Italian girl in London

Italian girl in London

Category Archives: Food and cooking

Viva la Pasta

02 Wednesday Jul 2014

Posted by italiangirlinlondon in Food and cooking, Lifestyle

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burro e salvia, goodfood, Kitchen Aid, pasta, wedding present, wine

Compiling your wedding list is fun. It is a free ticket for something that you do not really need, you do not feel comfortable spending some serious money on it, but you feel you deserve it. Also it feel compulsory to choose items that will stay with you – happily ever after – for at least a couple of good decades.

Time to embrace your passions and match them with great presents. The Lord indulged in a solid crystal decanter to enhance good red wines and make the less so drinkable. I got the Kitchen Aid, and, as I was indulging, I got the pasta tools as well.

Inspired by my friend Gaia and her legendary Shoreditch pastificio Burro e Salvia, I thought it was my duty to give pasta making a go. I saw my mother making it with a manual pasta machine, my grandmother doing it from scratch, using exclusively her hands a rolling pin, so I decided to leave the fear of failing behind me and give it a go. Twenty-first century technology was on my side, so what could go wrong?pasta2

I tried few attempts, all successful and well received, a gluten free version (not hugely proud of it, the dough doesn’t stick very well together), and reached the conclusion that this is the best recipe.

Warning. It gets messy. Flour gets everywhere and I spend half of my pasta time clearing out the mess. Hopefully with a bit more experience, I will get better at that as well. But it was worthy.

Bring on the next pasta party!

 

pasta 3

300 gr plain flour, also called 00

3 large eggs, well beaten

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Makes 450 gr of pasta

10 minutes to mix

1 hour to rest in the fridge plus 15 extra minutes

30 minutes to make pasta – hopefully I will get faster with practise

Instructions

Combine the flour, and salt in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the eggs & beat well with a fork.

Add extra-virgin olive oil to the eggs and mix with a fork.

Add the cold water to the egg & olive oil mixture, and mix

Pour the liquid ingredients into your mixer bowl and attach the flat beater.

Add half of the flour, turn to speed 2 and mix 20 seconds. Add the rest of the flour and mix an additional 20 seconds.

Exchange flat beater for the dough hook.

Turn to speed 2 and knead for 5 to 8 minutes, until a dough ball is formed.

NOTE: Good pasta dough should be elastic and pliable, but FIRM (not soft like bread dough). It should not stick to your fingers or fall apart.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour.

Remove dough from refrigerator and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Using your hands, roll dough into a log, and slice it into 4 piece.

Flatten each piece slightly, using a rolling pin. Spread it with flour, so the dough doesn’t stick on it.

Using the widest setting (1 on the Kitchenaid), turn mixer to speed 2 and taking one piece of the flattened dough, feed through rollers. Fold dough in half & roll again. Repeat 3 more times, lightly dusting the sheet of pasta in between each rolling.

Move adjustment knob to setting 2 and feed the dough sheet through the rollers once or twice, depending how think do you like your pasta. I like it thick!

Continue to increase roller setting until desired dough thickness is reached

Place the pasta sheets on a clean and thin kitchen cloth, the bigger the better,

dusted with flour, so the dough doesn’t dry out or stick.

And now the fun part, where the magic happens:

Exchange the Pasta Roller Sheet attachment for the tagliatelle one.

Run each sheet through the cutter.

Fold each set of tagliatelle into a next and dust with flour again.

You can place the pasta in the fridge for up to 12 hours, so I suggest to store there only what you are willing to eat in the next few hours. Everything else can go in the freezer.

When ready to cook, boil your water and add salt. I also add a spoon of oil.

Fresh pasta will cook faster than commercially bought pasta — about 4 minutes are sufficient.

 

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Alaskan Gold Rush in Pimlico

25 Wednesday Jun 2014

Posted by italiangirlinlondon in Food and cooking, Lifestyle

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Alaska, designmynight, fish, garden, grain, oil, Parka, Pimlico, Raymond Blanc, salmon, Sarah Palin, tomatoes

A new wave of buyers hunting for London prime real estate…or American oil magnates buying overpriced Georgian properties in Pimlico? No, this post is about a culinary experience, Alaska themed.

Alaska?!? Three images fill my brain: giant parkas, bears and Sarah Palin holding a rifle. I like to challenge my opinions but I was slightly sceptical when a friend recommended a night of food and entertainment with Alaska in its title. Being Italian, I believe that that the holy trinity of food – tomatoes, grains and olive oil – exists because the earth is blessed by sun, a kind soil and a warm climate. When it comes to a night out, I know far too well that an enjoyable evening is based on good company more than anything else. In this case I knew the company was going to be good, the location was on my doorstep and the fact that of the chefs trained at Moro, was good enough for me. I also felt that is my duty to embrace any social activity that might put Pimlico on the entertainment destination map.

