Category Archives: Recipes

Crustoli per Carnevale

19 Sunday Feb 2017

Posted by in Feste, Mangiamo!, Parole piacevoli, Recipes

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crustolipercarnevaleCarnevale season is here.  From the Latin Carnem Vale meaning farewell meat, Carnevale is the week leading up to la Quaresima (Lent). La Quaresima is the period of 40 days between Mercoledi delle Ceneri (Ash Wednesday) and Pasqua (Easter).  There are actually 46 days, but the Sundays are not included. Carnevale was traditionally a period of overindulgence before the more humble days of Lent when there was no meat, dairy, fat or sugar and sometimes even days of fasting.  Martedi Grasso (Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday) is the last day of Carnevale and the last opportunity for excesses.

Like most religious events/festivals, Carnevale and Lent took over from pagan and folk rituals.  This time of year brings the transition from winter to spring and the return of increased daylight. I can’t wait for sunshine and more daylight! For most people, Carnevale was their last opportunity to eat well.  They did not have freezers or refrigerators, so the winter stores of food would be running out or starting to rot.  The avoiding of meat, dairy and fat was not originally for religious reasons-it was going to happen anyways. Lent was a way to mentally prepare and get through this last bit of winter!  Today it is common to not eat meat on Ash Wednesday and on Fridays during Lent.

The Carnevale di Venezia was first recorded in 1268.  It involved masked balls, parades, decorations, costumes and masks, and even dressing as the opposite sex.  You can imagine things often got out of hand!  Napoleon outlawed Carnevale in 1797, and it was only restored 182 years later, in 1979.mazatlanparade

Today Carnevale in Italia is celebrated in Venezia, Viareggio, Ivrea and Putignano. Carnevale in Viareggio is known for its parades featuring political and satirical floats.  I would like to experience Carnevale di Venezia one of these days.  Carnevale is also celebrated in other parts of the world, including Rio di Janeiro, New Orleans and Mazatlan.  For many years, I was involved with the ‘Carnaval‘ in Mazatlan, Mexico with the Seattle Seafair Clowns,  participating in 2 parades and a childrens’ festival.

crustoli2Crustoli are fried, sweet shapes of dough made for Carnevale-as well as Christmas and Easter.  They are known by different names all over Italia.  They are Crustoli or Galani in Puglia, Bugie (lies) in Piemonte and Liguria, Cenci ( rags) in Toscana, Chiacchiere (chitchat or gossip) in Lombardia and Calabria, Crostoli in Veneto and Friuli, Frappe in Lazio and Umbria and Sfrappole in Emilia Romagna!  I hope I got them all right!  In Poland, they are known as Chušciki. Recipes vary as well, but they are all very similar.  Some have milk or baking powder and some do not.  Here is my recipe, which is quite simple:

Crustoli

1egg

15 ml (1 tablespoon) sugar

15 ml (1 tablespoon) Anice liqueur (or Grappa or Sambuca)

Grated rind of 1 orange or lemon

15 ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil or sunflower oil

~150 grams (1 cup) flour, 00 is best

Salt

Mix all ingredients together and form into a ball. Roll half of the dough at a time out thin with a mattarello (rolling pin) or use a pasta machine.  If you like them very thin and crispy, the pasta machine will work better.  I like mine a little chewier.  Cut crustoli into shapes with a pastry wheel.  I like to make mine into bows or tie them in knots, but you can also just cut rectangles or triangles.  Fry them in oil.  I use sunflower or olive oil.  Grapeseed oil can also be used.  They cook very quickly!  Drain on parchment paper or paper towels and dust with icing sugar. Note-this recipe does not make a large amount so you may want to double it!  crustoli

Buon Appetito, Cristina

Espresso Cookies

13 Tuesday Dec 2016

Posted by in Mangiamo!, Recipes

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espressobiscottiI make these yummy biscottini often, and receive a lot of requests for the recipe, especially at this time of year. They are not a traditional Italian dolce, but they have been ‘italianizzati’ 🇮🇹 by the espresso.  I have been making them for over 25 years, so I don’t even remember where the original recipe came from.  Really, any shortbread or butter cookie recipe can be adapted by adding vanilla extract and instant espresso powder.

