cucinamore

Picky Eaters? Take Action: It's Never Too Soon!

2012-02-11T05:20:00.010-07:00

More on the subject of cooking with children.

I am presently working on some "Mommy and Me" cooking classes.
I have always been a strong believer that when you allow your child to participate to the cooking process for the family meals, chances are you lower your risk of raising a picky eater, with great benefits for everybody involved. It does require a little investment in patience and paper towels, but it pays back big time in so many ways!

Among the many basic concepts that I think my son got out of spending a lot of time in the kitchen with me, is that single ingredients might not be so appealing on their own but they become yummy when combined with something else. So you get a lot less of those "...but I dont' like (this or that)", or "is there any (this or that) in here?" when a plate is presented in front of them.
Like, for instance, onions are not exactly candies, right? But you love the tomato sauce on your spaghetti, which would not be as sweet and tasty without them. Look what we did with spinach, chicken, cheese and eggs the other day! Turned them into this lovely savory pie that we made from scratch, crust included!

I have to say that being able to "create" something with their own hands plays a big role too. My son in particular has always been the "builder". He loves seeing the result of his hours spent with Legos and similar. So give him some labor and let him see the outcome and he'll be as happy as he could be.

At this point pride comes on the scene too: could they ever admit that their creation taste anything less than amazing? There you go..."I made it, I'm eating it, it's the best ever!".
Now change ingredients and recipes as often as possible, and you have a child that has been exposed to a variety of foods and that is not afraid to try new things. Priceless, trust me!

In a Spanish mood

2011-05-30T16:27:00.004-06:00

I know, I know...people expect to read about Italian food on here, but what can I do? Summertime makes me think of all the summer vacations I spent in Spain and I loved it every time!

Food over there, needless to say, is very similar to our traditions (they don't call Italians and Spanish "the cousins" for nothing): lots of seafood, lots of bite-size apetizers, lots of vegetables and...lots of time spent at the table enjoying good dishes and good drinks.

So here is an example of a classic, super-simple Spanish-inspired dinner at my house:

We start out with some sort of tapas, such as marinated grilled veggies and olive and almonds pate', both spreaded over slices of crusty bread

Could it ever be a Spanish dinner without a made from scratch Paella? Uh-uh, I don't think so. Here we go:

Yeah, I'm full now and already start to think the world is a better place, but still...how about some dessert? Vanilla ice-cream and berries marinated in a watermelon vinaigrette, maybe?

Just imagine all of the above and a glass of chilled homemade Sangria (don't you even touch one of those pre-made mix in a bottle).

Yeah, there are ways to make the sun shine even if it's late at night or it's cloudy out there...

Fingerlicking Good!

2011-04-09T19:09:00.002-06:00

Back to the subject of cooking with your children!

It still amazes me how much I accomplished with my son in terms of being receptive with different food, just by letting him be a part of the cooking process. It's that simple: if he makes it, he eats it!

Yes, there is a price to pay in cleaning up afterwards and spending more time than you would like in the kitchen, but it's priceless to hear your child to actually ASK you for the "Super-salad" for dinner (baby spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, olives and tuna or chicken)! And yes, it takes some creativity with names too, which I must say I lack ;-)

Nicholas recently even came to me with his own, handwritten recipe for a fruit salad!
Stay tuned: if I find it I'll scan it and post it and it will be the very first recipe published on Cucinamore! :-)

"Perfect Love" Lobster Tail

2011-02-10T11:27:00.004-07:00

I stole the name for this dish from Fabio, one of my friends back home, who uses it for his shrimp on a date night. The recipe is different, but the concept is the same: pretty much a nice, romantic, super easy way of cooking something good when you want to be more focused on his/her eyes (or any other of your favorite distractions) rather than the stove, but still like/need/want to show off a little bit.

I think lobster tails are a great idea for a Valentine's dinner at home: easy to cook, no horrific murder procedures involved (which would constitue a major turn-off, if you ask me...) but still fancy enough to be enjoyed with your "significant other", as they say, on this special night. Unfortunately my own will be away for Valentine's Day, but I know we will make up for this eventually...

Belated Bigoi

2011-01-10T05:16:00.008-07:00

Bigoi (or Bigoli) in Salsa are a very old, north Italian dish that we traditionally eat for Christmas Eve, when it's supposed to obey the Catholic rule of fasting and abstinence, since there is no meat in it.

I must confess that I always felt a little guilty about this, though, because to me it's always been a treat big time! So much for the act of penance! I used to anticipate Christmas Eve, mostly because my mom cooked Bigoi in Salsa every year.

Oh, how I love this rustic, heavy, quite impossible to digest plate of pasta!
Picture this: lots and lots of onions, slowly cooked in olive oil and a little wine. Anchovies. Lots of those too. Patiently dissolved in the already sinful sauce. Black pepper. No cheese for me, thank you. Can it get less of a punishment for my sins than that?

Anyway, with my parents visiting for the holidays I just realized the other day that I had not had my plate of Bigoi in years, so I placed a request and my mother cooked them for me, only... in January.

Still taste, I am sorry, like Heaven!

Tiramisu'

2010-10-27T18:35:00.002-06:00

“Several sources (…) claim that Tiramisu’ was invented in Treviso at Le Beccherie restaurant” -Wikipedia-

Treviso is the city where I was born and raised. Need I say more? ;-)

Let me show you how to make one among the most traditional Italian family-style desserts, in its very original version and in a more contemporary fashion.

A simple, classic, delicious treat that will delight your family and friends in every occasion!

Wednesday November 3rd at 6pm

Scaloppine Mon Amour

2010-10-17T19:14:00.004-06:00

Home-style fast food. That's what scaloppine are. Thin sliced meat that cooks in no time. Flavor from a good wine, or lemon juice, or fresh herbs, or a good cheese...sky is the limit! 5 minutes cooking and you are done. And it does not have to be expensive veal at any cost! Chicken works. Pork does the trick. Beef too. Quick and easy. Just like we like it!

(In the pic: Scaloppine Limone e Salvia - Lemon and Sage Scaloppine)

What's food got to do with it?

2010-07-04T06:53:00.004-06:00

I believe we all have our moments when we feel tired, overwhelmed or simply not in the best of shapes.

Thing is: what do you do when in these situations? We, food obsessed, needless to say turn to food and I am no exception to the rule.

I don’t know, maybe it's because I am so far away from my own environment, but in times like these I need to remind myself who I really am, where I come from and what makes ME.

Well, if I had to sum my identity up by the name of a dish, I would have no doubts: I am a plate of Pasta al Pomodoro. A good old plate of pasta with olive oil, fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt and pepper.

Savory but very basic. No fancy ornaments beyond what’s strictly necessary. Honest. Reliable. Did I mention "Italian"? ;-)

What you see in the picture was my dinner last night. I just needed a quick reminder about my own identity because I was feeling a little lost and slightly depressed. I know food should not be the answer to things like these, but hey! It's still better than alcohol or medicines, right? :-)

Nostalgia

2010-05-07T09:08:00.005-06:00

I just bumped into this old pic: my friends Betta, Barbara and I making homemade Pici (traditional old-fashioned Tuscan noodles) at Betta's place, in Cortona, Tuscany, a few years ago.
Boy, these are the things that get me homesick at times...

Springtime Dinner, the Menu

2010-05-04T15:37:00.002-06:00

CUCINAMORE Friends,

This is what we are going to prepare together for our group class on May 6th.

If you haven’t reconfirmed your presence yet, you can still do so by replying to my email.

See you there!

Springtime Italian Dinner

· Peperoni Arrostiti con Prosciutto, Mozzarella e Olio al Basilico (Roasted Bell Peppers with Prosciutto, Fresh Mozzarella and Basil Oil)

· Zuppa di Porri e Asparagi (Leeks and Asparagus Soup)

· Pasta con Cime di Rapa e Grana Padano (Pasta with Broccolini and Grana Padano Cheese)

· Zucchine Ripiene (Stuffed Zucchini)

· Filetto di Pesce con Salsa Profumata al Rosmarino (Fish Filet with Rosemary Sauce)

"SPRINGTIME ITALIAN DINNER" Cooking Class

2010-04-24T10:16:00.003-06:00

Thursday, May 6th
6:00 pm
Springtime Italian Dinner

The good weather is here and it’s time to lighten up our dinner, using more good vegetables, more fresh herbs, less of the bad fats and lighter cooking styles.
Are you up for the challenge? If so, please join me for my next group class where I will share a few ideas with you, according to the usual “Dani-style”: tasty but easy! New friends are welcome, so please share the news!

MINESTRONE

2010-01-28T18:25:00.007-07:00

I might have mentioned this before but I am going to say it again. I LOOOOOOOVE SOUPS!

Minestrone is no exception to the rule: yummy comfort food! Even now that I make it any time of the year and not just in the Summer like I used to do back at home.

I know: here in the U.S. most people feel that soups are mainly a winter (or at least cold-weather) dish, but if you think of it, what's more "in season" in the summertime than all the wonderful vegetables that make a good Minestrone? Plus, if you eat it lukewarm or even cold it's so refreshing too!