And here we go, the event. We were thrown back in 1899 at the time of the gold rush, a Pimlico garden transformed with tents and digging tools, everything beautifully styled and choreographed. Cute ladies and gentlemen – putting on a fake American accent – welcomed us and served really delicious food. Fish, lots of fish. This is what Alaska is clearly famous for, not hockey mothers.

The highlight of the menu was salmon. After a few years in London and numerous spells in Scotland, I thought I had had salmon in every possible shape and form. How wrong I was. The menu is enclosed here

20140622_165047and the wild sockeye salmon, with cucumber salad was outstanding. I would have never expected for cucumber salad to taste so great. In case you might want to give it a go, here is the recipe. Raymond Blanc is the master chef behind the original one. This is a slightly simplified version, very easy and pretty quick. As long as the salmon is good quality.

Ingredients

For the salmon

  • 4 x 100g wild salmon fillet
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • pinch white peppercorns, crushed
  • 1½ tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp chopped dill
  • 1 tsp lemon zest ( finely chopped)
  • 500ml extra virgin olive oil to confit the salmon

Samon confit

Preparation method

Cure the salmon: place the 4 fillets of salmon into a small bowl and mix with the salt, pepper, dill and lemon zest. Marinade for 30 minutes, only. Wash under running water, and pat dry the fish. Refrigerate covered with cling film.

To confit the salmon: preheat the olive oil to 55C: drop in the four pieces of salmon and cook for approximately 16-18 minutes at 45C. Probe temperature of oil. The aim here is not to cook the salmon but to change its texture and taste. Once you put the 4 fillets into the oil, the oil temperature will drop to approx 45C. It must be kept at this temperature so use a probe to check. The salmon will be uncooked yet creating a very pleasing taste and texture. If over cooked the salmon fillet will leak white proteins (albumen).

For the cucumber salad

  • 1 cucumber, peeled and de-seeded
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp non-scented oil
  • 1 tbsp chopped dill
  • 1 pinch fresh ground pepper

Make the cucumber salad: finely slice the cucumber. Place in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and leave and marinade for 30 mins. (The salt will remove the enzymes which can cause indigestion). Rinse under cold water, pat dry. Add vinegar, sunflower oil, dill and pepper. Taste to correct seasoning.

http://www.designmynight.com/london?from=logo

My gold certificate

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Polpette, ricetta semiprecisa per un piatto che non delude mai

17 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by italiangirlinlondon in Food and cooking, Lifestyle

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cucina, polpette

Food is the new sex. Anche chi non mastica l’inglese sa che cosa significa. Ma se è davvero così, mi chiedo che cosa sono le polpette. L’incontro casuale in una serata in cui non avevi voglia di uscire, di quelle sere che, una volta fuori e in un bar pieno di gente, ti rendi conto di indossare i vestiti sbagliati. Ma che, chissà come mai, finisci per fare l’incontro, se non della vita, almeno della stagione. medium_5444909494

Tutto questo per parlare di una pietanza che non troverete nei libri di cucina francese o che non vi insegneranno ai corsi su come diventare un mago ai fornelli. Le polpette, come i migliori incontri, nascono dalla casualità, dal momento e da un pizzico di fortuna. Serendipity, dicono i sociologi.

A casa mia sono sempre un successo, nella versione asciutta o al pomodoro. Quella qui sotto è la mia versione. La cosa più bella è che se anche vi si aggiunge un altro ingrediente o due, o se manca qualcosa, escono bene lo stesso. A me piace prepararle, mi ricordano quelle di mia nonna Carla, irreplicabili e indimenticabili. Nascono dal concetto di “come fare una cena usando gli avanzi”, e si sono evolute nel tempo, fino a diventare una pietanza a pieno diritto, da programmare e desiderare.

Image

Ecco che cosa ci ho messo l’ultima volta:

Tagliate una cipolla sottile con la mezzaluna, fatela rosolare nell’olio di oliva. Aggiungete due spicchi d’aglio, ma solo per il soffritto. Toglieteli, altrimenti se vi capita di condividere uno spazio con me, il mio sguardo vi polverizzerà. L’aglio traspira dalla pelle e non vi lascia per 24 ore.