These espresso cookies are perfect with a caffè and freeze very well. They even taste good congelati -straight out of the freezer.  For best results, freeze before dipping the ends in chocolate. instagramespressoThe espresso must be ground to a very fine powder in a macinacaffè, a coffee grinder.  Instant espresso is too coarse and chunky to add straight from the jar.  Grinding espresso beans does not work well, as they do not grind fine enough.  Using real caffè does not work either, as the batter will be too liquidy.  Espresso powder is the best option.  I use Medaglia d’Oro® or Bar Italia® brand instant espresso.  Last time I made them, I accidentally doubled the caffè (oops!). My coffee loving amici thought they were even better than usual, so ‘double shot’ works too.

Espresso Cookies

10g (20 ml, 4 teaspoons) instant espresso

225g (240 ml, 1 cup) butter, at room temperature

100g (120 ml, ½ cup) sugar

3 ml (½ teaspoon) pure vanilla extract

230g (415 ml, 1¾ cups) all-purpose flour

30g (¼ cup, 60 ml) cornstarch

120g (4 ounces) good quality chocolate, melted

Grind instant espresso in coffee grinder to a fine powder. Mix together butter and sugar.  Add espresso powder and vanilla extract.  Sift flour and cornstarch together and add to the rest of the ingredients.  Roll into 2 cm balls then flatten into palm of hand to mould into oval coffee bean shape/American football shape.  Place on a baking sheet.  Before baking, make a shallow indent lengthwise down the ‘bean’ with a knife. Indenting too deep will make the cookies spread.  Bake at 180⁰ C (325⁰ F) for 15-20 minutes. When cool, dip both ends in melted chocolate and place on wax or parchment paper to dry.  Makes 36 cookies. espresso-biscottini2Buon Appetito!

Spaghetti all’Amatriciana

30 Tuesday Aug 2016

Posted by in Italia, Mangiamo!, Recipes, Roma

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Pasta all'AmatricianaMy last post was about the terremoto in Italia and I listed ways you can help with earthquake relief.  One of these ways was to order Pasta all’Amatriciana at one of the many restaurants participating to raise money for the Croce Rossa Italiana.  I realized that not everyone will have a restaurant in their area participating, so I am posting a recipe, just in case anyone wants to host their own small fundraiser. August 27-28 would have been the Spaghetti all’Amatriciana festa in Amatrice.  Amatriciana

Pasta all’Amatriciana-also known as Pasta alla Matriciana in dialetto Romano, is made with guanciale (cured pork cheek), Pecorino Romano, and pomodoro (tomato).  Peperoncino is often added.  Pasta all’Amatriciana originated from Pasta alla Gricia, made with guanciale and pecorino.  It is basically Pasta Carbonara without the eggs. Shepherds near Amatrice carried the simple ingredients with them into the fields.  The pomodoro had not been brought to Europe yet.  In Amatrice, they started making the sauce with pomodoro once it had been introduced.  When Amatriciani moved from the outlaying areas to Roma, the sauce became popular, and is now considered a staple of Cucina Romana.  In Roma, Amatriciana is made with bucatini, which are spaghetti with a hole down the middle, or rigatoni, but in Amatrice, it is only made with spaghetti! Making Amatriciana

Spaghetti all’Amatriciana

100g guanciale (pancetta can be used if guanciale not available)

350g passata di pomodoro, or pelati (peeled tomatoes)-about 1 500ml canning jar

15g (1 tsp) extra virgin olive oil

White wine (optional)

Peperoncino-fresh chili pepper to taste

75g Pecorino Romano, grated

320g spaghetti or bucatini (80g per person)

