Today’s recipe is from the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, in central Italy. Schiacciata is very similar to focaccia, but it is much easier to make than the traditional Focaccia from Genoa. The term schiacciata literally means “pressed” and it refers to the fact that you need to press the dough down with your fingers…
Panforte di Siena
Today I’d like to share with you a traditional Christmas recipe from the beautiful Tuscan town of Siena: Panforte di Siena. Literally, panforte means “strong bread” which refers to its spicy flavour and it is a very ancient recipe. It appears that panforte was already made in the 1200’s and guess what? It used to…
Home-made Grapefruit Liqueur
I love making my own liqueurs. I find that they taste great and require minimal effort. They are also a fantastic gift idea and you can make them of many different flavours. I have already shared with you a few recipes (you can find them here) and today I’d like to add this Grapefruit Liqueur…
Trapani, Erice and Segesta Guide – Italy
After last week’s break, I am back with my guides about Italy. Today I will take you all back to Sicily, to explore another area with my Trapani, Erice and Segesta Guide. Trapani is my mother’s home town and it is a place I know very well, as I used to spend about 2 months…
Troccoli with Nonna’s Pork Ragu
Today’s recipe is very dear to me. It was my grandmother Maria’s speciality and, as I have recently shared my guide on Palermo, I thought it would be the right time for me to share this recipe, that has been sitting in my archives for a little while now. I learnt how to make this…
Palermo Guide – Italy
I am very excited about the next few posts on Italy, as I will be taking you with me to Sicily. You see, I was born in Milan (in the north of Italy), but my family comes from the beautiful island of Sicily and being away from Italy made me realise how much I owe…
Grissini Torinesi
Grissini, aka breadsticks, are a weakness of mine. They originate from the Italian city of Turin, in Piedmont and they have been around for centuries! I love how crunchy they are and I often serve them wrapped in prosciutto as an appetiser or aperitivo. I even like to dip them in Nutella, when I am…
Polipo Accupatello
Today I am sharing with you a special recipe. It is a Sicilian octopus stew with potatoes that my parents learnt from an old lady in the little village of San Vito Lo Capo. My dad started his teaching career at the local school when he was very young and he used to rent a…
Rome Guide – Italy
Today I will share with you my Rome Guide. Writing a guide about Rome in one single blog post is probably impossible, as there are way too many amazing places to see and things to do, so I will give you some tips and ideas on what to pick, if you only have a…
Milan Guide – Italy
If you have been reading Manu’s Menu for a while, you will probably know that I was born and raised in Milan (or Milano as we say), in Northern Italy. I have always loved my home town, since I was a kid. Every time we used to go on holiday somewhere, I couldn’t wait to…
Venice Guide – Italy
During our recent trip to Italy, we also visited Venice. As the girls had never been there, we thought it would be nice to show them around the most romantic city in the world!
Ham and Cheese Sicilian Brioches
I made these Ham and Cheese Sicilian Brioches for my daughter’s 8th birthday party. When I was a child, I would spend part of my summer holidays at my nonni’s house in Palermo. Not far from where they used to live, there was a place called I Cuochini (aka the little cooks) where my mum…
Biancomangiare with Citrus Salad
Today’s recipe is all about Sicily. Last week I shared with you the recipe for Sicilian Almond Milk, a deliciously sweet drink. Besides drinking it plain, it also makes a great base for desserts like Biancomangiare. Biancomangiare (where bianco means “white” and mangiare means “to eat”) is a traditional Italian pudding and in its Sicilian version it…
Sicilian Almond Milk
Today I want to share with you a recipe that is very close to my heart. It is a Sicilian classic that people usually enjoy during the hot Sicilian summer. I used to have a glass of it in the evenings, sitting in our summerhouse yard while chatting with my friends. This is a sweet…
Puntarelle alla Romana
During my recent trip to Italy, I didn’t really forget about my readers! Even though I was on holiday, I still did a little cooking. There are a few dishes that I have always wanted to share with you, but never could, as I was not able to find the ingredients for them. So… I…
Lemon Delight in a Jar
A few weeks ago, I have shared the recipe of Delizie al Limone (Lemon Delights), a typical Italian dessert from Naples and the Sorrentine peninsula, in the region of Campania. They are a beautiful and delicious dessert, but they are very time consuming to make. I had some of the Lemon glaze left in my…
Olive Schiacciate
Olive Schiacciate (or Cracked Olives) are very popular in Italy, especially in the South. They are cracked olives in brine. I remember going to one of the beautiful and colourful markets in Palermo as a child and getting drawn to the stalls that would sell olives. They had so many different kinds. Mountains of delicious,…
Dried Porcini and Saffron Risotto
As I have said many times, Risotto alla Milanese (Saffron Risotto) is the first dish I have ever cooked all by myself… I was probably about 6 or 7 years old. It’s always been my favourite risotto and I was so good at it, that whenever my grandfather would visit us from Sicily, he always asked…
Home-made Crema di Limoncello
Today I am back with another one of my favourite home-made liqueur recipes: Crema di Limoncello. We could call it Limoncello’s little brother as this is basically the creamy version of Limoncello, made with cream and milk.
Torta Pasqualina Umbra
Today I’d like to share with you a traditional Easter recipe from the Italian region of Umbria. Umbria is famous around the world for its hilly landscapes and old towns, such as Assisi and Orvieto to name just two. It is a wonderful area of Italy and besides being beautiful, it also boasts delicious hearty…
Delizie al Limone
Today’s recipe comes from Naples and the Sorrentine peninsula, in the region of Campania: Delizie al Limone (Lemon Delights). They are sponge cakes filled with a lemon cream, brushed with Limoncello syrup and covered in a lemon and whipped cream glaze. Yes, you got that right… they are absolutely decadent. As I have recently shared…
Home-made Limoncello #SundaySupper
So, the #SundaySupper is celebrating the arrival of spring. Obviously, as we are in the Southern hemisphere, this sounds a bit weird… as for us autumn has just begun, but I do love spring… and I also happen to have the perfect recipe for the event!
Swordfish Impanata
Today’s dish is another one of my Sicilian recipes: Swordfish Impanata. Impanata is Italian for empanada and they are basically the same thing: pastry with a filling. Unlike the South American empanadas, this Sicilian version is made like a pie and portioned only after cooking. You shouldn’t be surprised to find such a dish in…
Migliaccio
Today is Mardis Gras… and in Italy it is the last day of Carnevale. Carnevale is one of the festivities I miss the most. As a child, I loved going around the streets in my town all dressed up, playing pranks and throwning coloured confetti at my friends. The best time of all was the…
Pumpkin Risotto with Gorgonzola Sauce
Today I am back with a typical Italian recipe. This is a dish that well represents Lombardy, the region where I was born. Milan is very famous for its risotto and pumpkin is often used in our cooking. Gorgonzola, my favourite cheese ever, is a blue cheese originally from the town of Gorgonzola, very close…
Brutti ma Buoni
It’s been a while since I have posted one of my Regional Italian recipes, so I think it’s time to publish one. This is a recipe that is very dear to me, as it is one that we would often make at home when we had some egg whites left over from other recipes. It…
Casoncelli alla Bergamasca
Today’s post is all about tradition. I often say that talking about Italian cuisine is not very accurate… every region (and sometimes even city!) has its own cuisine, so it would be more correct to say Italian cuisines. Every area of Italy has its own traditional stuffed pasta which can differ in shape, size and/or…