500gr di carne tritata, possibilmente magra

2 uova

Una fetta di pane da far ammorbidire nel latte

sale e pepe a piacere

mezzo cucchianino di curry o di masala in polvere

un paio di cucchiai di Grana o Parmigiano grattugiati

due cucchiai di pan grattato

un po’ di olio per tenere insieme il tutto

farina macinata grossa per avvolgerle

dado vegetale da cucina, da dissolvere in mezzo litro di acqua bollente

A piacere: prezzemolo, pezzetti di prosciutto o mini cubetti di formaggio  medium_4890790778

Fare le polpette è divertente. Si mescola tutto quello elencato qui sopra, tranne la farina. Non serve seguire un ordine particolare, basta mescolare tutto con un cucchiaio di legno, e farlo con calma. Poi,  con un paio di cucchiai da minestra piuttosto grandi, raccogliete la quantità di composto necessario per fare una pallina, fatela rotolare nella farina e poi adagiatela in una padella antiaderente, con un po’ di olio. Quando tutte le polpette sono disposte nella padella, aggiungete un po’ alla volta il brodo vegetale, in modo da ricoprirle almeno per metà, continuando la cottura a fuoco vivace. Girate le polpette con delicatezza ogni due minuti. Vedrete che il brodo si assorbe molto velocemente. In dieci minuti le polpette saranno pronte e – probabilmente – buonissime. A me piacciono moltissimo con una crosticina leggera su entrambi i lati. A questo punto sta a voi scegliere se volete servirle così, o se invece volete aggiungere il pomodoro. In quel caso basterà aggiungere un barattolo di polpa di pomodoro, un paio di cucchiai di caro e vecchio olio, sale e pepe. Fate cuocere a fuoco moderato per almeno altri dieci minuti, finche’ il pomodoro si sarà assorbito con la carne.

Sono buonissime anche il giorno dopo e si possono surgelare

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/mamma3/4890790778/”>Elga73</a&gt; via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a&gt; <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/”>cc</a&gt;
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/cielomiomarito/7413322978/”>cielomiomarito</a&gt; via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a&gt; <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>cc</a&gt;
 
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/clada74/5444909494/”>Ann@74</a&gt; via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a&gt; <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>cc</a&gt;
 
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/elanaspantry/5043107418/”>elana’s pantry</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a&gt; <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/”>cc</a&gt;

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Meatballs or polpette: serendipity in the kitchen

17 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by italiangirlinlondon in Food and cooking, Lifestyle

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cooking, dish, meatballs

Food is the new sex. This is hardly big news. But if this is true, where do we position meatballs? We normally find them sitting on a pile of overcooked pasta, or featuring in Walt Disney films where dogs fall in love. I think they deserve better press. Polpette are like those encounters you make on a night when you do not feel inspired to go out. You are tired, are wearing the wrong clothes, but you meet a very special person. It might last a day, a season or be for life. All you know is that it is going to be good.  medium_5380306909

You will struggle to find a recipe for meatballs (or polpette) in a French cooking book, they will not teach you how to prepare them during that expensive cooking course. Despite all of this, I think that meatballs, like the best things in life, are the result of very few good ingredients and a bit of luck.

Whenever I cook them, they are always devoured. The version enclosed below is my own version. It always changes slightly, but the result never fails to please my palate.

The best thing is, even if you forget one ingredient or you want to add a couple of other things, they always come out pretty well. I enjoy making meatballs, also because of the low level of craftsmanship involved and the playful side. Even a child can make it without struggling. And every time I make them, they remind me the ones that my grandma Carla was used to make: unforgettable and non replicable. The ethos behind meatballs is “how can I pull together a dinner, using the leftovers”. On the other hand, I consider them a dish that deserves its own identity and full respect.  

medium_5520680386

Here is how I prepared meatballs a couple of days ago:

Onions: cut a big onion in small pieces and fry it lightly in a pan, with a bit of oil. Remove them from the pan once soft and gold

500 gr of mince meat, possibly lean

2 eggs

A slice of bread soaked in milk

Half teaspoon of curry or masala powder

A couple of tablespoons of grated cheese (Grana or Parmigiano)

A bit of oil

Flour, you will roll the meatballs in it

Vegetable stock, to dissolve in half litre of water

Optional: parsley, bits of ham or little cubes of cheese

Puntarelle and Polpette

All you need to do it to mix everything together with a wooden spoon, gently, leaving out only the flour.  You will use it to roll in the meatballs and “seal” them so that bits of meat do not fall out. It is the type of preparation that you can do when your mind is elsewhere. Once you have made the balls – I usually use two spoons to choose the quantity and make them even – put them in a pan, hot with olive oil. Once all the meatballs are in the pan, pour over the hot stock a bit at a time. It will be absorbed very quickly. Turn the meatballs every couple of minutes. In ten minutes they will be done. I really love them when they make a thin and crispy layer on each side. medium_5143425684