Cut guanciale into strips or cubes. In a frying pan, cook guanciale in the olive oil.  When the white part becomes transparent, add a half glass of white wine.  This is optional, but i’ll bet those shepherds always had vino handy! Let it evaporate, then add tomatoes and pepper.  While this is simmering, cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted water.  Cook for 1 minute less than the time it says on the box! Drain well then add to the pan and toss in the sauce.  Serve with a generous amount of Pecorino Romano.  Serves 4. Buon Appetito!Amatriciana

Limoncello Cheesecake

16 Monday May 2016

Posted by in Mangiamo!, Recipes

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Limoncellocheesecake2Limoncello tastes like summer in a glass.  What could be even more refreshing than a nice cold glass of Limoncello?  Limoncello Cheesecake of course!  I’ve been making it for years and every time I am asked for the recipe, so I thought I would simplify things and share it here on my blog.  The coconut crust makes it taste even more summery!  I like to add a small amount of lime juice too, but you could just add more Limoncello.  This cheesecake tastes better if made a day ahead of time so it spends more time in the fridge.  If you are looking for cream cheese in Italia, it’s known as ‘Philadelphia’, pronounced Fee•la•del•FEE•ah.  Buon Appetito!

Cristina’s Limoncello Cheesecake

Crust:

  • 150 g (2 cups) unsweetened coconut
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) sugar
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) melted butter
  • 5 ml (1 tsp) grated lemon rind

Filling:

  • 750g (3 x 250g packages) cream cheese
  • 210 g (1 cup) sugar
  • 4 eggs at room temperature
  • 1 tsp grated lemon rind
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) lime juice
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) Limoncello (or reduce the juices to add more Limoncello)
  • Pinch of salt

Topping:

  • 2 eggs @ room temp
  • 160 g (¾ cup) sugar
  • 10 ml (2 tsp) coarsely grated lemon and lime rinds
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) lime juice
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) butter
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) Limoncello
  • Shredded coconut and citrus rinds for garnishLimoncellocheesecake5

Crust-Preheat oven to 180° C (350 ° F). Combine ingredients and press onto bottom of 22-25 cm (9-10 inch) springform pan. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly toasted. Be careful not to burn the coconut.

Filling–Blend cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, then eggs, one at a time.  Add juices, rinds, salt and Limoncello.  Make sure there are no lumps and pour over toasted crust, smoothing the top.  Bake at 180° C (350° F) for 45 minutes or until set.  Turn off the oven and leave cheesecake in for another 10 minutes.  Open the door and let cheesecake cool in the oven for another 10-15 minutes.  This will prevent the cheesecake from ‘falling’ or cracking all over the surface.  Run a knife around the rim of the pan and continue to cool at room temperature, then chill in refrigerator.

Topping-Whisk eggs until foamy. Combine with sugar, juices, rinds and butter in a small saucepan.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and thick. Remove from heat and add Limoncello.  Let cool and then spread over cheesecake while the springform pan is still attached.  Garnish top with coconut and coarsely grated lemon and lime zest.  Return to refrigerator for at least a few hours.  Serves 12-16 people.Limoncellocheesecake

Buon Appetito!

©2016unpodipepe.ca

Gnocchi di Zucca

15 Sunday Nov 2015

Posted by in Mangiamo!, Recipes

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GnocchidizuccaOne of my favourite things about fall is zucca (ZOOK•kah).  Zucca can mean pumpkin or squash and I love them both. Risotto di zucca, zuppa di zucca, roasted zucca…..yum! It always makes me sad to throw out my carved hallowe’en pumpkin, so this year, I used a small battery operated candle and ‘recycled’ my zucca into another one of my favourite things- gnocchi! Hallowe'enzuccaGnocchi (NYOK•kee) are usually made with potatoes, but they can also be made with ricotta, zucca, or a combination.  I made mine with no potato- just zucca as they are lighter and have a more intense zucca flavour.  A large hallowe’en zucca makes a lot of gnocchi, but you don’t have to use all of the polpa di zucca (pumpkin flesh) at once.  It can keep in the fridge for 3 days until you have time to make more gnocchi.  All of the measurements in this recipe are very approximate, as it depends on the water content of the zucca.Gnocchidizucca4