When people ask me if I can give them the recipe for my minestrone I always smile. It is against the concept of Minestrone itself to call for a recipe! Let me explain: ideally you go to the garden in your backyard during a summer evening, pick whatever is ripe and ready on that particular day/time, bring it inside and the next morning you dice every single vegetable, chop, mince, add cold water and salt and boil until cooked. Then you adjust with salt and pepper, add your favorite shape of noodle and cook it (I often skip this step, though: I like mine better without pasta). Then pour it in your bowl, drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive oil and gulp it down, enjoying every spoonful of it!

Whether there is a little more carrot or a little less celery, more beans or less zucchini it is not for you to decide: it's the garden! So don't let anybody fool you with the "perfect recipe" for Minestrone! Just use your senses and do in the produce section of your favorite supermarket (or favorite farmers' market, Shylah ;-) ) what my grandma used to do in her own garden and simply pick what you think looks, smell, taste at its best! THAT will be the perfect Minestrone!

Sugo Finto (Fake Sauce)

2010-01-09T14:03:00.003-07:00

I love this name. It's a confession. It's a "don't tell me I did not warn you". This is a traditional Tuscan sauce that was basically invented to smell, taste and satisfy your palate and your belly the way a ragu' would, without the shadow of a piece of meat in the pot. That’s why the definition of "finto", "fake", was given.

This was back in the days when meat was a treat, an "upgrade" of the meal that we could not often afford. Veggies and herbs, even lots of them like you can find in here, in order to give this sauce the same texture a good ragu' has, were grown in the garden in the backyard, so those were never really a problem instead.

It takes the same basic steps to make this "sugo", the same attention, time and dedication that a good meat sauce would require. Cheaper, though, like I stated above. I would not be so sure to affirm the same, nowadays, when you need to rob a jewelry store before stopping by a farmers' market.

Funny though how so often the best ideas came out of poverty and hunger. In the Italian cuisine it happened all the time!

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-20T19:13:00.002-07:00

With my son's smile I wish each and one of you, Cucinamore's friends, plenty of good things, inside and outside your kitchens!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Daniela

FLAVORS OF WINTER -Tuesday, December 15th - 6:00 pm

2009-12-12T06:56:00.003-07:00

(Prosecco and Truffle Risotto)

Are you working on your menus for those special dinners during the Holidays?
Could you use a little help to make them deliciously different but still as simple as they can be?
Join me for this group class where I will share a few ideas with you, according to the usual “Dani-style”: tasty but easy!

This is what we are going to prepare together for our “festive” class.

See you there!

Mortadella and Pistacchi Mousse

Prosecco and Truffle Risotto

Rosa di Parma
(Hand-rolled tenderloin with Prosciutto and Parmigiano )

Sicilian “Fennel and Orange” Salad

(Rosa di Parma)

An Italian Touch to our Thanksgiving

2009-12-04T13:38:00.003-07:00

How can you fit lasagne in a Thanksgiving dinner? I found a way!

I made my friend Michele's "Lasagne Zucca e Porri" (Pumkin and Leeks), a classic on the table of my "Cooker.net" circle of italian friends.

Color, aroma and taste were perfectly tuned with the big day: an orange and gold dish, warm and tasty, with a touch of spice from the nutmeg in the béchamel sauce.

I was happy I got a chance to contribute to the meal, remaining in my culinary territory but still without disrupting the traditional atmosphere.

Home Sweet Home

2009-11-12T07:15:00.010-07:00

I went home.

Finally back to my beloved Italy after almost two years.

Food wise I will sum it all up by saying I put on about 5 pounds in 20 days. I guess that can crazily be considered a good sign among us weirdoes ;-)
I will have chances in my next posts to talk about this or that dish, this or that ingredient I stumbled upon during this trip, but today I want to share with you a wonderful experience I made, instead, that does not involve cooking for once.

I got to spend a whole long weekend in Tuscany, at my friend Betta's place, harvesting olives for the new oil of the season.

There is something about doing this work, those simple gestures, no mechanic help, just your hands and the tree, that gives you some sort of unnatural inner peace. Why "unnatural"? Well, we all live in a frantic world, we are all running around in our lives hardly ever finding time to stop. So at the beginning it feels strange to be there with your thoughts, busy hands and free mind, in a place and situation where time seems to have stopped and you feel like you have eternity in your hands.

Am I exaggerating? I don't know. I can only say that it's exactly the way I felt.

Figure I wasn't even alone: there were a bunch of funny friends on the hills with me, needless to say. We laughed, talked, sang and had a great time. But then there were those pauses where everyone seemed to be in their own world. I think it was therapeutic for us all. The newbies and the experts. And God only knows we can all use some good therapy sometimes ;-)

It's been great and I defintely recommend it to all of you. If you ever have a chance to go to Italy during the late fall/early winter let me know: I can hook you up with Betta. She always appreciates a couple extra hands for the job. You won't regret the hard work.

So now I'm back, people. See you around, my friends. But before you go, please check this out and let me know what you think: OLIVIADI 2009 - MARCO D'ELIA

For Food Obsessed People Only (Just Like Me)

2009-07-27T07:15:00.005-06:00

How many times have I started my posts talking about "a very special dinner"? I bet you can't even count them.
I am sorry, but I really can't help it: food makes my day (and nights too) and the other day I had another of those dinners (lucky, aren't I?) and I have the urge to share!

We had a few friends over as it was my birthday so my husband and I, after fighting over who was going to cook, decided to pretty fairly divide the tasks. He was basically going to be in charge of the entrees while I was going to take care of the appetizers and the side dishes. Dessert, like it often happens at my house, was kindly provided by one of the guests.
I did not complain (for once) because I LOVE appetizers! I could dine on those anytime.

This was my choice for that night.
I decided to have an appetizer buffet for our friends before we were going to sit for the meal, so I toasted some sliced ciabatta bread and prepared a few toppings for it:

- An eggplant and walnut spread
- My "famous" (yeah, right) garbanzo bean and rosemary spread
- Some cherry tomatoes with garlic, basil and olive oil for a traditional bruschetta (PLEASE pronounce it "broos-kaet-ta": there are Italians around here)

Then I made some little spirals with puff pastry and some of that pesto I was telling you about a few days ago that I had frozen. Tasty!

All that went perfectly well with a bottle of chilled Prosecco that some of our friends brought!

Of course I wasn't done yet: I still had my last appetizer to serve when finally people sat at the table. I remembered this very simple dish my friend Michele did at my house in Italy once that I absolutely loved: I very quickly sautéed some baby bay scallops with curry and served them hot, over a fresh baby spinach and spring mix salad.

Then came my husband's turn with his spicy grilled shrimp, the lobster, home made mashed potatoes with fresh spring onion from our garden and stuffed portobello mushrooms.

I felt as stuffed as those mushrooms, by the time dinner was over, but I managed to find some room for the wonderful brownies with mocha icing that our friend Teri especially made for the occasion.

I hope I don't sound like I am showing off when I give you my reports of what I consider a great meals, as that is not the intent. It's just that I feel like we, food lovers or food obsessed as many call us, are not any different than any other group of people who share a passion: have you ever listened to how a couple guys who love football can spend hours talking about this or that player, this or that action in a game? Or how some women can talk forever about that new dress that they saw during the latest shopping day or...you name it! I can talk about food non stop and I know among you, my friends, I will always find a ear that is willing to listen!
Feel free to share your own latest special meal, food discover, or even disappointment! You have a friend in me here!

Her Majesty La Pasta: THANK YOU!

2009-07-22T11:05:00.002-06:00

Yes, thank you my friends for another great evening in my kitchen. There were a lot of you guys there last night and we had a lot of fun as usual, at least judging from the fact that when I had a look at the clock I saw that we spent 4 hours together and it seemed like it was a much shorter time!
Anyway, this is what we did yesterday and for those who weren't there...YEAH, be jealous: you missed out! ;-)

Her Majesty
LA PASTA

Tuesday July 21, 2009

Program:

• Penne Pomodoro Fresco e Basilico (Penne with Fresh Tomato and Basil)

• Ruote con Zucchine, Limone e Menta (Wheels with Zucchini, Lemon and Mint)

• Tagliatelle con Salsa di Noci (homemade Tagliatelle with Walnut Sauce)

• Fusilli al Pesto

• Linguine Mari e Monti (“Seas and Mountains” Linguine)

• Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Her Majesty LA PASTA!

2009-07-10T07:11:00.005-06:00

Don’t you dare to tell an Italian like me that Pasta is a side dish!

For us it simply is “the Queen of the Meal”!

In fact, in Italy pasta is always served by itself and called “primo piatto” (first course), even when it comes after appetizers or is followed by nothing but a salad or fruits, as it often happens for many informal meals!

Would you like to know how I prepare a few of my pasta dishes?
Remember, though: for my family-cooking philosophy the keywords always are simplicity and fresh ingredients!
If you think you might like that, join me in my kitchen for group class and samples

Tuesday, July 21st @ 6:00 pm

You can contact me at damo267@yahoo.it

Pesto, Made In Texas

2009-07-07T12:10:00.007-06:00

People from Liguria (the region in the northwest side of Italy which is Pesto's homeland) are EXTREMELY defensive when it comes to this wonderful sauce.