If you prefer the version with tomato sauce, once you get to this stage you only have to add a can of tomato sauce, add three table spoon of oil, a bit of salt and pepper, and let it cook for an extra ten minutes. The sauce will be absorbed in no time. Very good the day after, they can also be frozen

photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/iz4aks/5520680386/”>iz4aks</a&gt; via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a&gt; <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/”>cc</a&gt;
 
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/seventyoneplace/4467017981/”>seventyoneplace</a&gt; via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a&gt; <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/”>cc</a&gt;
 
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/chefpercaso/5143425684/”>chefpercaso</a&gt; via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a&gt; <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/”>cc</a&gt;
 
 
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/mamma3/5380306909/”>Elga73</a&gt; via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a&gt; <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/”>cc</a&gt;

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E’ finita l’attesa: pasta fresca anche a Londra da Burro e Salvia

13 Tuesday Aug 2013

Posted by italiangirlinlondon in Food and cooking, Lifestyle, Little Black Book

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design, gnocchi, pasta, ravioli, tagliatelle, tradizioni

Fino a qualche anno fa il venerdì era giorno giusto per comperare il pesce e la pasta. Le nostre madri, manager e pianificatrici organizzatissime, compravano gli gnocchi per il venerdì, le tagliatelle per il sabato e i quadrucci da fare in brodo per il lunedì. Sì, perché’ il lunedì bisognava stare leggeri, iniziare la dieta, e un bel brodino arricchito dai quadrucci era la soluzione per bilanciare il brasato e le torte mangiate il giorno prima. 1016581_565855026790979_1045149545_n

Erano giorni dalle ore lunghe e infinite, soprattutto quelle pomeridiane, giorni in cui le stagioni e gli anni fiscali non avevano senso, ma solo le vacanze scolastiche dettavano il ritmo. In quei giorni il pastificio era un negozio piccolo, e si trovava in ogni quartiere. Le macchine erano a vista e due generazioni della stessa famiglia impegnate a portare avanti il business, lavorando nel fronte e nel retro bottega. Pochi i prodotti in vendita, a cui se ne sono aggiunti una manciata negli ultimi anni.

Se la via fosse un film, potremmo premere il tasto “forward” e ritrovarci in un secondo a Shoreditch, East London. Il pastificio Burro e Salvia è la versione 2.0 del tradizionale pastificio italiano, sapientemente affacciato sulla strada più hip di questa zona così vibrante e di tendenza. Il design dell’ interno è minimalista con l’anima, e tutti gli elementi che lo compongono sono stati scelti con attenzione e fantasia: la tazzina del caffè, l’etichetta del pacchetto, i grembiuli, il sapone per le mani di Aesop.

1254_572422542800894_1431844088_n

Pasta, gnocchi, ravioli. Tutto viene preparato davanti ai clienti, dietro ad un bel bancone di Corian, pronto per essere portato a casa e cucinato a piacere, o ancor meglio gustato direttamente nella zona ristorante nel retro del locale, o al banco, seduti su uno sgabello, mentre si osserva il mondo passare davanti. Per chi opta per la prima possibilità Gaia Enria – la proprietaria –  allega al pacchetto un foglietto di istruzione su come si cucina la pasta. Insomma, nessun rischio di pasta collosa o ravioli che si sfracellano in pentola per chi non ha mai osato cucinare.

Il menu di Burro e Salvia è tradizionale e stagionale, arricchito da qualche sorpresa. Per esempio gli gnocchi di ricotta e spinaci che ho assaggiato io – perfetti per una giornata estiva non troppo calda –mi hanno sorpreso con una punta di menta nel retrogusto.

1016589_573383286038153_366436613_nVorrei portare a scoprire questo posto i miei amici italiani, a Londra per un weekend o per sempre, mostrando loro come alcuni capisaldi della cultura culinaria italiana possono ancora essere esportati, e  direi anche arricchiti e rivitalizzati. Come? Facendo attenzione ai dettagli, all’esperienza del cliente e aggiungendo un tocco di design. E ricordandoci che una cosa semplice come la pasta, puo’ essere divina. Tutto quel di cui ha bisogno è attenzione e un bel contesto.

A proposito, una porzione di pasta – da sola – non fa ingrassare.