Gnocchi di Zucca

500-600 grams mashed roasted zucca (pumpkin) with excess water removed (2 cups)

1 small egg, beaten

160g 00 flour (about 1¼ cup) + extra for dusting

60g (¼cup) grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmigiano if you don’t have Pecorino)

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

Pinch of salt

  • Cut zucca into pieces, wrap in aluminum foil and bake at 180⁰C (350⁰F) for 50 minutes
  • Scoop out the flesh and mash by hand with a potato masher or a fork, or use a potato ricer.   Unless you plan to make zuppa di zucca (pumpkin soup) do NOT use a food processor or immersion blender!
  • Remove as much water as possible, or the gnocchi will absorb too much flour and become dense and rubbery. Do this by straining the mashed zucca through a tea towel. A lot of water will come out! If this is too messy for you, return the mashed zucca to the oven, uncovered for half an hour to remove moisture. The tea towel method works better.
  • Stir in the egg and mix well, then salt, nutmeg and Pecorino.
  • Add half of the flour and mix well
  • Add more flour as needed-only a little at a time. Use as little flour as possible-only enough to make the dough hold together
  • On a floured surface, cut off sections of dough and hand roll into 1.5 cm (½ inch) ropes
  • Cut rope into 2-2.5 cm (1 inch) lengths and roll each gnocco with your thumb against the the back tines of a forchetta (fork) or over a rigagnocchi. Rigagnocchi literally means ‘gnocchi line-maker’. It is a small wooden paddle with lines carved into it, as seen in the photos. I used a forchetta to roll my gnocco over the rigagnocchi.
  • Place finished gnocchi on a floured tray or surface and sprinkle with more flour to prevent sticking. To freeze the gnocchi, place on a floured tea towel on a tray or baking sheet and freeze for half an hour, then put the frozen gnocchi into zip-loc® bags or containers and refreeze.
  • To cook gnocchi, drop them into a large pot of boiling, salted water. They only need about 3 minutes to cook, then lift them out with a slotted spoon. If cooking frozen gnocchi, do not thaw them. Take them directly from the freezer into the boiling water. Frozen gnocchi hold their shape well, but not if they have been defrosted. They will take about 4 minutes to cook.
  • Gnocchi di zucca should be served with a simple sauce, so as not to overpower the delicate taste. I like to heat some extra virgin olive oil and add finely chopped garlic and whole sage leaves, then toss this over my gnocchi. I sprinkled on freshly grated cacioricotta from Orsara di Puglia. If you aren’t lucky enough to have cacioricotta, use freshly grated Pecorino or Parmigiano.Gnocchidizucca6Buon Appetito!

Pesto Genovese

18 Friday Sep 2015

Posted by in Mangiamo!, Recipes

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Pesto2I grew basilico (basil) from seed again this year.  Thanks to the unusually warm summer, my plants were very happy and grew nicely.  I love to shake the basilico plant a bit, stick my face in it and inhale the incredible smell.  Some of my basilico was already used to make passata di pomodoro.  I’m using the rest to make Pesto, before it starts to rain and the leaves turn brown.basilico

Pesto Genovese, usually just called Pesto, originated in Genoa, Liguria.  It’s made with fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, extra virgin olive oil, Pecorino Sardo or Romano, and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Before the age of food-processors, Pesto was made by grinding the ingredients in a marble or stone mortar with a wooden pestle.  The words ‘pesto’ and ‘pestle’ come from ‘pestare‘ which means to pound or crush.basilicobw

The ancient Romans made something similar called Moretum.  They named it after the mortar instead of the pestle!  Moretum was a spread made with fresh sheep milk cheese, herbs, salt, pine nuts and olive oil.

