divina
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Posts posted by divina
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here is my recipe for gnudi.
Important things to look for:
Drain your ricotta well.
Squeeze all the water out of the cooked spinach.
Add as little flour as neccessary, cook one first as a test.. if too soft, add more flour.
they should have a nice coating of flour on the outside.
Make them the size of a walnut. they cook quickly.
You can cook them ahead of time and serve baked with sauce.
classic sauces:
Butter with sage and parmesan
walnut sauce
tomato
baked with bechamel
enjoy!
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In Italy we mostly do stovetop "roasting" the pork is done stovetop.
covered...there are variations.. milk.. carrots.. sometimes onions.. and vinegar!
the milk curdles a little and makes an incredible sauce.
Love it as it is so different!
The carrots and milk in the sauce are great..
maybe I will make one too!
thanks fr reminding me.
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classic vincigrassi is a lasagna like layed pasta dish..
the ragu is made with Beef, pork and chicken livers and sliced porcini.
then layered with bechamel sauce, cheese ( I saw mozzarella listed.. )
and baked.
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a quick note from Italy.
here is a fabulous recipe for eye of round.. I have done for 200 people!
takes 25 minutes in the oven..
From DArio Cecchini when I worked with him.
in expensive easy and a big party hit!
Instead of the truffled cheese on the cheese board... what about making a truffled mashed potato?
We always do fennel.. either raw with oranges and red onions thinly sliced in salad.. r twice cooked.
boiled first and then baked.. simply with butter and parmesan.. or with a bechamel sauce.
I do an octupus.. in a regular pan..
garlic,olive oil and chili pepper... put the whole octopus in... let the legs curl.... and then add a glass of red wine and a small can of tomatoes.
Cover the top of the pot with brown paper bags ( do people still have then in the us?)
and then a lid.. creating a pressure cooker sort of thing.
Cook for 45 minutes.
like BUTTER!
Then I cut the octopus into pieces.. and serve with the sauce..almost like a tiny caccuccio.
or have you ever done the octopus carpaccio??? after boiled... wrap in plastic wrap and push into a PVC tube.. let cool..
the gelatin with "glue" it together and you can slice it paper thin.. beautiful!
have fun! sounds like a biggie!
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Last year I did a presentation at IACP on Pork with Fergus Henderson and Kate Hill.
Saints preserve us...
I smuggled in Lard from chianti.. had some head cheese made with trotters... but the piece de resistance.. was the Bacon Brittle from Grateful Palate!
LOVED IT
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GLad I found this thread.. found cheap tickets to Brussles from Florence and am heading up!
Love Chocolate..my first time in Belgium!
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I would just go to Maria's first and ask them where to eat!
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And I being in Florence can go to either San Miniato.... on the way to Pisa.. or San Giovanni D'asso to get mine.
Right now they are going for 280 for 100 grams...( 3 ounces)
Of course here they say they send the truffles from San Miniato up to Alba for the sale!!!
I get mine at Conti at the Central Market in Florence..
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Fettunta.. greasy slice!
fette is slice .. unta greasy..
I got over that new wine thing quickly.. BAD STUFF HERE!
Too chemical!
My friends new wine comes out tomorrow... but it is WINE!.will let you know.
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Ciao Robert!
I did a similar trip last christmas.
We didn't go anywere famous... but had some fun meals.
Erice you MUST go to Maria Grammatica's pastry shop.
Was the least sweet of all the marzipan sweets we had.
Loved her Cedro jam which is the filling os many of her marzipan specialties.
We basically ate at small places near the markets in Palermo. hitting them at night too as that's were magically stands would improvise as resstaurants. grilling meats , some parts un identifiable..the specialty in Palermo are the spleen sandwiches.
We also saw a guy doing boiled octopus in a fabulous copper pot, with lovely ceramic serving plate!
WILD!
We stayed near the Antica Foccacceria San FRancesco and the B&B we stayed at gave us a coupon for Breakfast everyday there.
The wine bar in front is very famous!
I will see if I can find my notes!
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This recipe is especially for the Texans!
Simone Manetti in the market, created this pork roast called Brontasauras...
It is a rack of pork ribs, frenched, the rolled around a pork tenderloin ( cut in half and then remounted, the thinner parts together in the center, for even cooking.)
The pork that was 'frenched" is then pulled away from the bones and wrapped around the pork tenderloin.