Yes, basil is the base of it, together with a little garlic, pine nuts, Parmigiano Reggiano (or Pecorino, for some), excellent Olive Oil from that same region.
Still, according to them, not any basil can be used: it has to come from a particular area, a district in the city of Genova named Pra'. The sauce has to be hand made, and by that I mean that no mechanical help is allowed, only mortar and pestle.
And right when you are thinking "Ok, I can put the effort in it. Let me make it in big quantity so that I can save it and enjoy some of this precious sauce later on too..", well that's when you get another dirty look and they roll their eyes at you. You were actually thinking of FREEZING it? Ahahahahah! Foolish thought! Pesto must be prepared and enjoyed right away! Period. No exceptions.

So I already know what you, Marina, are thinking right now about my Texan Pesto.
We tease Marina calling her the "Pesto Taleban" because of her strict intolerance for any exception to the religious pesto rules. ;-)
Yes, Marina, I confess: I made some Texan Pesto and I loved it!

The moment I poured it on the steaming hot pasta, to me it was the best pesto in the world. I was surrounded by that wonderful aroma and I was in heaven!

I did my usual compromises, of course, but not too many. I still picked the fresh basil leaves from my backyard at the very last moment, when they smell at their best. I did use the blender, but did not mince the pine nuts too fine, because I like the rustic feel that they give when left a little coarse.

I cooked my pasta with potato cubes. I did not have any green beans handy, as the tradition would call for, but I did not miss them too much.

Few things in life smell like a fresh homemade Pesto. I can tell you that much.

Nicholas had two generous servings and kept telling me, with his mouth full (such rude son of mine that he is): "This is good, mamma, this is goooooood..."

Be Back Soon!

2009-06-19T11:11:00.002-06:00

My family from Italy will be in town for a couple of weeks and I really want to focus on them for a while!
I therefore will not have any classes while they are here, nor will I probably update the blog during this time, but please feel free to contact me for any information about CUCINAMORE at damo267@yahoo.it
See you all on here soon!

A Kid in the Kitchen (and this time it wasn’t my own)

2009-06-18T08:44:00.011-06:00

When his mom one day asked me if I was willing to have a special class with her 7-year-old son and that this was going to be her birthday gift to him, I must confess that I was not so confident it was going to be a good idea.
On one side, I was thrilled: I always loved working with children and I have had Nicholas in my way when I cook since he learnt how to climb on a chair to reach the counter, so I guess that gives me some experience on the matter.
On the other hand though, I was telling myself “What if the poor child would rather have a new Transformer for his birthday instead and he is going to be bored and disappointed?". Then I decided to trust his mom when she told me that he really loves being in the kitchen and his dream (for now) is to be a chef one day, so I accepted the challenge and simply did my best to make it as enjoyable as possible for us both.

It turned out to be one of the best experiences I have had. I loved it! I hope he had fun too.

This is what I did with Daniel: I picked a very simple menu that we cooked together for his family and he brought the food home to proudly feed his parents and siblings.

DANIEL’S SPECIAL DINNER
Menu’

Appetizer:
Cheese and Spinach Dip in Fillo Shells

Entrée:
Baked Daniel’s Polpette (Italian meatballs)
with
Pasta Primavera with Ham, Peas and Cream

Dessert:
Rainbow Chocolate Pralines

We discussed about flavors, ingredients, safety and all the golden rules in the kitchen, like how to not leave a mess for mommy to clean up after you are done (and yes, his mom paid me a little extra for this one ;-) ).

We talked about how to be open to try new foods and how sometimes things that you do not like by themselves turn out to taste better when combined with something else. In short, we worked a lot and cooked a lot! And at the end I can proudly say it was a success, at least based on the hug I received when class was over! From what I heard his family enjoyed the dinner a lot and made him feel like he was a real chef for a day. Mission accomplished!

Lamb For Dinner

2009-06-07T09:48:00.006-06:00

Following my friend Shylah's advice I finally went to a local farmer's market yesterday morning.

Needless to say I could have bought half of what I saw and even more needless to say I could not afford doing that. So I settled for a jar of strawberry preserve that was probably the best I have ever tasted in my life and a piece or lamb that cost me an arm and a leg.

Lamb is pretty expensive over here and not that common either, from what I see. That was the reason why, when I saw this vendor selling frozen goat and lamb meat I told myself I had to have some. So I bought this lamb rack that turned out to not even be the cut of meat I expected it to be or at least it hadn't been prepared so to have the bones sticking out like a crown as I am used to see. But I did not dare touching it, so I cooked it the way it was.

Let me tell you that lamb is not exactly in my area of expertise, I probably only cooked it a couple times back when I was in Italy and so I was a little nervous. I did not want to waste that money making something that might not come out right.

I went to work that afternoon with that piece of lamb in mind. As soon as I came home I started working on it. I followed a recipe by Michele, a chef friend of mind that I probably mentioned before as he is the person who taught me a lot of what I know about food and cooking.

I was pretty pleased with the result. If nothing else, Nicholas, my 3-year-old son, ate without fussing. That equals to "pretty darn good dinner" on my scale!

You Asked For It: Dani's Pizza Is Back!

2009-05-28T14:14:00.003-06:00

(pizza with eggplants, cherry tomatoes, smoked muenster cheese)

For all those who missed the previous ones, here is another chance to learn how to make delicious pizza at home.

Let me show you how I make my dough and how I get my thin crust.
Let me share with you a few ideas for different toppings, always made with fresh ingredients and herbs.

Thursday, June 11th, 6:00 pm
HOME-MADE PIZZA LIKE YOU NEVER HAD IT BEFORE!

Confirm your participation before june 9th!

SIMPLY Italian!

2009-05-16T09:42:00.002-06:00

Who said that making a whole, tasty Italian dinner from scratch for your friends and family is a difficult task?

I definitely believe the opposite!

Come to my house on

Thursday May 21st at 6pm

Learn how to put one on the table (appetizer, pasta plate, entrée and side dish)
with very little effort and great enjoyment!

RSVP required by May 19th.

Calzone

2009-05-13T09:11:00.005-06:00

I don't know why it took me so long to start making calzone for my family. It must be because I tend to do what I like myself and I have never been a calzone fan.

Vince, my husband, loves it instead, so I have started to make this more often. Does not take much to make people happy, sometimes :)

I made this one for him with his fav stuffing: tomato and cheese of course, to which I added some mushrooms, bell peppers and sausage.

Not bad, not bad at all...even if I made my usual flat pizza with cherry tomatoes and good mozzarella for myself instead! Old habits are hard to break ;-)

Bread and Cheese: Back to the Roots of "Good"

2009-05-04T08:24:00.007-06:00

I like most foods. There is not much that is edible and that normally appears on our table that I cannot eat with enjoyment. Sometimes, though, food can send me to heaven and this was the case with this marvellous, delicius goat cheese that we found almost by chance at Central Market. Whoever the company which produces it is (it's called Cypress Grove Chevre and I must admit that I had never heard of them, I had to look them up), thank you for your work! Together with a slice of crusty bread and a glass of wine this cheese was a moment of serious pleasure to me.

The cheese is called Humboldt Fog® and it's a creamy and tangy cheese, to which I did not add any honey, fruit or anything. I am minimalist when it comes to flavors, semplicity is the golden rule, especially if I am the only one enjoying it.

All this has little to do with cooking, but it has lots to do with the pleasure of eating something good and my personal appreciation for hard work and attention for quality in the food market, so I thought I would share it nevertheless.

Recycling

2009-04-27T11:21:00.008-06:00

Like many people (at least Italians) my age, I was brought up with a dogma: you NEVER throw away food, unless of course it's not edible for health reasons.

I guess I used to be a good girl back then and listened carefully, because I learned my lesson so well that it now feels like there is an invisible hand stopping me from going anywhere near the trashcan whenever I have some food left from a meal, even if the thought of eating it again really does not appeal to me.

I actually have a problem to begin with: to be completely honest with you, the princess in me hates leftovers in general. I really do not like to reheat food that had been prepared for another occasion. With very few exceptions like some slow cooked stews or similar that I must admit actually taste better the next days or so.
Therefore I have developed a skill which I call the art of recycling. I always try to cook just as much as it is needed for the meal but whenever even that is not enough and the leftovers are unavoidable, I come up with all kinds of ways to hide the origin of the new dish.
Remember the "fegato alla veneziana" I told you we had the other night? I added a couple anchovies and some capers to what was left of that and made a tasty pate' for crostini. Yummy antipasto, right?

I am not saying whatever the new creation is, it is always going to be better than the original recipe, but at least it's different! And in certain case I get appreciable results.

So, be welcome pate', polpette, flans, stuffed vegetables, sauces and anything that can multiply ways of eating whatever we bought. In these hard times it makes a lot of sense to me on the wallet side too!

Back To The Kitchen

2009-04-22T11:03:00.004-06:00

It's been a lifetime, I know. Not only have I been away from this blog: I must say that I have not spent a lot of time in my own kitchen either, lately.

There are a few reasons for this, some more practical (got a job!), others basically mood-related (I had a few issues going on, not all of them pleasant).

But I guess you know you are healing from being sick when you start being hungry again, right? Well, I'm really hungry for this blog and for some real food too, now, so be warned: I am back! :-)

P.S.: fegato alla veneziana con polenta for dinner last night. Shouldn't this be considered a good sign?