Basilico was likely brought to Italia from India and the climate of Liguria was perfect for it.  The Genovese adapted the Romans’ recipe to include basilico, and Pesto was born! In Liguria, Pesto is usually served with on trofie or linguine.  It is also used on pasta, potatoes and green beans, all cooked separately in the same pot of water. Yum!

I don’t measure the ingredients when I make Pesto, but I estimated them here for you. Good quality ingredients are necessary to make delicious Pesto.  No skimping!Pesto Genovese

Pesto Genovese

2 firmly packed cups large basil leaves

3 cloves of garlic

¼ cup European pine nuts

salt and pepper

½ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil

½ cup grated Pecorino Sardo or Romano

½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

  • Wash the basil and dry well.  Water on the leaves will turn them brown and the Pesto will go bad.  Yuck!
  • I like to toast the pine nuts as it brings out the flavour, but this is optional
  • Blend garlic and pine nuts in a food processor until fine
  • Add basil, a handful at a time until blended
  • Add salt and pepper.  Not too much salt, as the cheese is salty too
  • Pour in olive oil slowly while food processor is running
  • Pour it all into a bowl and add the Pecorino and Parmigiano
  • Spoon the Pesto into small jars with tight fitting lids
  • Seal the jar with a thin film of olive oil
  • Pesto keeps well in the fridge for 6-8 months.  If you use part of a jar, add another thin film of olive oil before putting it back in the fridge
  • If you plan to freeze the Pesto, leave out the cheeses and add them when you are going to use itPesto1

Buon Appetito!

©2015 unpodipepe.ca

basilico4

Torta Caprese all’ Arancia

25 Saturday Jul 2015

Posted by in Mangiamo!, Recipes

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Tortacaprese2In honour of my recent Cannolo Award, I thought this post should be food related.  What is a Cannolo Award?  Read about it here.  Although I love them, I will not be writing about cannoli, but rather about Torta Caprese.

The super cute-issimo cannolo logo

The super cute-issimo cannolo logo

Caprese (cah•PREH•seh) means ‘from Capri’ (CAP•ree) the beautiful island off the coast of Napoli.  I suppose caprese could also mean ‘goatlike’ since capra is goat?  We’ll stick with ‘from Capri’.

There are a few different stories about how Torta Caprese came to be.  The most likely is that it was invented by mistake in the 1920’s or 30’s by a kitchen worker who added ground almonds (mandorle tritate) instead of flour while trying to make something similar to an Austrian Sachertorte for visitors at an Austrian owned pensione on Capri.  It was a big hit, and went on to be served at all of the hotels and tea rooms on the island.

The basic recipe involves mixing melted butter and chocolate in a ‘bagno-maria’ with sugar and egg yolks, then adding whipped egg whites and ground almonds.  Liqueur, usually Strega, is added.  The cake has a hard thin shell and moist interior and the center tends to sink in a bit from the sides.

I recently tasted a yummy orange Torta Caprese, so I decided to try my own version.  After a bit of experimentation, and substituting Gran Marnier for Strega, I ended up with a very nice Torta Caprese all’ Arancia.  It is a 3 bowl recipe, so be prepared to wash lots of dishes!

Torta Caprese all’ Arancia

Ingredients:

  • 250g dark chocolate 70%
  • 175g (¾ cup) butter at room temperature
  • 110g (½ cup) sugar
  • 110g (½ cup) brown or golden sugar
  • grated peel of a large orange
  • 3 tablespoons Gran Marnier, Mandarino, or other orange liqueur
  • 6 eggs, separated
  • 150g (1½ cups) ground blanched almonds (also called almond flour or almond meal)
  • ½ a bustina (packet) Lievito Bertolini or Pane degli Angeli (substitute 2½ teaspoons baking powder if you can’t find these)
  • pinch of salt
  • Icing sugar for dusting

1.  Preheat oven to 180° C (350° F).

2.  Butter the sides of a round springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

3.  Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler or ‘bagno-maria’ (a stainless steel bowl in a pan of hot water) and let cool.  This can also be done with a glass bowl in the microwave but be careful-only heat in 30 second intervals and stir well.