E aiuta la produzione di serotonina.

https://www.facebook.com/burroesalvia?fref=ts

www.http://burroesalvia.co.uk/

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Burro e Salvia, fresh and delicious pasta. Welcome to Shoreditch

13 Tuesday Aug 2013

Posted by italiangirlinlondon in Food and cooking, Lifestyle, Little Black Book

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gnocchi, pasta, ravioli, Shoreditch, tagliatelle

Fridays were the days for fish and fresh pasta. Mothers, aka chief family managers, were used to plan ahead for the meals of the following days. Gnocchi for Friday, noodles for Saturday and quadrucci for the light supper on Monday. Light supper, as diets always start on Mondays.

10155_568335369876278_1215406596_n

Those are the days when hours were long and stretched, when school holidays set the calendar and a pastificio was a little shop. The pasta machines were visible, just in the background, managed by two generations of the same family. They were running together the front and the back of the shop. Few products on sale, fewer were added along the line in the last few years.

2047_578774458832369_2004594461_n

Press the forward button and we are in 2013. East London. Burro e Salvia is the 2.0 version of the traditional Italian pastificio (literally the place where they make pasta), cleverly positioned in the hippest corner of Shoreditch. The design is minimal and sophisticated. Everything you see is carefully chosen: the coffee cup, the label, the aprons, Aesop hand soap in the loo.

Pasta, ravioli, gnocchi are prepared daily in front of the customers, behind a beautiful Corian working top, ready to be taken home and cooked to perfection, following the instructions that Gaia Enria, the owner, will put in your shopping bag. Or, even better, served in the dining area of the pastificio.

9356_560236757352806_984769726_nThe menu of Burro e Salvia offers a good seasonal selection of traditional Italian pastas. Sometimes with a surprising twist. I had some lovely ricotta and spinach gnocchi, a perfect meal for a not so hot British summer day. Prepared following the traditional recipe, the twist is delivered by a tip of mint. Perfect to enjoy in the bright dining area or al banco, sitting on a stall, looking at never boring world that strolls outside. It is Shoreditch, so people watching cannot be boring.

Burro e Salvia is a place where I want to take some Italian friends, in London forever or here just for few days, so I can show them how some Italian traditional pillars can be exported, revitalised and rejuvenated. How? Adding attention to details, to the customer experience and a splash of good design. And remember that something as simple as pasta can be divine. All it needs is attention, care, and a good setting.

BTW pasta doesn’t make you fat and it boosts the production of serotonin. So drop the Xanax and have a bowl of tagliatelle.

https://www.facebook.com/burroesalvia?fref=ts

www.http://burroesalvia.co.uk/

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Haggis, tartan and a mystery vegetable

27 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by italiangirlinlondon in Food and cooking, Lifestyle

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Burns night, haggis, Highlands, potatoes, Scotland, tartan, turnip

This is the time of the year when days are short and the sunny season feels further away than the Moon. Friday night was Burns night, a good excuse for restaurant and bars to offer some good Scottish entertainment: bagpipes and haggis, a type of food that you do not want to know where it comes from or how it is prepared.

If you are looking for an equivalent in the Italian culinary tradition, think Trippa (a type of edible offal from the stomach of various farm animals) or think about the way the pig is treated by the northern Italian cooking history (you eat every single part of it).

As many things these days, it used to be peasant food, before gastropubs and trendy restaurants decided to give it a go. Haggis

I like it, certainly better in its vegetarian version, lighter and easier to digest.

 

Few days ago I was running out of ideas for supper and the only veggie left from the Abel and Cole box was turnip. Turnip? I would call it a mysterious vegetable. I had to look it up on line, and discovered that it belongs to the same family of carrots and potatoes, but it is nota s popular and well known as the other ones.

turnip photo credit- <a href="http-//www.flickr.com/photos/soozums/56771707/">soozums</a> via <a href="http-//photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http-//creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>

turnip photo credit- soozums via photopin cc

 

If are British, you will probably know how to cook this vegetable. For all the others, take a look at this link, if you want to make some usage of it. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jan/22/seasonal-food-

 

How did I cook it? I made a gratin, following the potatoes dauphinoise recipe, sans beacon and cream, adding Philadelphia instead.

 

The Lord appreciated this supper and didn’t complain for the lack of animal fat in the turnip gratin. We are not in the Highlands, where you need fat to keep you warm and jump around to perform Scottish dance – the only form of dance that he can perform. He clearly has some Scottish blood.

And probably so do I. Otherwise I wouldn’t explain my expertise when it comes to tartan. I grew up wearing pleated skirts, tartan trousers, Montgomery coats with Scottish patterned linings. I really like it. In moderation.