Season the ribs with chopped rosemary, sage, garlic , salt and fennel pollen if you have it.
Tie closed and roast at 350-375 for an hour!
enjoy!
We cooked potatoes under the rack.. and they were incredible!!!
Nothing beats pork fat!.. except Duck fat!
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LOVE IT... sign me up!
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November....
Wild Boar!
it has been way too warm to even think about doing stews!
We bought a nice piece of wild boar at the Market.
marinated it for a day with carrot, onion, celery, bay leaves, juniper berries.... under wine.
The next day, we seperated the ingredients and sauteed the vegetables, browned the meat and then added the wine and let stew till done!
At the end we added a tiny bit of tomato sauce and salt.
We made our own pasta and cut it by hand to get a ready wide pappardelle!
I don't drink new wine.... so will let Judith cover that!
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November is new oil!
I wrote about my going to the mill next door to my house on the egblog(link in my signature).
I buy my oil from the mill, BYOB, it costs 8 Euro a liter.
The people pay for the crushing of the olives often by leaving oil for the cooperative to sell.
The new oil i buy from the stores can be from 8 euro to 20 euro a liter.
Is one better than the other?
NO.
If I could I would buy all my oil from the mill, but it is fun to taste different oils.
I picked up 5 liters from the mill next door, 5 liters from the shop down the street from me in Florence from outside the city ( that was in a tin and was also 40 euro for 5 liters)
To celebrate oil.. nothing is better than the toasted Tuscan unsalted bread and then great salt sprinkled on top.
I don't always rub garlic on my bread. I enjoy the flavor of the oil to come through.
I also have a rather large salt collection now, My vendors at the market have a huge choice that you can buy by weight!
black, red, white, pink, smoked, infused...
from hawaii, the himalaya's, persia, wales.... and of course Italy!
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november flew by!
I had been busy egblogging for a week and was sort of burned out of the slow dialup I have and downloading foto's.
Snuck a weekend flea market shopping in Provence... and am back!
What is November in Tuscany?
San Martino, which is November 10th is Saint Martins day, and as tradtion holds.. one should east roast goose and drink the new wine and roast chestnuts.. Which I think Hathor did for us already!
HIP HIP for Judith!
The other festivals are the white truffle festivals in San Giovanni D'Asso and San Miniato.
So for you truffle lover's
In class, we bought some lovely frsh pasta, fabulous French butter, and a large white truffle.
personally, I cannot really taste truffles, I can smell them.. but the elusive flavor isn't there for me that makes them so expensive. My truffle was 50 Euro, there were 5 of us eating.
about 20 grams
We lightly melted the butter in the skillet, but over the boiling pasta water ad not on direct heat, this maintains the flavor of the butter without changing it and remains creamier.
Then I shaved the truffle into the butter and covered it, letting the flavors infuse.
When the pasta was ready, we drained it, dropped in into the skillet and then mixed, covered and let it permeate with the truffle.
Simply served with a little parmesan.
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I am soooo bummed.. the site to order the book only ships to canada and the US!
I will email them directly instead of trying to order online!
I WANT THIS
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I have been living in Italy since 1984 and teaching since 1988.
I felt I needed to learn the language to understand the nuances of the cuisine and not just run through eating and drinking to think I understood.
I love to teach and I love to talk.
When I teach, it isn't just recipes, but also the stories of the people, the culture and of place.
When I studied once with the late Barbara Tropp when she was doing cooking classes at the Cipriani here in Venice, I asked her about writing.
She said" If you can speak, you can write."
I started writing on my website, dining guides, newsletters, and now write for a local English language paper on food.
I have handwritten a Tuscan cookbook which I give to my students and am working on a market book.
I attend IACP and take classes in how-to for publishing, but feel out of the track ..not being connected to the publishing world in the states.
I have met with 2 publishers about publishing my book, but there seems to be a glut of Italian cookbooks that don't sell if you aren't on the food netwok.
I am planning on selfpublishing here in Italy.. in English and investing in myself.
Perhaps then, BEING PUBLISHED.. I can sell articles?
or am I thinking backwards?
I adore reading and read everything I can get my hands on, Calvin Trillan I adore..
and read and reread.
I like to laugh!
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Thanks!
I had a great time..in my signature is my everyday blog too!
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small balsamic note.
the consorzium was only recently founded, and the word TRADITIONAL was given to be used then.