4.  In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks and brown sugar, then add to the chocolate.  Stir in alcohol and grated orange peel.

PicMonkey Collage

5.  Whip egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.  Add the white sugar.

Torta Caprese Collage4

6.  In another bowl, mix almond flour, lievito or baking powder and salt together with a fork.  Fold the chocolate mixture in with a rubber spatula, then fold in egg whites.

Torta Caprese Collage3

7.  Pour batter into pan and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour, until center is firm.  The center sink in a bit.  Remove the sides of the pan and slide the cake onto a platter.

8.  Dust with icing sugar and serve with orange slices and whipped cream or gelato.  Store at room temperature for up to 3 days…if it lasts that long!

Torta Caprese

Buon Appetito!  Mille grazie to my amiche Anna and Shannon who were very motivated to help me photograph the finished cake.  I wouldn’t let them cut it and have a piece until the photos were done!

torta caprese tagliata

Torta Caprese pezzo

Here is me posing on my first visit to Capri when I was 16. Unfortunately I didn't know about Torta Caprese at the time.

Here is me posing on my first visit to Capri when I was 16. Unfortunately I didn’t know about Torta Caprese at the time.

Downloadable recipe and recipe in italiano will be added as soon as I am home from Italia.  Buon Appetito!

©2015unpodipepe.ca

Fiori di Zucca

12 Sunday Oct 2014

Posted by in Mangiamo!, Recipes

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Fioridizucca

È davvero finita l’estate! Summer is really over.  I just picked the last fiori di zucca in my garden and I’ll have to wait a long time to taste them again.  Fiori di zucca are a real delicacy and one of my favourite foods.  They are ‘i fiori maschili della zucchina’ the male flowers of the zucchina plant.  The flowers growing off of long, thin stems are male.  The ones growing off the end of a future zucchina are female (femminile).  The female flowers are edible too, but if you pick them there will be no crop of zucchine!  If you pick too many of the male flowers, you will also have no zucchine!

Fiori di zucca maschile e femminile-male flowers grow off of long thin stems and female flowers grow off the end of future zucchine.

Fiori di zucca maschile e femminile-male flowers grow off of long thin stems and female flowers grow off the end of future zucchine.

To clarify, zucca is Italiano for squash or pumpkin. ‘Zucchina’ (given a sex change and called zucchini in North America) means little squash.  The flowers of all 3 can be called fiori di zucca, but it is usually the flowers of zucchine (zucchina is singular and zucchine is plural) that are used in cooking.  Squash and pumpkin flowers can also be used, but they can have a bittery taste.

Fiori di zucca are extremely delicate and will only last a few days after picking. They are even too delicate to freeze.  In Italia it isn’t hard to find fiori di zucca in season.  I recently bought a ‘bouquet’ of them at a market in Foggia for 1 Euro.  Sometimes you can even buy small zucchine with the flowers still attached. I’ve only seen fiori di zucca for sale once in North America, several years ago at a farmer’s market in Seattle.  I won’t even mention how much they cost!  So, if you want to eat fiori di zucca you really need to grow your own-or find a friend who grows them and doesn’t know how good they taste!