I found plenty of ideas and styles at www.fabricsandpapers.com. In tartan we trust.

Tartan http-::www.flickr.com:photos:jimmy_macdonald:5431347057:

Tartan http-::www.flickr.com:photos:jimmy_macdonald:5431347057:

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Abel and Cole

10 Saturday Nov 2012

Posted by italiangirlinlondon in Food and cooking, Lifestyle

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Abel and Cole, cooking, food, fridge, fruit, lunch, Sicily, vegetables

Avete mai desiderato un pomodoro, o una melanzana, che abbia un sapore diverso da acqua solida e colorata? O che non vi lasci insoddisfatti dopo averlo mangiato? Io si, putroppo molte volte. Ho bisogno di appagare la gola, non solo la vista. La frutta e la verdura comperata al supermercato – sia in Italia che a Londra – non credo venga trattata molto bene, e il sapore ne risente. Almeno in Italia le mele non soffrono di rachitismo e le pere si possono mangiare dopo alcuni giorni dall’aquisto, non mesi.

Passo le vacanze estive in Sicilia a Settembre, causa due matrimoni che si faranno ricordare per un bel po’ di anni (grazie Ilaria e Renate). Lì mi ricordo che è ancora possibile nutrirsi di cibi semplici e saporiti.

Cibi che si mangiano aggiungendo un filo d’olio di oliva, sale, pepe. Cibi che non hanno bisogno di essere ricoprti di formaggio fuso per diventare appetibili. Esistono, quindi. Good news.

photo credit- WordRidden via photopin cc

L’altra rivelazione delle vacanze sono stati gli arancini. Il Lord ed io abbiamo deciso di non lasciare passare un giorno in Sicilia senza mangiarne uno. I migliori li abbiamo trovati alla pasticceria San Carlo di Palermo. Li ho preparati anche a casa più di una volta. Qui trovate il blog con la ricetta: https://italiangirlinlondon.com/2012/11/10/arancini-dummy-proof-version/

Il destino mi è venuto incontro al mio ritorno a Londra, infilando nellla buca delle lettere un depliant di Abel and Cole. La solita trovata radical chic, ho pensato, una scatola microscopica piena di quei broccoli venduti al mercato dei contadini a £4.99 cad. Ci mancherebbe che non fossero buoni!

Mi lascio tentare dal box di prova, incentivata dal fatto che fare l’ordine on line e’ facile, il primo box costa £13.00, e con il primo ordine si riceve un libro di cucina in regalo. Una donna di marketing come me non può resistere ad una bella offerta tentatrice. Opto per il box di base, solo verdura. Sono passate 6 settimane da quella decisione e posso dire con certezza che mi ha cambiato la vita. I motivi sono semplici:

– Mangio più verdura e non devo scervellarmi su cosa/ come cucinare qualcosa di semplice e salutare. Ho SEMPRE qualcosa di fresco in casa. Il mio frigo ha smesso di piangere

– Frutta e verdura sono di stagione, selezionate accuratamente e raccolte quando sono mature. Quindi saporite. Non troverete nel box le fragole a gennaio. Le patate, in compenso, sono disponibili sempre, se le volete.

– Vi mandano una bozza con i prodotti che troverete nella prossima consegna. Se qualcosa non vi piace lo potete sostituire con un’altra radice/ legume/ prodotto della terra

– Il libro di cucina è il libro più utile che abbia mai usato. Viene solo dopo il Ricettario Carli e Il Cucinone. E’ un libro pensato per gente con poco tempo, pochi ingredienti e che non ha idea della differenza tra cavolo cappuccino e broccoli

– Con la consegna arriva anche la spiegazione su come lavare e conservare i prodotti

– Vi fanno provare alcuni prodotti gratis, tipo latte, uova. Oggi e’ stato il turno di un bel pane fresco.

Non vi voglio annoiare e spiegare I dettagli. Guardate il sito, è a prova di dummies www.abelandcole.co.uk/

Dopo 6 settimane conosco almeno 4 nuovi tipi di verdure e come cucinarli, porto il pranzo a lavoro molto più spesso e di conseguenza sono un pochino più ricca. I risparmi sono stati già reinvestiti. No, non in un fondo d’investimento che punta ai mercato emergenti, ma in un abito di Jenny Packham, ultima aggiunta al fondo d’investimento “matrimoni degli altri”. Durerà più a lungo.

