Rosemary Bread

Hello my friend! Today we'll see how to prepare a wonderful, fragrant rosemary bread.
It's not difficult, but it takes a long time because we want to prepare an easy to digest bread, so we MUST use a little quantity of yeast and let it work for 8-10-12 hours!! What we have to do is mix and knead patiently.

Ingredients (metric and imperial)for 1 loaf of bread

• 500g (1.1Lb) of  MANITOBA Flour ( indispensable for long rising)
• 340g (12oz) of fresh water
• 5g (0.18oz) of brewer's yeast
• 15g (1 tablespoon) of salt
•  5g (1teaspoon) of sugar
• 15g (1 tablespoon) of chopped rosemary

Method:

• In a big bowl put the water, the sugar and the crumbled yeast
• Mix it for 1 minute with a spoon: this will "wake up" the yeast
• Add the manitoba flour and the rosemary and start mixing and then knead
• after 2 minutes put some flour on your table (or baking table) and empty your bowl onto it
• Knead your dough for other 2 minutes then add the salt and knead again for another 5-6 minutes 
• Put the dough back into the bowl, cover the bowl with a pot top, put it into your oven (swhitched off, of course) and close it.
• after 2 hours cover a baking tin with some baking paper and put the dough on it
• Give to the dough your favourite shape (I use to bake in FILONE shape, the one in the picture)
• Incise lightly the surface (I always do oblique incisions)
• Cover with a clean dish cloth and put again in the oven
• after 7-8 hourse (it depends on the temperature of your house and on the season) get it out from the oven
• pre-heat the oven at 430°F, put in your dough
• When its surface becomes golden, switch off and open the oven
• Get the bread out and DON'T SLICE now (Yes, you have to resist...) because it will continue cooking inside and it's a very important moment, because too wet parts will dry 

When it's just warm, slice it and eat it with some ITALIAN cheese or Mortadella or prosciutto, or simply with some drops of italian extra virgin olive oil and salt!

Octopus and Beans soup

This is a spicy and warm seafood dish, perfect for winter but, once cooled, you can use it as  appetizer in little fingerfood portions.  It's another example of begetable and seafood mixing, very typical of italian cuisine!
Ingredients (imperial and metric) - Party of 4

• 3 little octopus, sliced in pieces
• 2 cans of boiled white beans
• 1 bottle of tomato sauce
• 1 clove of Garlic, finely chopped
• 1 glass of white wine
• 2 pinches of pepper
• Chili (optional)
• 45g (3 tablespoons) of Extravirgin Olive Oil
• 2-3 pinches of salt

Method:

• Put in a large pot  the oil the garlic and the optional chili and turn on a low flame
• wait 2 minutes and put the octopus: let it fry for about 1 minute, mixing
• Add the red wine and when it's evaporated, add the tomato sauce
• Let the sauce boil, if it becomes a bit  dry, add some hot water
• While the sauce is boiling, open and drain one can of beans: reduce them in cream
• Open the other can and drain it.
• When the tomato sauce changes its color becoming dark add the beans cream and the drained beans into the pot
• Cook all together for another 2-3 minutes, then add the salt, mix it and serve

TIPS: when you serve it, you can add some roasted bread  or some Taralli from BARI and some RUCOLA, it will be very nice!!

Cabbage VELLUTATA

Today we'll talk about a typical Italian dish, called VELLUTATA. I can't translate this word, but I want to explain you the meaning: VELLUTO in Italian is like VELVET in english: So this dish is like Velvet in your mouth, delicate, soft and creamy just like Velvet! You can make it with every vegetable you like: Carrots, Cabbage, Potatoes and so on and you can change quantities of spices to have a more spicy or more delicate dish. Let's see how to prepare a cabbage (and potatoes) VELLUTATA.

Ingredients - Party of 4

• 1 big cabbage, finely sliced
• 1 big potato, chopped in little cubes
• 1 onion
• 2 pinches of salt
• 1 pinch of pepper
• 1 tablespoon of extravirgin olive oil
• Chili (optional)

Method:
 

• Put in a big pot the oil and the onion, turn on a low flame
• after 1 minute add the cubed potato and the sliced cabbage, half-cover with warm water and cook it for 30minutes
• Mix everything with your blender, add the salt, the pepper and the optional chili
• serve it into your little bowls, with some roasted bread or croutons

Crispy Plumcake with sundried plums

Here we are: Let’s see how to prepare a LIGHT Plumcake, to have our pie at breakfast or tea-time without eating too fat dishes. In other words, we can eat it without becoming fat, that’s AMAZING!!

Ingredients (Metric and Imperial) for a plumcake pan pan

• 0,5l (17 oz) of milk  (also vegan milk if you want)
• 150 gr (5oz) of sugar: brown is better and  you can use more or less, it depends on your taste
• 400 gr (3 1/3 cup) of pastry flour
• 16g (1 tablespoon) of baking powder 
• 20 sundried plums sliced into 4 parts
• 4-5 tablespoons of corn flakes (choose your favourites)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
• Grease and flour the cake pan
• Put in a big bowl the sugar, the flour, the baking powder and start mixing them, slowly adding the milk.
• Mix all for 2 minutes and then add the plums.
• Continue mixing for another minute
• Put it in your plumcake pan and cover your misture with corn flakes, pushing them a bit inside it.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool cake for 20 minutes in the pan, then put onto serving plate.

