondant figures of Peppa, ducks, and clouds.

Peppa Pig Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes

Few things brighten a birthday like Peppa Pig Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes. The recipe is easy, the flavours are comforting, and the decorations always make little faces light up.

Finished Peppa Pig birthday cake covered in fondant.

Peppa Pig Cake

Bring the fun of Peppa Pig to your celebration with this easy Peppa Pig Cake. Simple fondant decorations, bright colours, and a soft sponge make it perfect for every birthday.

GEORGIA’S 3RD BIRTHDAY

On the 1st my youngest daughter turned 3 and I have been quite busy organising her birthday party.  This was also the first time that her nonni were physically present for her birthday, so it was even more exciting for everyone!  Yes!  My parents are visiting us from Italy and we are having a great…

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Strawberry Daiquiri

STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI

Today I want to share with you the recipe for one of my favourite drinks: Strawberry Daiquiri.  I love the sweet and sourish taste given by the combination of strawberries and citrus juice.  I also love rum… I must admit it is my favourite liquor!  There are many different recipes for Strawberry Daiquiri out there…

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Pizzette

PIZZETTE

Today I am going to share with you another piece of my childhood.  I don’t remember ever attending a birthday party as a child where there was no focaccia and/or pizzette as part of the buffet.  Usually you can buy these little pizze (pizzette actually means “little pizze”) at any bakery and kids love them. …

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MINI CHEESECAKE CUPCAKES

I love cheesecake… who doesn’t?  I have made my share of no-bake cheesecakes, but to tell you the truth, I still have to make a baked cheesecake at home.  Don’t ask me why, but baking a cheesecake always intimidated me.  After making these little gems though, I think I am going to have to bake myself…

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Chocolate and Vanilla Shark Mini Cupcakes

CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA SHARK MINI CUPCAKES

I made these mini cupcakes for Victoria’s 5th birthday party.  The theme was The Little Mermaid and the sea, so I decided to make the icing blue, like the sea.  I decorated them with some shark fins made out of chocolate.  As I had already made many sweets for the party, I kept the flavours of…

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Assembled sweet sushi pieces arranged on a serving plate.

Sweet Sushi

Cake shaped into sushi-style bites creates a fun dessert option, with Sweet Sushi fitting easily into birthday parties and buffet-style celebrations.

Sea Marshmallow Pops

SEA MARSHMALLOW POPS

Organising a little girl’s birthday party can be lots of fun… but it also requires a bit of research.  Especially when the little one has a clear idea of what she wants (and she’s only 5!).  The theme HAD to be The Little Mermaid.  So I started looking around the web for ideas (thank you…

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Soft Pretzel Bites

SOFT PRETZEL BITES

And it is time again for the “Secret recipe club” reveal! I am sure you all know what the club is about, but for the few of you who still don’t know about it, here goes a brief explanation.  Each month you are assigned a participating food blogger to make a recipe from and in…

Read More »

The Little Mermaid Fondant Cake

THE LITTLE MERMAID FONDANT CAKE

As I am sure you have noticed, my eldest daughter loves The Little Mermaid so she requested an “Ariel cake” for her 5th birthday party.  I must admit, I was a bit worried about it as making a human form out of fondant is not as easy as making an animal… in fact, it could…

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VICTORIA’S 5TH BIRTHDAY

On the 16th my eldest daughter turned 5 and I have been quite busy organising her birthday parties.  She celebrated in school with her friends on the 16th itself and I made her a Little Mermaid Yogurt Cake to take along and some Flounder Shortbread Cookie Pops to give as party favors.  When she came…

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Flounder Shortbread Cookie Pops

FLOUNDER SHORTBREAD COOKIE POPS

As I have written in my previous post, yesterday was my eldest daughter’s 5th birthday.  She had a small celebration with her friends at school and I made her a Little Mermaid yogurt cake to take with her.  You may remember that last year I had made Hello Kitty cake pops to give to her…

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The Little Mermeid Yogurt Cake

THE LITTLE MERMAID YOGURT CAKE

Today is my eldest daughter’s 5th birthday.  I cannot believe it’s already been 5 years since I first held her in my arms… she was so small!  And now she’s growing to be a beautiful and sweet girl.  I will be very busy in the next few days as we will be celebrating her birthday…

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Fairy Bread

FAIRY BREAD

The first time I ever heard about “fairy bread” I was at a play-date with 2 other mums.  When they explained to me what it was I found it hard to believe that someone could really go crazy for something like “that”.  But let me tell you that I completely changed my mind the first…

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Welcome to Manu’s Menu!