Have you ever wanted to eat a tomato or an aubergine tasting better than coloured 3D water? Fruit and vegetables sold in the supermarket – both in Italy and in London – do not get treated very well. And their flavours reflect the way they have been treated. At least if you live In Italy and buy apples, they are going to be bigger than a ping-pong ball and will not suffer from rachitism. If you go for pears, you will be able to savour them within few days, not months.

 

I had my eureka moment at the end of September, holidaying Sicily, where I attended two very memorable weddings (thanks Ilaria and Renate) and I realized that it is still possible to eat simple and tasty food; the type of food that needs only few drops of good olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper to reveal its flavours, not food that becomes appetizing thanks to a pile of melted cheese. That type of food exists in generous amount, which is good news.

photo credit- AndyRobertsPhotos via photopin cc

The other discovery from heaven was arancini. The Lord and I have tried them in every single place we visited during our Mediterranean holiday and made sure to have at least one a day. The best one we had was in Mondello at the Pasticceria San Carlo.

I tried to replicate this magic food in my kitchen. If you want to do so, take a look at this post: Follow this link if you want to bring the sun and the magic flavors of Sicily in your kitchen. See how to make them https://italiangirlinlondon.com/2012/11/10/arancini-dummy-proof-version/

 

Back in rainy and cold London the destiny knocked at my door in the form of a leaflet from Abel and Cole. My first thought: “Here is another eco/innovative/ life changing product for radical chic people. The same people who enjoy spending £ 4.99 on a microscopic broccoli at the Farmer’s Market up the road. Not for me”. 
Despite my initial impression, I gave it a try, encouraged by the user-friendly website, the reasonable tag price – a week supply of vegetables costs £ 13.00 – and a free cookbook. 
A marketing woman like me cannot resist a good deal.

I opt for the basic box. It arrives on time.

 

It’s been six weeks since that decision and I am not afraid to say that it changed my life.

– I eat more vegetables and I do not think about what/ how to cook something simple and healthy. My fridge has stopped crying

– Fruit and vegetables are seasonal, carefully selected and local. You will not receive strawberries in January. Potatoes, on the other hand, are always available, but only if you want them

– The cookbook is one of the most useful tool I have in my kitchen. In my personal chart, it comes second only to Il ricettario Carli and Il Cucinone. It is a book designed for people with little time, a few ingredients and has no idea of the difference between cabbage and broccoli

– The delivery comes with a leaflet explaining how to wash and store products

– Today I got a fresh loaf bread. They encourage you try some free products, such as milk and eggs.

 

All the relevant info on their dummy-proof web site:www.abelandcole.co.uk/

In 6 weeks I got to know and cook 4 new vegetables. I bring my lunch to work more often and therefore am a bit richer. The savings have already been reinvested. No, not in a high yield emerging market fund, but in a dress by Jenny Packham, the latest addition to my long term investment fund called “marriages of friends”


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Arancini – dummy proof version

10 Saturday Nov 2012

Posted by italiangirlinlondon in Food and cooking

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

arancini, food, rice, vegetables, zafferano

I like this recipe because it allows me to customize the arancini with whatever I have in the fridge. Unlike other recipes, the result will be good even if you are not very accurate with the doses and you just trust your instincts.

 

Ingredients

Rice – 400 g – best risotto type

Eggs – 5, preferably L or XL (4 yolks and one whole)

Zafferano – a packet

Breadcrumbs – up to 200 grams

Pecorino and / or scamorza cheese – as much as you want

Salt – little (it raises blood pressure)

Olive oil – choose the best that you can afford, it really makes the difference

For the filling: Ragu ‘/ vegetables / other cheese / peas or whatever you like

 

 

This is not a good recipe if you have little time. Arancini requires patience and practice.

Boil the rice in salted water (about one litre).

While the rice is cooking, melt the saffron in a little hot water and add the egg yolks.

Once cooked, the rice should be dry: do not drain it, but mix it with eggs.

Sprinkle everything with pecorino (or parmesan) and let it cool for an hour.

Now cut the cheese in small cubes of about an inch each.

Place a thin layer of rice on the palm of your hand to form a small ball, and fill it with a teaspoon of ragu’ sauce / vegetables and a cheese cube.

Once this is done, you can close the ball with another thin layer of rice.

When it becomes compact, pass it through a beaten egg and breadcrumbs.

Fry in plenty of olive oil or let them brown in the oven at 180 degrees for about twenty minutes. Absorbs the excess oil in kitchen paper

photo credit- CyboRoZ via photopin cc

Questa ricetta mi piace perche’ mi consente di personalizzare gli arancini con quello che ho nel frigorifero. A differenza di alter ricette, esce bene anche se non siete super precisi con le dosi e vi fidate del vostro istinto.