Polenta: It Smells Like Home

2009-02-11T07:35:00.003-07:00

One of the terms used to define people from Northern Italy (not really intended to be nice) is “polentoni” (“those who eat a lot of polenta”) and I, oh, so much take pride in it!

I assume most of you know what Polenta is, but for those who might not, it’s a dish made with cornmeal (yellow or white, finely or coarsely grounded depending on the taste and on the area where it’s prepared and consumed). Where I come from it is more about white, fine polenta, almost creamy. But I love it any way, any style.

Polenta has saved my people from starvation back in the days where there wasn’t much else to eat in the farms around Treviso and it was present every single evening on the dinner table, sometimes with a piece of cheese to go with it or eggs or whatever was available, very rarely meat, and it was meant to fill the hungry stomachs (and that, trust me, it does!) of those who had been working in the fields since dawn. Children loved to eat the crust that remained on the pot after polenta was cooked. It came off in pieces once the pot cooled down and I guess it tastes like your corn chips.
The leftovers were good for breakfast the next morning instead, with some milk, kind of what Americans do with grits. All that corn and very little else to go with it was not exactly healthy and it even brought a disease caused by the lack of other nutrients, “pellagra”, but, like I said, it still saved from starvation and led my people out of a time that was very hard on them.

Now Polenta is served even in very fine restaurants but to me it will always taste like home. Even if in my youth days, thank God, it was not as essential in our survival as it was in my grandparents’ time, it was still very popular and I ate (and loved) a lot of it. Of course I still love it but I don't eat it as much.

A friend of mine recently brought me a package of cornmeal from Storo, a little village in Trentino, a region close to the one I come from. Let me tell you: there is a reason why they call it “l’Oro di Storo” (Storo’s gold). It makes a wonderful polenta! Yellow and thicker than the one I am used to, but still delicious!
It takes between 30 and 40 minutes to cook a real polenta and I must say that last night I enjoyed all of them while making it. The little familiar gestures of stirring it that I hadn’t done in such long time, the scent of cooked corn, the sound (*plof!*) that a well cooked polenta makes when you pour it on a wooden board before portioning it…all of that almost got me emotional, last night!

I also treated my good polenta as it deserved, though: I made some beef ossobuco to go with it. Slowly cooked for 3 hours, till the meat was so tender it fell apart just by looking at it! I even opened a bottle of cabernet and I rarely drink wine by myself (I am married to a green tea kind of guy, figure that ;-) ). It was worth it: I went to bed very happy!

The Interview

2009-02-04T10:25:00.014-07:00

Yeah, believe it or not, we had a journalist attending our dessert class with Betta!
Stefania, another Italian friend living in San Antonio, put together this radio interview to present the class. I think she did an amazing job, if you put up with our terrible English, but feel free to let me know your comments. As always they are highly appreciated.

A Taste of Tuscany 2 - The Desserts

2009-01-29T07:08:00.011-07:00

Second of the two special classes with Betta. Thank you so much, my wonderful friend, for the privilege of having you with us sharing your amazing knowledge and talent! We all loved you!

28 Jan. 09
“A taste of Tuscany”
The Desserts

Cantucci
(Almond Biscotti)

Budino di Casa Mia con Noci e Uvetta
(Home-style Pudding with Walnuts and Raisins)

Capriccio di Cioccolato di Zia Memi con Gelato
(Chocolate Fudge with Ice Cream)

Crostata di Pesche al Rosmarino
(Peach and Rosemary Crostata)

Frittelle con le Mele
(Apple Fritters)

A Taste Of Tuscany 1 - The Meal

2009-01-22T07:13:00.009-07:00

Here is what we did last night with a group of 12 wonderful people who attended the first class with our special guest star Betta:

Antipasto:
Crostini con pesto di pomodori secchi e crema di cannellini all’aglio e rosmarino
(Toasted bread with sundried tomato pesto and cannellini bean spread with garlic and rosemary)

Primo piatto:
Pici al sugo finto
(Homemade pasta with vegetable ragu’)

Secondo piatto:
Filetto di maiale con salsa contadina e padellata di verdure all’aceto balsamico
(Pork sirloin with country-style sauce and sautéed vegetables with balsamic vinegar)

Thank you everybody for sharing the fun and see you next week for dessert night!

GET READY FOR JANUARY!

2008-12-24T16:51:00.003-07:00

January is going to be a very stimulating month for CUCINAMORE, my cooking group, and I hope some of you will be here to join us for this great occasion and share the excitement!

I am going to have two special classes in January with a "guest star", my friend Benedetta, or "Betta" as we call her, who is arriving from Italy to be with us for a little while.

Betta owns and manages a very unique piece of paradise in Southern Tuscany, where, among other things like pampering her guests, picking up olives, checking the production of her own wine and much more, she also finds the time and the strength to be the main chef at her Agriturismo called "Poggio al sole" (click on the name to know a little more about her and her place).

Betta will be leading two classes at my house as follows (and remember: even if she's a real chef we will keep it "family-style" as usual, easy and tasty!):

21 Jan - wed - 6pm: "A TASTE OF TUSCANY 1 (The Meal)"
A variety of ideas for an original Italian meal that you can enjoy here and then prepare yourself in your own kitchen!

28 Jan - wed - 6pm: "A TASTE OF TUSCANY 2 (The Desserts)"
The sweet side of Betta!

Pick the class you are most interested in or come to both: cost per person/per class: $30.00 (all food prepared will be enjoyed by participants at the end of each class)
Payment is required when you book your class.

My kitchen is not huge, so hurry to reserve your own chance to have a "Taste of Tuscany" in San Antonio!

Someone Sells Their Cookies for the Holidays....

2008-12-21T19:28:00.004-07:00

...a friend told me I should sell my homemade pasta, ravioli and gnocchi instead!
Well, in case you need a hand for your holiday dinners, just get in touch with me, I might be able to help: those go from your freezer to your plate in less than 5 minutes and add a nice, different touch to your meal. Just, don't cheat on Christmas day and say you made them yourself. Or if you do, make sure Santa has already delivered your presents...

2008-12-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

So Much Fun With This Group Class!

2008-12-15T09:09:00.005-07:00

Here: pizza, again! I know, we talked about home made pizza before, but this group lesson I had last Friday was really special for me. We had a lot of fun and I got so much enthusiasm and support and good vibes from the people who attended it that I need to share some of it, at least. I was never good at keeping emotions inside anyway :-)

What the class was all about was proving them that making a good, VERY good pizza at your home is a task that we all can achieve with some passion and good ingredients.

Italians don't talk with their hands, do they? Look at me! Always swinging them around...

Here are some fresh cherry tomatoes getting ready to become a pizza that tastes like Summer (even in December, but that's the magic of San Antonio, TX ;-) ). Note: the basil came from my backyard!

Here is how it looks out of the oven (and after someone had a few bites of it)

Bell peppers getting ready for their perfomance on a "sausage and peppers" pizza

There: ready to get in the oven!

I know, the pic is a little out of focus, but these are the people I need to thank for that very special night: grazie Shylah, grazie Rose, grazie Carl and Carla...and a very special grazie to my friend Yolanda, who is not in the picture because she's the one who took it and was big help all through the class.

Let me leave you with the menu of that class and remind you all that if you're still thinking of your last minute Christmas present for a food lover friend of yours, I might have an idea for you!

12 December 2008
GROUP PIZZA NIGHT MENU

· DIAVOLA (pepperoni pizza)

· POMODORINI E BASILICO (cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano)

· PROSCIUTTO E FUNGHI (sautéed mushrooms, cubed ham)

· RICOTTA E SPINACI (sautéed spinach, ricotta cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano)

· BROCCOLI E BACON (sautéed broccoli with garlic and red peppercorn, bacon)

· SALSICCIA E PEPERONI (Italian mild sausage, sautéed bell peppers with balsamic vinegar and brown sugar)

· VEGETARIANA (grilled bell peppers, zucchini, eggplants)

· SICILIANA (pepperoni, capers, olives)

Christmas Special

2008-12-10T19:40:00.008-07:00

You’re still in time
To tell Santa
That all you want for Christmas is

A voucher for a special
Italian Cooking Lesson

To learn how to make a whole yummy meal
(antipasto, primo piatto, secondo piatto e contorno)

Available for those who’ve been good
And also for those who promise they will be…

(Special Christmas voucher: $ 50.00 or package for 4 "one-topic-lessons": $ 120.00)

Pizza Group Class

2008-12-08T07:07:00.005-07:00

Friday, December 12th, 6:00 pm

HOME-MADE PIZZA LIKE YOU NEVER HAD IT BEFORE!

You will very seldom buy pizza again, after learning how to make your own, delicious and healthy, the way we really do in Italy.

With my hands-on teaching you will learn all the tricks you need to know to make the right dough to get a nice thin crust, get a few ideas for the tastiest toppings, all made of fresh ingredients and then taste the difference!