Hi! I am Manu, the author of Manu's Menu. I was born and brought up in Italy and my blog can show you how to create authentic Italian food in your own home! Read More…

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Video Recipe: Orecchiette with Crudaiola Sauce

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manusmenu

Food blogger, cookbook author, food photographer & stylist.

A batch of homemade flaxseed crackers is always ha A batch of homemade flaxseed crackers is always handy to have in the kitchen.

They're crisp, easy to store, and pair well with dips, soft cheeses, fresh vegetables, or your favourite toppings whenever you need a quick snack.

#flaxseedcrackers #mealprep #healthysnacks #homemade #manu #manusmenu
Creamy goat cheese, crunchy pistachios, and a driz Creamy goat cheese, crunchy pistachios, and a drizzle of honey 🍯

The combination of creamy, sweet, and crunchy textures makes this such an easy appetiser to put together when you want something simple but a little different.

Serve with crusty bread or your favourite crackers and enjoy. 

#pistachios #HoneyDrizzle #sharingplatter #manusmenu
After sharing the scrambled eggs and tomato toast After sharing the scrambled eggs and tomato toast recently, I thought it would be a good time to highlight one of my favourite herb blends 🌿

Herbes de Provence is a traditional French herb blend usually made with herbs such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, and savoury.

It's a simple way to add extra flavour to everyday ingredients and works especially well with eggs, tomatoes, roasted vegetables, potatoes, chicken, and soups.

Have you used Herbes de Provence before?

#herbesdeprovence #frenchcooking #mediterraneanfood #herbblends #manu #manusmenu
Scrambled eggs with tomato on toast is one of thos Scrambled eggs with tomato on toast is one of those simple meals that always works 🍅

Warm, savoury, filling, and made with ingredients most people already have at home.

#scrambledeggs #QuickMeals #breakfastideas #homemademeals #manu #manusmenu
This calamari risotto turned out creamy, rich, and This calamari risotto turned out creamy, rich, and so satisfying 🍚

Made as a low FODMAP recipe, it’s a homemade seafood dinner option that feels filling and easier to enjoy for those with sensitive stomachs or lower FODMAP dietary needs.

 #lowfodmap #calamaririsotto #seafoodrecipes #homemademeals #manu #manusmenu
Pumpkin has a naturally gentle sweetness, which is Pumpkin has a naturally gentle sweetness, which is why ingredients like ginger, coconut cream, herbs, curry paste, or lime work so well with it.

Those subtle layers of flavour help create soups that feel comforting, warming, and more rounded 💛

 #pumpkinsoup #thaifood #homemademeals #homemade #manusmenu
Smooth, creamy, and filled with delicious Thai-ins Smooth, creamy, and filled with delicious Thai-inspired flavours 🍲 This pumpkin soup makes such a lovely homemade dinner idea ✨

#PumpkinSoupRecipe #homemadefood #thaifood #manu #manusmenu
A sweet homemade treat for the person who made lif A sweet homemade treat for the person who made life sweeter first 💖
These chocolate date hearts are filled with soft dates, rich chocolate, and a little homemade love for Mother’s Day 🌷

 #mothersday #mothersdaygiftideas #datehearts #manusmenu
more stories beyond the menu ✈️ #MatchaMoments #t more stories beyond the menu ✈️

#MatchaMoments #travelreels #travelwithmanuela
A simple treat for Mother’s Day 🌸 These chocolate A simple treat for Mother’s Day 🌸

These chocolate covered dates pair perfectly with a warm cup of tea and make a lovely homemade gift or afternoon treat.

Simple, sweet, and easy to make at home.

#mothersday #chocolatecovereddates #HomemadeTreats #dessertideas #teatime #manusmenu
This iced chai is simple to make and perfect when This iced chai is simple to make and perfect when you want something calm and comforting.

Made with a few ingredients and warm spices, it’s a drink you can easily prepare at home without much effort.

Sometimes it’s the simple drinks that you keep coming back to. 💓

#icedchai #homedrinks #teatime #homemade #manu #manusmenu
Ever wondered why your iced matcha tastes differen Ever wondered why your iced matcha tastes different every time?

It’s not just about the ingredients. Small details like the quality of the matcha, how you sift it, and how you whisk it can completely change the result.

Even the texture and colour can tell you a lot before you even take a sip.

Once you start paying attention to these steps, it becomes much easier to get a smoother, more balanced matcha at home 🍵

 #matcha #icedmatcha #Matchalatte #JapaneseTea #manusmenu
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