Ingredienti / occorrenti

Riso – 400 gr – meglio se per risotto

Uova – 5, meglio se L o XL (4 tuorli e uno intero)

Zafferano – una bustina

Pan grattato – quanto basta

Pecorino e/o scamorza – a piacere

Sale – poco (fa alzare la pressione)

Olio d’oliva – scegliete il meglio che vi potete permettere, fa la differenza

Per il ripieno: Ragu’/ verdure/ altro formaggio/ piselli o quello che vi piace

 Preparazione:

Questa non e’ una buona ricetta per quando avete poco tempo. Gli arancini richiedono pazienza e pratica.

Lessate il riso in acqua salata (circa un litro). Mentre il riso cuoce, proseguite sciogliendo lo zafferano in poca acqua e unitelo ai tuorli d’uovo.

Una volta cotto, il riso dovrebbe essere asciutto: non scolatelo, ma incorporatelo all’uovo. Cospargete tutto con del pecorino (o parmigiano) e fatelo raffreddare per un’ora.

Tagliate ora la scamorza a cubetti da circa un centimetro ciascuno.

Successivamente mettete uno strato sottile di riso sulla palmo della mano, formando una  pallina, che poi andrete a riempire con un cucchiaino di ragù/ le verdure e un cubetto di formaggio.

Fatto questo, potete quindi chiudere la pallina con un altro sottile strato di riso. Quando diventa ben compatto, passatelo nell’uovo intero sbattuto e nel pangrattato. Friggeteli in abbondante olio d’oliva o fateli dorare in forno  a 180 gradi per una ventina di minuti.

photo credit- blow_up810 via photopin cc

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Pippa’s and Alessandra’s bread

26 Friday Oct 2012

Posted by italiangirlinlondon in Food and cooking

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Alessandra, Bread, easy cooking, Flour, Pippa, water

photo credit- PetitPlat – Stephanie Kilgast via photopin cc

I love cooking, in my own time and style. Cooking is a treat, is relaxing and I usually fit it in my weekend schedule. I love tossing the ingredients and kneading, in a nutshell I love the manual aspect of cooking. Here is my list of favorites, in no particular order: make bread, gnocchi, pasta, pastry, cakes, cheesecake. Everything from scratch.       The only downside is that the British Lord (aka boyfriend) does not like sweets and desserts, while I enjoy the preparation than the eating. The main beneficiaries are therefore colleagues and friends.

A little story lies behind Pippa’s bread. I am afraid Pippa is not the young Middelton’s sister, but a lady I met in Scotland while I was spending a long weekend near Inverness, pretending to enjoy the local sports (fly-fishing, golf). She would prepare it the night before, so we could have it for breakfast. The best thing about this bread is its level of difficulty. Inexistent. If you own that object of desire called food processor or Bimbi, then this become far too easy.

Here is the recipe:

450 grams of bread – all types of flour

a very full teaspoon bread yeast in powder

half a teaspoon of salt

300 ml of cold water

And then mix the dry ingredients; add the water a bit at a time. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, and then knead it vigorously for ten minutes. Put the mixture in a bowl, cover with a clean cloth, and then leave it to rest in warm place for an hour.

I place it in the boiler’s room, which makes the bread rise divinely. 

Bring the oven to 180-200 degrees. Take a tin, rub a bit of oil or butter on its side, put the dough in it and bake it for about half an hour. You will get a simple and tasty bread, crunchy on the outside and soft inside, healthy and without preservatives.

You can also freeze the mixture after rising, and bake it within the next month. You can make variations by adding seeds, walnuts, hazelnuts, raisins, or whatever you like. Just put the ingredients in the dough during the mixing process.

The second recipe belongs to my homonymous and dear friend Alessandra. She sent me this seasonal recipe for fig’s bread last week, while I was in bed with tonsillitis. The figs are in season in London during the autumn too.

This bread smells like home. Perfect when you feel a bit ‘down’ physically or emotionally.

500 grams of flour normal

2 packets of yeast, or two tablespoons of baking powder

300 grams of figs, crushed or mashed

a small pot of plain yogurt

130 grams of sugar

a teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)

And here’s the preparation: Mix fruit, yogurt, cinnamon and sugar, then add the flour and baking powder until you get a smooth batter.

Add a little extra flour if necessary. Put the mixture at rest for over an hour, as above, and bake in a tin at 180 degrees for about 45 minutes. Dust the surface with a little oil and sugar. It will make it shiny.

photo credit- <a href="">Let Ideas Compete via <a href="photopin.com%22">photopin <a href="">cc

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