Today I will share with you the recipe for Dolci Pellegrino, traditional lemon flavoured cookies from the city of Naples. Apparently these cookies, like many other Neapolitan and Sicilian sweets, were created by the nuns of a convent. These nuns were also helping out at the Pellegrini Hospital (thus the name) and would make these…
Biscotti della Tresca
I am very happy about today’s post. If you follow Manu’s Menu, you will know that this blog is all about authentic Italian food. I do share many modern Italian recipes, but what makes me really happy is the possibility to share more traditional not so famous recipes, and above all, regional recipes. Italian food…
Affogato al Caffe
Today’s recipe is very simple. I am not even sure it can be considered a “recipe” per se, as you don’t really have to cook anything for it. However, Affogato al Caffe is a traditional Italian dessert that deserves to be on this blog, which is all about traditional Italian food! I personally love it…
Tuna and Onion Pizza
Everyone loves pizza, right?? Today I am sharing with you the recipe for one of my favourite topping: Tuna and Onion Pizza! You know how I feel about pizza toppings, to me a “real” pizza must have only certain toppings. No gourmet pizza for me – I love tandoori chicken or bulgogi, but not on…
Porcini and Taleggio Lasagne
Merry Christmas everybody! For Christmas, Italians often prepare a pasta bake or lasagne, so today I thought of sharing one of my all time favourite: Porcini and Taleggio Lasagne. This 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…
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…
Pizza Ortolana
I haven’t posted a pizza recipe in way too long! So, today I am sharing my recipe for a Pizza Ortolana. Ortolano in italian means “from the vegetable patch”. It is a great vegetarian pizza and a somewhat healthier option as it’s made with grilled eggplant, roasted bell pepper and artichoke hearts. I recently read…
Mahi Mahi with Caponata Sauce
I just came back from a wonderful week in Sicily, filled with emotions, as I got to spend time with some relatives and friends I hadn’t seen in 7 years and I got to show my kids places filled with childhood memories that they had never seen before! And to celebrate this moment, today I…
Pandoro
Christmas in Italy means Panettone or Pandoro. There’s a huge rivalry between the supporters of these two traditional sweets and very often people who like one will tell you they dislike the other.
Gulab Jamun
Happy Diwali! Tomorrow will mark the beginning of Diwali (दिवाली), the “festival of lights”, a 5-day Indian festival that celebrates the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. Light is the symbol of the celebrations and many clay lamps filled with oil are lit during the 5 days of the festival. As you…
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…
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…
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…
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…
GELATINA DI CAFFÈ – COFFEE JELLO
I have been blogging for almost 3 years now and when I look back at all the the things I learnt, I almost can’t believe it. I am talking about cooking techniques and also about computer skills and photography! But what I am the most grateful for are the friendships I made along the way. …
TORTELLI DI ZUCCA – PUMPKIN TORTELLI
In my last post I had promised you a recipe to use up some of that beautiful Mostarda Mantovana that I showed you how to make. Well… here I am to keep my promise. Today’s recipe is yet another recipe from Mantova, in Lombardy and it is an honour for me to showcase it on…
MOSTARDA MANTOVANA
Today’s recipe is a traditional recipe of the Italian region of Lombardy, where I was born. There are a few different kinds of mostarda, which is not the same as mustard as you may have noticed from the pictures in this post. The 2 most famous varieties are Mostarda Cremonese (from the town of Cremona)…
MEAT FILLED APULIAN PANZEROTTI
I cannot believe it’s Carnevale time already! Didn’t we celebrate Christmas just the other day?? Anyhow, today’s recipe had to be related to this amazing festivity, which also happens to be the one I like the most. I soooo miss Carnevale… back in Italy we all dress up in masks and go around playing tricks and having…
PASTA CON LE SARDE ALLA PALERMITANA
I am quite sure I have said this already, but just in case you have missed that specific post, I will repeat myself… 😉 I like fish, but I am not a HUGE fish lover. If I had to choose only one thing to have off a menu, fish would always be at the bottom…
TRUFFLE HONEY & VANILLA CRÈME BRÛLÉE
A little while ago, my husband and I went out to have dinner at a delightful restaurant called Chophouse. We ate really well and I was particularly impressed by their Wagyu Tartare with truffle aioli, pear, pine nuts & white soy dressing and by their Wagyu Striploin with harissa… divine! Also, I was pleasantly surprised…
COTECHINO WITH LENTILS
Today I want to share with you a classic Italian recipe: cotechino with lentils. I don’t think there is a single household in Italy that will not serve this dish on New Year’s Eve. It is a huge tradition. Also, lentils are supposed to bring good luck and money in the new year, so we…