Enjoy it !!

Parmesan pepper and mussels Pasta

Let’s see how to cook this really tasty recipe that join Roman and Baresian tradition. You have to know that one of the most famous dishes in Rome is the PASTA CACIO E PEPE  (Cheese and pepper), and one of the most famous dishes from Bari is Pasta with mussels. We mix them to have a really amazing food! Let’s see how.

Ingredients (metric and Imperial) party of 4

• 2 kg of mussels
• 200g (7 oz) of Parmesan, freshly grated
• 500g (18oz) of fresh pasta
• Some pinches of pepper
• 250ml (1 cup) of White wine

Method

• Clean the mussels with an iron sponge, ripping off the little wire that comes out from the shell
• Put some extra virgin Olive oil in a pan and turn on a low flame: after 2 minutes, put the mussels into the pan, turn the flame high and add the wine, covering the pan with its top
• After 3-4  minutes remove the cover and you will see that mussels are open now or they are starting to open.
• Take the open mussels and put them in a bowl one by one
• If after 5-6 minutes there are still closed mussels, they’re not good, so throw them in the garbage
• Shell your mussels (leave just 2 each person with the shell  for decoration)
• In the pan you have the mussels “cooking water”: filter it with a  strainer and put again in the pan (after have cleaned it of course) and add 1-2 glasses of warm water
• Turn on a medium flame under the pan and bring the mussels cooking water to boil
• Put your fresh pasta in the pan, it will cook into the mussels water and will absorb the true flavor of the sea
• Mix everything  with a cooking nipper (so it will not stick). If it becomes a bit dry, add a spoon of warm water, but not too much. You should arrive at the end of the cooking time with just 3-4 spoons of cooking water in the pan
• Normally fresh pasta takes 4-5 minutes to be cooked, so 1 minute before switching off the flame, add the shelled mussels into the pan
• Once cooked, put everything in a big bowl and add the parmesan, mixing everything very quickly.
• You will see the Parmesan transforming into a very tasty cheese-cream thanks to the interaction between parmesan, warm cooking water and your mixing.

Serve your wonderful dish, decorating with some unshelled mussels.

Light Apple Pie

Here we are: Let’s see how to prepare a LIGHT apple pie, to have our pie at breakfast or tea-time without eating too fat dishes. In other words, we can eat it without becoming fat, that’s AMAZING!!

Ingredients (Metric and Imperial) for a 26cm/10.2 inch round cake pan

0,5l (17 oz) of milk  (also vegan milk if you want)
150 gr (5oz) of sugar: brown is better and  you can use more or less, it depends on your taste

400 gr (3 1/3 cup) of pastry flour
16g (1 tablespoon) of baking powder
3 tablespoons of cinnamon powder

3 apples: 2 of them cut in lithe cubes, the other one in thin slices (to cover our pie, see the picture)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
• Grease and flour the cake pan
• Put in a big bowl the sugar (save a tablespoon for the final cover), the flour, the baking powder and start mixing them, slowly adding the milk.
• Mix all for 2 minutes and then add apple-cubes and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon.
• Continue mixing for another minute
• Put it in your cake pan
• Cover with apple slices and dust with the remaining sugar and cinnamon
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool cake for 20 minutes in the pan, then put onto serving plate.

Enjoy it !!

Risotto with Prosecco and Raspberries

Let's talk about another RISOTTO: here in Italy we eat RISOTTO very often and we prepare it in lots of different versions. The one I'm explaining you is not so usual or common, but you'll surprise your guests with a nice bitter taste, given by PROSECCO and Raspberries.

Ingredients (metric and imperial) party of 4

·        

• 350g (12oz) of Rice for RISOTTO
• 50g  (2oz circa) of cream cheese (we call it PHILADELPHIA)
• 50g (2oz circa) of butter
• 2 carrots, divided into 2 parts
• 1 onion divided into quarters
• 2 sticks of celery, divided into two parts
• Some pinches of salt
• 1 pinch of pepper (optional)
• 250ml (1 cup) of PROSECCO
• 1 litre(4cup) of  water
• 30-40 raspberries (you can do it also with strawberries)

Method:

• First of all we have to make our  broth: have to put in a big pot the water, the carrots, the onion and the stick of celery. Turn on a high flame and boil for about 15 minutes. 
• Now we are ready to start with our risotto: in a large pan, put the butter and turn on a very low flame
• When butter becomes liquid and starts to fry, add the rice and start mixing with a  big wooden spoon (in Italian CUCCHIARELLA). The most important thing is NEVER STOP MIXING, slowly but steadily. This will toast the rice, and it’s very important for a perfect result
• After 2 minutes add the prosecco and after another minute start adding some tablespoons of your broth : remember DON’T STOP MIXING. You mustn’t drown your rice, but it must always be half-covered by the broth. When it starts to become dry, add the broth spoon by spoon until the end of cooking time
• 3 minutes before the end of cooking time, add the raspberries, saving 7-8 of them for the final decoration.
• When cooking time is over, turn off the flame, add the creamy cheese, the optional pepper, mix and  cover the pan with the top.Leave it covered for 5 minutes.