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PS I get my balsamico from Conti at the central market in FLorence ( he has a site) the 30 year old Patriach that goes for $499 in America is 85 Euro here.
shipping costs!
I also think that since so little is available.. they mark it up.
I can get 50 and 100.. will also get the prices on that.
If I do a cost per serving. 100 ml is 100 eyedroppers, so $5 a eyedropper which is quite a bit..
Doesn't see a lot forthe added value to a dish.
I think most people that buy it look at what is being saved with cooking at home instead of going out.. I know I do!
so my 30 year old is 85 eurocents or about $1,20 for an eyedropper.
If I serve 3 grilled lambchops, some tuscan white beans with new oil, ( got mine at the mill yesterday for 8 euro a liter, see my egblog, last entry)
and add 1/2 eyedropper of balsamico....what did that cost me and what would it cost in a restaurant?
I always find it amazing that people question the cost of food... but not a Gucci bag at thousands of dollars or a Hummer.
but a organic chicken at $10.. god forbid!
Farmers and artisan food producers maintaining tradtion deserve tp live a decent life too.
That said.. those that take advantage of a name to produce inferior quality products.. are creeps!
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I have been living here in Italy since 1984.. people have been making balsamico forever.
I will be glad to get the real lowdown on hwat they can call 100 year old Balsamico.
I assume that peoples grandaddies and before even.. had started making balsamico.. and that certain tiny barrells, containing that precious stash... are around. It is used a doweries and comsumed in tiny spoons with great respect.
Now that the market has been flooded with lots of US$$$$$$ there seems to be a lot more.
Even the 12 year old..IS NOT 12 YEARS OLD.. but rather has been in the last barrel for 12 years ( from the first deposit) the last deposit was not 12 years ago.
So that said... I will follow up with a phone call to Modena and talk to my balsamic guy!
What interests me more...
is when I was contacted by a to be nameless person from California that wanted to be a already 12 year old series of barrels to start a Califonia Balsamic vinegar business.
Cheating?
Don't get me started on numbers on bottles.. that are not years or adding glucose, vinegar or sugar..
Fake balsamics are great.. but someones time and traditions and work are to be respected.
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WOW Tag you're it...
Funny how the blog connects.
I followed close behind Judith From Umbria.. who I have met and then did mine...and now back to SF.. I lived and worked there for 7 years ( Stanford Court Hotel) before moving to Florence in 1984.
Love the nieghborhoods, lived in Cole Valley, then the Avenues, Nob Hill, Russian Hill and finally my favorite.. Potrero Hill!
My mom is going down to the nuns to get her oil.. you too?
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Thanks, I was so moved by her tales..
she has arthritis and also showed me how she can't close her and since she fell and broke her right hand last year.
she also told me how they hid their treasures under the house in a huge clay pot... from the Germans during the war. Will have to tell my neighbors.
Part of the Treasures of Tuscany.
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FROM THESE HANDS
Today was so nice I have to share.
I was outside in the front, looking at my antique roses that are in full bloom and just enjoying the day aftee having already seen the police this morning and started to find out what I need to get the final paperwork done....
and out of the corner of my eye I catch site of a small person.
Turns out to be the little lady who moved into the house next door when she was a newlywed.
She is 80 years old now.
Nada Checcucci,came with her son to have their olives crushed.
Her son moved to a town neaer Florence for the kids to be closer to school.
When her husband died she also moved.
But when they sold the house, they did NOT sell the olive grove.
Over a period of three and a half days, Nada, her son and her daughter-in-law, harvested a quintale of olives, 100 kilo's. ( a kilo is 2.2. pounds)
I followed her to wait for her turn.
One first gets an appointment.
She showed me how lovely HER olives here.
skimming off the impurities.
Filling my 5 liter bottle
And from the mill to my bread!
Grazie mille Nada!!!
Dio ti Benedica!
Gnudi
in Italy: Cooking & Baking
Posted
GNYU- di
frozen the can then touch... from freezer to boiling water.. don;t thaw.
gets messy.
I just poach them.. then toss in some melted butter and refridgerate...
can re heat in water.. bake or reheat in sauce!
make them a little firmer... but not tough!
Buon appetito.
Ilove them baked..easy to serve too.
I do bechamel.. and wild boar sauce.. or ragu... with parmesan...