Cost per person: $15.00

Max 8 people, confirm your participation by Dec. 10th

Lasagne

2008-11-25T11:32:00.007-07:00

Well, what did you think I could possibly have in the oven after cooking all that ragu’ the other day? A cake? Obviously not.
This makes me look so "average Italian", I know that, but what can I say? I'll admit it: I enjoy the occasional Lasagne. There, I said it. Look how pretty my babies look, while they are cooking:

And yes, the right spelling is LASAGNE, with an E at the end, and it's plural. There: I threw in the Italian lesson for the day at the same cost. What a deal!
Seriously, though, Lasagne is a great dish, who can deny that? It's rich, complete, filling, comforting, and makes wonderful leftovers.
But I especially love them right out of the oven, with that crunchy brown top, all that cheese and creamy bechamel sauce (no ricotta cheese and tomato sauce in my Lasagne. Only good ragu', bechamel and cheese). They smell soooooo good too, can't you tell from the picture? ;-)

I know, with all this talking I made you hungry, didn't I? Here, have your slice and Buon Appetito!

For my friends who come to the cooking classes: I will soon have a group class on Lasagne as requested. It might not be original, trendy, sophisticated...but it's just plain good!

Ragu'

2008-11-22T20:06:00.004-07:00

I could be making ragu’ on a Wednesday afternoon, a Monday evening or any other day, it does not even matter: to me it always smells like “Sunday Morning” anyway. That was the day my mom used to make it, almost every week, basically for our Sunday lunch, traditionally the most important meal of the week, but also to freeze it and have it ready some other day for a quick pasta, being the working woman she has always been.

Making ragu’ is considered an art in Italy, a pretty complicated one too, especially in Napoli and around it. I come from up North instead, so you will forgive me if, as usual, I keep it nice and simple.

When I want my ragu’ to taste as much as possible as mom’s I use very little spices, if any at all: onion-celery-carrot-garlic, to begin with, beef and pork meat combined, wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper. When in season, maybe some basil. That’s it. Or actually no, that is not it. I am missing the main ingredient. That would be TIME. And I did not misspell thyme: I actually refer to those three or four hours that the sauce needs to slow cook in order to become a real ragu’. At least according to my mom, that is.

I used to get discouraged by long preparations of any sort but now I don’t feel that way anymore. I just do other things in the meanwhile to keep my anxiety and impatience under control. Of course I don’t do these kinds of things very often and when I do I make a lot so that I can have it ready to use whenever somebody in the family craves some special spaghetti, tagliatelle, lasagne or gnocchi. And in my family “special” means that they must smell like “Sunday Morning”.

Falling in Love with a Crust

2008-11-06T18:54:00.005-07:00

I found out that puff pastry is not that common in the US stores as I thought it would be. At least not as common as it is in Italy, so I find it pretty hard to find it in stores and I never even thought of trying and make my own! Too long and complicated. So it had been a while since I last made my easy and tasty antipasto with that kind of crust.
On my favorite Italian cooking site I recently found a recipe for the crust, though, that I must say I like much more than puff pastry itself, it is easy to make and only requires a reasonable quantity of butter! It's made of flour, egg, butter and ricotta cheese, so it's lighter than your average pastry and still very, very good. I tried it today and I simply loved it.
In those Chiffels in the picture I added some paprika seasoning to the dough too and then filled some of them with pieces of wiener, some with cheese, some with ricotta and spinach and some with ham. I decided this has officially become my base for quiches and savory tarts from today on.

Oatmeal Cookies

2008-10-24T11:17:00.003-06:00

This is mainly for my Italian friends out there. Just to prove you guys I am still working hard on that deficiency of mine: I am baking sweets on a regular basis now. Training hard. Sweat and hard work. They still never come out a masterpiece of any sort, but I am not giving up.
These oatmeal cookies for instance (I know: again, not exactly a traditional Italian treat) can fall in the category of "not bad, not bad at all: edible!”. Which to me equals to the Pulitzer prize for those who can write...
Stay tuned: you never know when I am going to shock you all baking a real cake!

And We Finally Made Those Gnocchi

2008-10-19T19:36:00.008-06:00

I told you how it works with me: when a dish finds its way to my mind I am not happy until it's on my plate. So I had to make those gnocchi I told you about a few days ago. I also found the perfect potatoes: they call them "Russet" and they are normally used for baked potatoes. Very "dry", after I boiled them I did not even have to use all the flour I had anticipated. And there was no need for eggs to hold the dough together, which I strongly prefer, when I can help it.

Here is the sequence of our latest task.

Dani and Nicholas at work

Nicholas with the wooden tool for gnocchi we brought with us from Italy (you know...just the essential things when you make a big move ;-) )

Our little "puppies"

a close-up of our work

and the final dish. Yummy!

Amazing what a bunch of poor ingredients can do: potatoes, flour, a container of sauce from the freezer that was the leftover from a chicken meal of a couple weeks ago. Definitely a satisfying dinner with little more than nothing...

In The Mood For Paella

2008-10-19T06:50:00.008-06:00

It could not be less Italian than this, but hey! It’s not like we only eat Italian or American food at our house! We like to go and venture on those unexplored foreign territories at times, with different results, of course, not always exactly amazing.
This, though, is certainly a foreign territory, but I cannot say it’s unexplored to me: I used to make Paella pretty often, in the past. For some reason I then stopped for a while (I have my phases and my moments with food), but the other day I suddenly started to think of it. That’s how it always works for me: some type of food somehow finds its way to my brain, it can be something I see or hear around me, an insignificant detail I capture on TV or on the street or at a store, anything, and I start thinking about it. Then, I am not happy until I have it on my plate.
I finally made Paella the other night. As you might know there are a million versions of this wonderful, traditional Spanish dish. Here is how I like to make my own.

Basically my favorite is the one that requires a combination of vegetables, meat and seafood. I use green beans, bell peppers, tomatoes and peas for the veggie part. Chicken (preferably the dark meat), pork (I recently discovered the extra touch of a little chorizo too) and rabbit, when I have it, for the meat. Clams, mussels, calamari, shrimp for the fish ingredients. I used to like to add a particular crustacean that is very common in the Mediterranean Sea, but that I cannot find here in the US or at least I never found it so far. I don’t even know what its American name is, but the Italian for it is “cannocchia” or “cicala di mare” and the scientific one is “Squilla Mantis”. Go have a look following the link and if anyone knows what I am talking about I would love to know if it is known and used over here. It tastes a little like lobster, but has a softer and even more delicate meat and I love to use it in a lot of seafood recipes.

Now the essential touch of flavor that comes with spices: you have to have some saffron! The slightly bitter and aromatic taste and smell, together with the shade of yellow that it adds to the plate cannot be substituted by anything else, if you ask me. Then sweet paprika, but that one is not as essential to me.

It takes a long time to make Paella, as it requires for most of the ingredients to be cooked separately and then assembled, but to me it’s a fun way to spend a couple hours of a lazy afternoon and then treat my family to a special dinner.

To make the whole experience not just “good” but “great” you want to have a glass of Sangria with it. Sangria is the Spanish drink made with red wine, fruits and a shot of spirit. I tried those bottles of so called “base for Sangria” but I really did not like it. I found my personal taste to be closer to a good mix of light red wine, fruit juice, pieces of fruit and of course a drop of good brandy. Must be because I’m Italian, but a friend suggested I used Lambrusco and I found this humble, family-style red wine to be perfect for me.

I did not end up dancing flamenco on the table, the other night, in case some of you are wondering, but we all enjoyed our Spanish dinner nevertheless. With another round of Sangria I might, though. Maybe next time. I’ll think about it.

I'm Thinking Gnocchi...

2008-10-12T06:53:00.002-06:00

Gnocchi...I haven't made them in a long time. For some reason I have been spoiled by my Godmother, in Italy: this sweet old lady makes potato gnocchi at least once every two weeks or so and when she makes them she makes A LOT! She lives alone, so she basically makes them with with the purpose of delivering freezer bags to her "entourage": her four sons and families, a few friends, my mom and dad, my brother and his family and, back when I was in Italy, me.

Gnocchi are potato dumplings, as most of you probably know, a traditional dish that used to be a part of festive meals. Very filling, they are normally served with ragu', tomato sauce or simply your butter-sage-parmesan cheese dressing. Or (this too is pretty common, just like for fresh egg noodle) any gravy from the meat pot on the stove, whatever is supposed to be the main course of the day: roast beef, chicken, veal stew, anything.
Nowadays you can find them at restaurants in Italy with all sort of "trendier" sauces, but they don't impress me. Personally, my favorite are still those with butter and sage. Or with the sauce of a good "pollo in umido", a chicken stew in a tomato sauce. Which brings me to what made me crave gnocchi these days: I have a container of this sauce in the freezer waiting for the right match. I was thinking to use it for tagliatelle, but I am reconsidering it and I will probably make some gnocchi soon.

I hope I am able to choose the right potatoes for the purpose. I am not an expert and here there are so many varieties to choose from and I am not familiar with most of them (advices are welcome, if you have any). I need a potato with a high content of starch and little water, because this allows me not to add too much flour to the dough and it makes a world of difference in taste and texture. Normally I would use what we call an "old potato", when some time has gone by from the moment they have been picked up, and therefore part of the water has been lost in the "aging" process. But again, I am not an expert and most of the times, if I can't ask for advice at the store, I just cross my fingers and hope I pick the right ones.