Serve it on the plates, adding on the top some raspberries if you want

Variaton of PARMIGIANA

Today we will see how to prepare a very light but tasty dish, eggplant based. It's a variation of the more traditional PARMIGIANA, that's with fried eggplants, mozzarella and so on. Let's see how to prepare it:

Ingredients (Metric and Imperial) - Party of 4

• 2 big eggplants, sliced horizontally
• 2 big tomatoes, sliced
• Some pitted black olives
• 240 ml (1 cup) of warm milk
• 200g (7 oz) of Ricotta cheese (or a spread one if you don't find ricotta)
• salt
• pepper
• Some leaves of  Basil

Method:

• Grill your slices of eggplants
• mix the milk, the Ricotta (or the other cheese you've found), a pinch of salt: you have a milky cream now
• Build your dish: put some teaspoons of milky cream, then a slice of eggplant, a basil leave, a slice of tomato and so on, until you reach your desired height

Spaghetti with Sundried Tomatoes, Black olives, almonds and green peppers cream

This is a very good recipe for people who loves VEGAN cooking and philosophy: It's a spaghetti dish, with sundried tomatoes, chopped almonds, black olives and a tasty cream of green peppers. Let's see how to prepare it

Ingredients (Metric and Imperial) Party of 4

• 400g (14 oz) Spaghetti
• 100g (3oz circa) of chopped almonds
• 2 medium green peppers
• 45g (3 tablespoons) of extra virgin olive oil 
• 20-30 black pitted olives
• 1 clove of garlic,finely chopped
• 10-15 under olive oil sundried tomatoes, sliced.
• 120ml (1/2 cup) of white wine
• 15g (1 Tablespoon) Salt for boiling water + 1 pinch for the sauce
• 1 pinch of pepper (optional)

Method:

• First of all, peppers cream: Just clean and slice them, put in a mixer with some hot water and salt: mix them for 2-3 minutes until you get a cream (if it's a it dry, add water)
• Put into a nonstick pan the oil and the garlic and put the pan on a low flame
• When the garlic becomes a bit darker, add the olives, the wine and 1 pinch of sault.
• After 1 minute, add the sundried tomatoes and almonds and cook everything for 3-4 minutes 
• Boil spaghetti in salted water. You've to stop cooking them 2 minutes before the instruction of the packet says. At this time strain them out of the water (saving a glass of it) and pour it in the pan with high flame, mixing them  with the sauce and ending the cooking time in there. The right way to cook them is firm to the bite ( “al dente", in Italian). If they become a bit dry, then add a little quantity of cooking water while mixing.
• Serve on your plates,putting 4-5 tablespoons of peppers cream  at the bottom and then  add spaghetti.

Risotto with shrimps and champignon

Today we will learn how to cook a perfect Risotto with seafood (shrimps) and Mountain-food (Champignons). It’s not so easy, but, step by step, we will prepare a wonderful and tasty one.  

Ingredients (metric and imperial) party of 4

·        

• 350g (12oz) of Rice for RISOTTO
• 100g  (3,5 oz) of Butter 
• 45ml (3 tablespoons) of extra virgin olive oil
• 1kg (2 Lb circa)of fresh Shrimps
• 400g (14oz) of champignons, clean and finely sliced
• 10-15 black pitted olives
• 1 parlsey sprig, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic,finely chopped
• Some pinches of salt
• 1 pinch of pepper (optional)
• 250ml (1 cup) of white wine
• 500ml (2cup) of cold water
• 2 pinches of Parmigiano cheese (Optional)

Method:

• First of all we have to make our shrimps BRODO (broth, soup): It’s called BISQUE: we have to shell the shrimps and to put the shells in a big pot together with the oil and the garlic. Turn on a low flame and after 3-4 minutes add the white wine, wait for other 4-5 minutes and add all the water. Leave it boiling for about half an hour, then filter it with a strainer and you will obtain your fantastic BISQUE
• Now we are ready to start with our risotto: in a large pan, put half of the butter and turn on a very low flame
• When butter becomes liquid and starts to fry, add the rice and start mixing with a  big wooden spoon (in Italian CUCCHIARELLA). The most important thing is NEVER STOP MIXING, slowly but steadily. This will toast the rice, and it’s very important for a perfect result
• After 2 minutes start adding the champignons and some tablespoons of your BISQUE (Broth of shrimps) and remember DON’T STOP MIXING. You mustn’t drown your rice, but it must always be half-covered by the bisque. When it starts to become dry, add the bisque spoon by spoon until the end of cooking time
• 3 minutes before the end of cooking time, add your shelled shrimps and continue mixing and adding some Bisque.
• When cooking time is over, turn off the flame, add the other half of your butter,the parlsey, the optional pepper, mix and  cover the pan with the top. Butter will soften our Risotto.

Serve it on the plates, adding on the top some parlsey if you want