The word "gnocchi" commonly refers to the potato ones, but this is not your only kind: among others, I love the ricotta gnocchi, which is a pretty recent discover for me. Very delicate in taste. I am not a great fan of the zucca (pumpkin) gnocchi instead, even if I think I should do some researches and experiment some, in this regards, as I find they would be a very good fit for the upcoming Halloween period. Just to give my Italian touch to the seasonal menu. For a change ;-)

And I Am Back

2008-10-08T12:12:00.003-06:00

Here, back. The old computer passed away. It won't come home again, ever. And with it won't be back any of my cooking recipes, my pictures, documents, my life-in-a-box. Please, spare me the speech on back-ups, external hard disks and all of that. I know I am dumb, crazy, out of date and all of that and more, and it's my fault, my fault only, so let's just move on. This is a new start. Will be back soon with some food-related topics. Till then...what's for dinner tonight? Seafood salad, here.

Out Of Order

2008-09-25T15:26:00.003-06:00

Sorry, my friends, but it looks like our home computer decided to leave us, at least for a while and I won't therefore be able to update my blog until it comes home.
We took it to the "doctor" and it seems like that's where it's going to be for a while.
I'm still cooking though. Will tell you all about it as soon as "we" are in a better shape.
For my "so-called-students": please contact me by phone for booking your lessons, as I can only seldom check my email. Thank you.
Ciao ciao,
dani

Sometimes Cooking Can Wait

2008-09-19T18:48:00.001-06:00

Yesterday my little man turned 3. I love you Nicholas, be happy.

I Am Stuffed!

2008-09-14T10:01:00.003-06:00

Ravioli, tortellini, cappelletti…I love stuffed pasta. It offers a million possibilities for the filling, from the traditional to the most daring and experimental ones, and many possible shapes too. Plus it is fun to make. I did not say anything like “quick” or “practical”. I said fun. Actually, I must correct myself on the second one: if you decide you are going to spend an afternoon making ravioli and you make a good quantity and freeze what you do not eat right away, the day you will pop the bag out of the freezer and amaze your guests with your own homemade ravioli, ready in 5 minutes from freezer to plate, you will secretly tell yourself they’re “practical” too.

I recently had a cooking lesson with a group of ladies and we had a lot of fun making three different types:
· Some traditional “ravioli di magro” (ricotta cheese and spinach) with a light cherry tomato sauce
· Some filled with “salsiccia e mascarpone” (sausage and mascarpone cheese) topped with some “funghi al verde” ( sautéed mushroom with garlic and parsley)
· Tomato, mozzarella and basil inside, Mediterranean sauce made with shallot, capers, anchovies and pine nuts
I am not particularly fond of those with a sweet filling (some use pears, amarettos …) while I especially love those with seafood and/or vegetables. If I had to make my own hit list, it would see “scallop ravioli with brandy and pink pepper sauce” on top, but the very simple eggplant ravioli will follow right after.

A trip to Texarkana, TX - where everything meets everything: states, roads, people and even food

2008-09-07T14:15:00.007-06:00

From the “visitors guide” of the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce site:

"Although many have contended for the honor, it's not known officially who gave Texarkana its name. One popular version credits a Colonel Gus Knobel (…) who marked the name "TEX-ARK-ANA" on a board and nailed it to a tree with the statement, "This is the name of a town which is to be built here." It was believed at the time that the Louisiana boundary was just a few miles to the south (actually it is only 25), and Colonel Knobel, in selecting the city's name, derived it from TEXas, ARKansas, and LouisiANA. "

Most of my husband’s family lives in this town in northern Texas with this particular name. I always love to go there, mainly because I sincerely love those people, but not only that. The atmosphere is great and this idea of a place where three states meet has always fascinated me, maybe because our own family is quite an interesting melting pot itself, so what better place to have us all merging together?

This side of the family can definitely cook and when I go there I always have a lot to learn. During this trip in particular we cooked one dinner together, a “tex-alian” dinner you might say, mixing what we know and what we like and the result was definitely satisfying for everybody, if you can measure that from that one sentence everybody would say as soon as they walked into the house: “Boy, it smells good in here!”

There were some perfectly smoked pork loins going hand in hand with broccoli and sausage farfalle pasta, traditional cornbread sitting by baked cauliflowers in béchamel sauce and much more. Of course I had to make my beloved Miscati

I know I might be boring repeating one more time that cooking basically means “love” to me: the love that you find, breath, smell and taste in a family kitchen where people are happy to be right where they are, among those few faces that really make a difference in their lives.

CAPRESE – The “Not-For-Everyone" Cake

2008-08-26T12:59:00.006-06:00

Capri (that’s the root of the term “caprese”) is one of the beautiful islands of my Country. It’s a little jewel on the sea and it gave the name at least to a couple interesting dishes of the Italian traditional cuisine.

One is the refreshing, nutrient salad that everyone knows and that you can find in almost every Italian family dinner menu in the summertime, when everyone is just too tired or too hot to cook: tomato and fresh mozzarella, a few leaves of basil, olive oil.

The other, maybe less famous but certainly not less important or less interesting, is this intriguing sinful chocolate cake. It might not have the looks that some more renowned chocolate cakes have: no pretty icing, no rich filling, no attractive decoration, but I promise you it just tastes great. Like those precious things that you need to WANT to discover, looking beyond what’s obvious to everyone. And when you do you consider yourself very fortunate.
It’s a cake for true dark chocolate lovers. It does not contain any flour or baking powder whatsoever, and it melts in your mouth when you have a bite. It’s simply made of dark chocolate, almonds, eggs, butter and sugar.

Even the sugar is not one of the main ingredients, as there’s not much of it so what you get is a cake that is not particularly sweet. That probably does not fit the average American taste since, generally speaking, everything here is pretty sweet. But if you are into bitter chocolate I’m pretty sure you will love this.

Just add a spoon of semi-whipped cream to it, if you like, and that’s it. It’s a test: if you’re truly a part of the chocolate lovers club, you’ll appreciate it very much.

And I Have The Nerve To Tell People I Can Cook...

2008-08-22T12:15:00.005-06:00

Have you ever had the feeling you are not sure whether to be proud or ashamed about something? Me, this is precisely how I feel when I serve this snack with the aperitif, at my dinners.

It’s called “ostriche finte” (guess you can translate it into something like “wannabe oysters”). They have very little of the oyster, maybe just a fishy memory that comes from the little piece of anchovy that’s on them, but that is how the Venetian nonna (grandma) who taught me how to make them called them and, of course, who am I to change their name, right?

All in all it’s only a bunch of poor, even “junk-food-like” ingredients, but the combination of them (strictly to be put in your mouth in one single bite, that’s the rule) creates a strange mix of taste and texture that is absolutely interesting and definitely pleasant.

Even my more sophisticated friends back in Italy (right Silvia?) had to admit that this strange appetizer is something worth munching on while waiting for dinner to start and she even promised me she was going to talk about them on her own blog. Talk about a hit with zero effort, here…

What’s the secret formula? Here, write it down, you’ll thank me for this:
· Potato chips
· Lemon (thinly sliced, zest on)
· Mayonnaise or soft butter
· Anchovies
What you do is cut the lemon slices into very small triangles and the anchovies in equally small pieces. You then put on top of each chip a drop of mayo or creamy butter, whatever you prefer, and using that as if it was glue, add a piece of lemon and a piece of anchovies to it. If you serve it on a nice plate it is EVEN going to look good!

Here is my "gourmet" appetizer for today. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Cheese, fruits & C.

2008-08-17T08:34:00.008-06:00

I have never been particularly fond of mixing the sweet taste with other tastes like sour or salted. With one exception and that is when cheese is involved.
I love cheese with fresh fruits, honey or homemade preserves. Here are a few ideas from my experiments:

pears with taleggio cheese and walnuts
semi-hard tuscan pecorino cheese with an orange, onion and vinegar preserve (it's a friend's recipe, especially made to go with cheese)

sweet emmenthal with apricots or grapes or cherry tomatoes (I know that's not fruit, but maybe the "cherry" in the name counts?). Plus, the plate needed a touch of color ;-)

apricots with cream cheese and honey
kiwi with robiola cheese and pink pepper

Cute and tasty, aren't they?

Eggplant, Elegant Lady of the Summer Garden

2008-08-10T12:32:00.007-06:00

Once upon a time there was a thing called “seasonality”. We, dinosaurs, would have never even thought of having peaches at Christmastime, oranges in the summer, chestnuts in spring. Now, instead, we hardly remember what grows when, as everything is available in the stores year round. Anyway, for those like me who, besides being dinosaurs, are also food-obsessed, flavors, smells and textures are a great memory conveyer.

All this brings me to EGGPLANTS.

If I think “summer” in my childhood days I think watermelon, I think green beans, I think peaches, I think zucchini, but before anything else I think eggplants! How’s that for a favorite child food, uh? And I have the nerve to act surprised when I see my son swallowing guacamole and corn chips as if they were candies…I wonder who he got that weird trait from.

My dad used to take great care (and pride) of (and in) the vegetables he grew in his garden. In the summer we used to have a huge production of almost all of that mentioned above, plus tomatoes (of course), peppers and many other vegetables. But eggplants have always been my favorites. Even while still attached to the plant, in their fancy dark purple evening dress, tall and slim ladies of dad's garden (he liked the long kind).

My mom used to often cook them “al funghetto”, which means “like you do mushrooms”. Now, it’s a given that you need garlic and parsley for that, but there are some people who also add tomatoes while some others don’t. My mom belonged to the party who did not. I sometimes do, sometimes don’t. “Melanzane al funghetto”, that’s how they’re called in Italian, are a tasty side dish, but if you get to save some leftovers try use them on a pasta (see picture). It’s excellent both hot or room temperature, like you would serve a pasta salad. Or, have them over some toasted crusted bread, as a different bruschetta.

I also remember eating them stuffed, fried, grilled, in “parmigiana”, pickled… only recently have I discovered the “polpette di melanzane” (eggplants ball) and I think they are delicious. I use them for a vegetarian cannelloni (where I roll them up to substitute the cannelloni noodle). I make a spread for crostini that makes excellent appetizer, or can be used over grilled meat. Shall I go on? I could. But I will stop here for now, with my tribute to a very versatile and tasty vegetable. That my husband hates, by the way… :-)

Incognito Anchovies

2008-08-03T09:47:00.015-06:00

I have developed this theory: the number of people I met here in the US that affirm they do not like anchovies is inversely proportional to the one of those I know in Italy who say they love them. I wonder why.

I am an anchovy's fan, a real one. I truly am. But I understand that we are not talking about an "easy" food here. Their flavor is strong and salty and fishy. And delicious.

One of the reasons for people to not liking them much must be their flavor audacity, but possibly also the way they are used in cooking. My husband is one of those who do not get along too much with them. I recently found out, though, that his first encounter with anchovies was on top of a pizza and the main thing he remembers about that flavor experience was SALT. Clearly the high heat to which they are exposed with no mercy when baked over a pizza does not leave room to any subtle hints: the salty trait is mostly all you perceive.

But there is more to them than just salt and definitely more than the role of pizza topping. They perform greatly even (if not especially) when they are not the main star of the movie. So, in case you are among the distrustful ones, try approaching them when they hide, rather than when they are in the spotlight, at least at the beginning of what, I bet, could be a mutually satisfactory relationship.

I made two different pestos with anchovies, in the past few days. One of them was for a sauce for homemade tomato and mozzarella filled ravioli. The pesto sauce was made with shallot, garlic, capers and pine seeds. An orchestra of flavors playing some tasty mediterranean music. You would have not known the anchovies were there but I promise you we would have missed them if they were not!

The other was made with anchovies (of course), parsley, garlic and olive oil to make a dressing for some baked sliced bell peppers. Come on, it’s really difficult not to like them that way: they dissolve into a savory sauce that enhances the peppers. These vegetables are certainly not weak in flavor and therefore need some daring sauce to go with them. There it was: my anchovy dressing. Bold, yes, but complex. Not just salty.

I still like anchovies a lot as they are, no masks on or hidden in anything. To me they are elegant even when naked. I remember one time, back in Italy, when a friend brought a can of spanish oil-packed anchovies to a party I went to. We had them over bread and butter, nothing else. For a while you could not hear a word. Just sighs of pleasure.

But, again, f you want to use them as ONE of the ingredients for other preparations, well the sky is the limit and sometimes you can hide them so well (still benefiting from their contribution to the recipe) that even the most convinced detractors would appreciate them.

Muffins...so what?

2008-07-30T17:25:00.003-06:00

I know...you all are, my friends, kinda disappointed today. You opened my blog and found the picture of some anonymous strawberry and raspberry muffins. What's up with those? And it couldn't be less Italian either.

Point is that I am very proud of them, instead, go figure. Let me explain: I was born with a little handicap. For as much as I love cooking I don't seem to be able to bake any sweet stuff, any sort of decent dessert, nothing. When I entertain I must always buy the dessert or just hope that one of the people coming offers to bring some. I really can't make anything worth eating, in term of sweets.

That, up till now. The Magic Muffins changed it all, I feel it.

I very reluctantly decided to try again with these guys only because Nicholas was bugging me because he wanted something sweet, I had nothing in the house and I did not think that stuffing him with M&M's was a healthy choice. Plus, I did not have the car available to go to the closest store.

Miracle! With my great surprise I baked my first edible sweet in like forever and I made it from scratch too! So there is hope. And I want this recipe framed: if I made it, anyone can.

Now the sky is the limit. After I neutralized the evil spell I had suffered for all of my life I might EVEN be bold enough to decide to bake frozen cookies! You never know...to be continued.

MISCATI - When Grandma Is The Pusher

2008-07-25T07:45:00.006-06:00

MISCATI? Yes, Miscati. Look at the pic and I dare you to say you already know what this is.
Ehhhh….We are talking heavy stuff here! Not your “I’ll just try it once, I can quit whenever I want to” kind of drug. You try Miscati once and you’re in the tunnel. There’s no turning back. The person responsible for all this goes under the name of Nonna Maria and it’s my friend Chiaretta’s grandma.

This is bread but it’s not your average bread. It’s sausage, but it’s not a sausage dish. There’s cheese in it too. It’s a good snack, it’s great for picnics, it perfectly fits in your buffets, wonderful to-go food, great on the table during a nice dinner, even with its rustic old fashioned aura (or maybe because of it)…the only problem with it is to find the will power you need to quit eating them once you start.

I met Chiaretta through the cooking club I belong to in Italy and she was kind enough to share the recipe of these little wonders with us. Her nonna (grandma) used to make these little guys for her and taught her how to do them, so Chiaretta eventually taught us. Now they are on our table very, very often, and I haven’t met anybody yet who has told me they don’t like them. Chiaretta says that both Miscati and Nonna Maria should be on the Unesco list for our World Heritage and I perfectly agree with her. To all those who haven’t tried them yet, if you get the chance to do it do so at your own risk. Just don’t say I did not warn you…

B.C./A.D. (Before Cooking, After it’s Done. Homemade Pizza, That Is)

2008-07-19T14:38:00.005-06:00

Pizza and Italians…what a cliché! Well, I guess today I will add it up to the image of the average Italian that I give of myself: I love pizza and I bake my own at least once or twice a week. There, I said it!
Now, in case you don’t know this, I come from northern Italy. That would not normally allow me to “legally” make pizza (right Noyra?). This is considered to be a “southern territory”. Coming from up north I can make polenta, if I like, pasta e fagioli (beans soup), maybe a few other things but what do I know about pizza?
Here is what I have learnt with experience, living my life as an outlaw and baking my pizzas in the shadow, trying not to talk too much (which is almost a mission impossible to me) so that no one can detect my northern accent.

B.C. (Before Cooking)

The main ingredients of a good Homemade Pizza are, if you ask me, TIME and PATIENCE.
I have learnt that I cannot make pizza in two hours like most recipes promise. Or rather, it takes more yeast if I do that than I am willing to use and I don’t like what I get when I do that: when I use more yeast and less time, I can actually taste it in the crust and, second but not less important, my stomach seems to not like my pizza just as much.
So when I prepare my dough I just take my time. Do not get discouraged, though, when I tell you that it takes me a whole day or a whole night: it’s not like you have to actually work all that time! It’s more or less all about training your patience (and it takes lots of training if you are the kind of impatient person that I am). You actually need 15, maybe 20 minutes to make the dough (maybe a little more if you don’t have the help of a machine for kneading and you can only count on your muscles). But after that it’s only a matter of forgetting that bowl in a nice, comfy place. Not too cold, not too hot, no breeze to disturb the sleep…I normally leave the bowl in the turned off oven morning to evening or the other way round. After that I simply divide my dough in balls the size of a big orange (or a small grapefruit, ah!) and either let them rest another half an hour or so before making my pizza or freeze them for those nights when I am out of ideas for dinner and they come – oh – so handy. I have no idea if this is the right process. I can only tell you it works great for me.

A.D. (After it’s Done)

Please, please, I am begging you: do not do like my husband does. Eat your pizza while it’s still hot! Do it for me. Don’t let it sit on the counter for half an hour or, even worse, have it cold the following morning for breakfast! Vince can eat pizza like that but it’s not fair to this food. Pizza gives its best fresh (hot) out of the oven, when you proudly look at it telling yourself (secretly) how amazed you are that it looks just like those you get from the pizzeria! Anyway, anything after that moment is not the same. Take the risk of burning your tongue, it’s worth it. If you are willing to face the challenge of trying it this way at your home I promise you that you will never (ehm...not often) order pizza from any delivery place again. If you are not, you are always welcome to come try mine at our house. And then stop at the closest Pizza H** on the way home to get what you really call a pizza ;-)

When Hubby Cooks

2008-07-16T15:58:00.007-06:00

We have a problem in my family. We all love food. It's serious. Pathological. We think about (good) food all the time. All of us. And we all enjoy cooking, with all our diversities.

To Vince and I a good dinner at home means relax, means family, means pampering. It does not have to be gourmet. It just has to be good. Most times it is, I must say. And after many years we still manage to surprise each other with food. Like he did the other night when he put dinner together with something that might be common to my american friends but it certainly wasn't to me since I had never had it before.

He cooked some Maryland style Crab Cake. Mamma mia! That stuff is awsome! Delicius tender and juicy crab meat with seasoning, panfried till it got a crunchy golden crust on the outside! Spicy but not too hot. Sooooo good! I even got to have a glass of Pinot Grigio to go with it that he bought for me even if he does not drink. Next time you hear me complain about that man (do I ever? Who? Me? Nah....) just stick a panino in my mouth. Oh, butter it first, if you don't mind.

p.s.: I bet you are wondering why that Grilled Tilapia with Cajun Seasoning did not make it in one piece to the picture...sorry: it smelled too good

Soups, Amore Mio!

2008-07-12T20:38:00.006-06:00

I don’t know why it took me so long to learn and appreciate soups. I guess as children we think they’re not cool enough. In fact they’re pretty HOT (trying to be funny here, please smile at least).

One of the false ideas I had about soups was that they are only good in wintertime. WRONG!
Of course they are among the most common comfort food when it’s cold out there but some of them are wonderful source of vitamins and minerals ESPECIALLY in the summertime when we lose so many of those sweating and trying to drag our heavy (in my case) bodies around in the hot and humid weather. Ok, Syl, this might not apply to you, since you live in Finland and probably do not sweat much at all but it does to most of us.

There is nothing like lukewarm (or even cold) hearty MINESTRONE on those hot summer days. Or a Zucchini and Potato Soup. Or, why not, a Spanish Gazpacho. Healthy, tasty and refreshing.

But I wasn’t trying to be any healthy or refreshing the other night, when I managed to be nice to myself and finally make the ZUPPA DI PESCE (seafood soup) I had craved for days.
Hot and tasty, it made me sweat more than ever, but it was worthy.
I still missed a glass of ice cold Prosecco to go with it but hey…you can’t have everything in life. I still went to bed happy.

Cecilia, Larry and the Tagliatelle

2008-07-07T12:00:00.033-06:00

Today we’re on a mission: Cecilia and Larry are going to make FRESH TAGLIATELLE from scratch with me. By the way: I love working with couples. It’s so much fun!

Making fresh egg noodle the old, traditional way, is simple and fun, not to mention it’s just delicious!
Ready?

Ok, let’s do this!First, we get a little help for the dirty work

Not much, though, just to get us started, since today we are definitely going to use our hands for this project. So we start kneading....

...and then we knead again...

…and then we knead some more! See? Isn’t this good deal? You pay for the cooking classes and the working out part comes for free!

Now we let the dough rest a while, making sure it does not dry out

We need some help to get the pasta machine ready, but we have the right man for the job

Here starts the rolling phase. Let’s get a piece of dough

Rolling, rolling, rolling…

...Rolling, rolling, rolling…

....more rolling aaaaaand.....

CUT!

“Aren’t they loooooveeely?” (singing like Stevie Wonder, here)

Now here are a few suggestions on how to treat these cute guys…

Some fresh zucchini would be good

Don’t forget the fresh mint

And how about some citrus shrimp? Yummy…

Someone needs to taste. Salt's ok?

Even some champignon mushroom sauce would be good…whatever you pick, make sure you boil the noodle in lots of water and saute’ the pasta for a few minutes in the pan with the sauce you use.

OK. We are done and gone to eat now.

There would be so many other great ideas for this pasta…slurp!

Care to share with us what yours would be?

Bye bye and buon appetito!

All In One Plate

2008-07-06T07:54:00.008-06:00

You are looking at a plate that makes most of my friends back at home shake their heads in disapproval. Isn't it just terrible?

Take a second look: Bavette al Limone, Gamberi al Rosmarino, Verdure Grigliate (Lemon Linguine, Rosemary Shrimp, Grilled Vegetables).

What's the problem? THE PLATE IS! "You don't put pasta, seafood and veggies in the same plate, Dani!" At home they would never!

Confession time: I have, as you can see, and I still do it quite often.

I must admit I have come to terms with this american habit of "building" the entree plate that had shocked me too, at first. It offers possibilities and some mix are interesting. Of course I still think it fits better American food than it does Italian and when I cook for some more important occasion I tend to stick to the traditional "multiple courses" and "multiple plates" meal I am more familiar with. But like I said I have started to like the cross-contamination.

To my Italian friends: if you think about it there are exceptions to the normal standard in our tradition too. Take Ossobuco col Risotto alla Milanese, for instance...OK, OK, got it: it's no excuse. I promise: when you come visit, you will never be offered a plate like this! We'll pretend this conversation has never happened and you will be kind enough to forgive my weirdness...

Teach Your Children Well

2008-07-03T16:11:00.007-06:00

It's never too soon. It can'hurt as long as you keep a close eye on them. It has a whole lot of pros and very little cons, if you ask me.

Cooking with your children, that is. Having them around while you prepare their meals. Letting them ... ehm ... help you. It's educational and fun.

I don't know about you, but I want my son to know about ingredients and how what he's eating became what it is.

He can barely count to ten, as of today, but he knows rosemary from basil, he knows the main ingredients of pizza and what a hamburger is made of (that's the beauty of dual citizenship, there).

It's big motivation to eat their food when it's time to sit and have their meal. I was blessed with a good eater (with the parents he has, I would have been surprised if we wasn't) but I must say that it's harder to be picky about what's in their plate when they helped fixing it.

In the picture Nicholas is helping making brownies. Not that he needed motivation to eat those. In fact, right when I was ready to put the pan in the oven he told me: "no need, mamma: I like them cold"

Lemon Zesters Are A Girl's Best Friends

2008-07-02T07:06:00.006-06:00

“WE” are a strange type of women. “WE” as in those who recognize themselves in the description that follows (please raise your hand as you read on, if the case).

We are the kind that can pass in front of a boutique store window and turn their head the other way but cannot resist the impulse of thoroughly checking every detail of the last Calph**** or Cuisin*** or Ales** kitchen tool . Average time for the operation: it depends on the size, but never less than 30 minutes since we do things properly and take our mission seriously.

We are those who can spend a fortune in useless kitchen toys (“it’s NOT useless and it’s NOT a toy: I used it ONCE in the summer of 1997!”) and do not remember last time they bought a pair of shoes.

Our husbands don’t fear walking with us into a jewelry store, but panic when we’re taking a stroll together in a mall and they see the sign that shows the direction to the home department. They can’t help it but reach for the pocket in their jeans and check if wallet and credit cards are still there.

Santa Claus does not even open our letters anymore: he goes “yeah, yeah, yeah, I know: it’s gotta be another hard-anodized pan, an electric wine opener, a digital scale or…what was it the other year? Oh, yeah, the professional crème brulee torch…” (and this must be ringing a bell to someone I know...)

Gotta love us, the way we love the ones we’re cooking for. Let us be a little strange sometimes: see the sparkle in our eyes when we open a well wrapped lemon zester for our birthday and just know that we’re already visualizing the next shrimp pasta we’ll make for you with that special touch that had been missing till now. It’s all love, just love, as usual…

Keep It Simple!

2008-06-30T08:52:00.012-06:00

Keep It Simple, that's my motto, in the kitchen and in my life. Which is, unlike one might think, easier said than done. At least when you don't want to risk to slip from "simple" into "plain". Especially with food.

Instinctively I hate it when too many flavors are combined to the point that you cannot tell one from the other. To me, just like in music, harmony does not take a whole bunch of notes to sound beautifully. Three of them and you have your perfect chord, right? Same in my kitchen. BUT....eheheh...of course there's a BUT! Those few ingredients must be excellent quality. That's all that you need to know about it. So don't rush adding this and that to your recipe, try on the contrary to do the opposite, to figure out what you can take out instead, but do not settle for second best in terms of quality. If I still have not convinced you, follow these easy steps to my "simple=delicious" test and then let me know.

1) SLICE OF GOOD BREAD (Tuscan, preferably. If not, a nice fresh baguette will do the trick)

2) CLOVE OF GARLIC (can't go wrong with that. Don't you even think of going reach for the garlic powder I KNOW you have in that spice cabinet of yours...)

3) GOOD EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL. (Italian. Double-check that label, please. Thaaank you!)

4) MARINE SALT

OK, now grill the bread. Peel the garlic. As soon as the bread is ready, yes while it's still VERY hot, energetically rub the garlic over the bread. Pinch of salt. Drizzle with EVOO, as someone cuter than me would say...

Now comes the best part. Sit (imperative). Slowly bring the bruschetta to your mouth. Oh, I did not tell you it was a good "bruschetta" I was talking about? Bad Dani!

Now shhhhhhh.....*crunch*....*crunch, crunch*...*crunch, crunch, crunch*. No other words necessary. Now you tell me, after the test: is this plain or....SIMPLY heaven?

Evviva!

2008-06-29T08:38:00.002-06:00

Who would have ever guessed? I, Daniela Moro Williams, almost computer illiterate, barely a family cook but nevertheless convinced I can teach, have my own blog and it's about the two keywords of my life: LOVE and FOOD! Up till yesterday I hardly even knew what a blog was (well, I STILL hardly know what that is, but now I own one). It's all Silvia's fault, but this is a long story. Now all I need to know is how to use it. Hey, who cares? Again, I can still say I have one! I feel like I am driving a brand new car. If I don't wreck it in the next few minutes you'll have something tasty to read about in the near future... :-)