Fiori di zucca have a beautiful, delicate taste. I like to cook them a few different ways, but my favourite is in a simple ‘pastella’.  I whisk cold fizzy mineral water (acqua frizzante) with flour or semolino (durum wheat semolina) a drop of olive oil and pepper until it is not too thick or thin-like the consistency of pancake batter.  If it is too thin, it won’t stick, but if it’s too thick, the fiori can be damaged.  Gently clean fiori and remove the sepals-those green leaves at the base near the stem.  Some people remove the stamens inside, but I usually leave them. Dip them in pastella (batter) and fry in hot oil. I usually use grapeseed oil. When they are done, place on a plate with‘carta assorbente’ (paper towel) and add salt.  The bubbles in the mineral water make this pastella light and crispy. The batter doesn’t overpower delicate taste of the fiori like a heavy egg and flour batter would.

Pastellafioridizuccacollage

Fiori can also be stuffed with ricotta before frying (remember the ricotta fatta in casa post) or ‘farciti con mozzarella e prosciutto’-stuffed with mozzarella and prosciutto. Gnam, gnam, gnam (English translation…yum, yum, yum).

Lately I have also been making my fiori di zucca into frittelle (little fritters). This is a good way to stretch out your fiori and use broken and torn ones or include some larger pumpkin flowers.  Measurements are not too important here.  I mix some 00 flour and baking powder, then mix in 1 peeled, grated zucchina until it is coated with flour.  Add some fresh torn basil leaves if you have them and some freshly grated parmigiano or asiago and 1 large or 2 small eggs.  Once this is all mixed, add enough water to give it the consistency of pancake batter.  You will need more water than you think!

Fritellecollage

Gently dip the intact fiori in batter and fry in hot oil. When they are finished, chop up the broken ones and add to the rest of the batter.  Drop about 1 tablespoon of batter at a time into the oil to make ‘frittelle.  Place on paper towel and add salt.  They are delicious hot or cold.  For those of you who absolutely, positively can’t manage without measurements….here is a link to a recipe that is fairly similar.

Fritelle

My friend Peppe Zullo in Orsara di Puglia, il ‘cuoco contadino’ www.peppezullo.it picks hundreds of fiori a day in his orto (vegetable garden) when they are in season.  His ristorante serves ‘fiori di zucca al forno, ripiene con caciocavallo’ (baked and stuffed with caciocavallo). Gnam, gnam, gnam!!!

fioreconcaciocavallo

Looking forward to summer when I can enjoy fiori di zucca again! A l’anno prossimo!

 

Ricotta fatta in casa~ Homemade ricotta

02 Monday Jun 2014

Posted by in Italian language, Mangiamo!, Recipes

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Ricotta (ree∙COT∙tah) means cooked again. Ricotta is made when the left over liquid from cheese making (whey) is cooked a second time. Vinegar or lemon juice is added to coagulate or curdle the whey and these curds make ricotta. Making ricotta at home from whey isn’t practical, since you need so much of it to make a small amount of ricotta. The do-it-yourself alternative is to use whole milk and the result is every bit as yummy. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days, but it won’t last that long!

Freshly made ricotta drizzled with olive oil, ready to spread onto bread

Freshly made ricotta drizzled with olive oil, ready to spread onto bread

You will need:
2 L (8 cups) whole milk (3.25% MF). Organic milk is best. Do not use skim or low-fat milk! I’ve used lactose-free milk, but it has to be whole milk
1 tsp sea salt
45 ml (3 tablespoons) lemon juice or 60 ml (4 tablespoons) white wine vinegar or clear apple cider vinegar
If using cow’s milk, you can also add up to 250 ml (1 cup) cream depending on how creamy you like it

Directions:
1. In a large pot, stir milk, cream and salt
2. Keep stirring over medium heat until the temperature reaches 80⁰ C (180⁰ F)
3. Add lemon juice or vinegar and stir briefly and gently. Be careful not to stir too much!
4. Keep on low flame for 5 minutes
ricottapentola2014
5. If you start to see bubbles, add a small amount of cold water to keep the milk from reaching boiling temperature
6. Remove from heat and scoop ricotta out with a slotted spoon. Pour through a cheesecloth lined colander or a sieve

ricottacolapasta2
7. Let the liquid drain out, then turn it over onto a plate and ecco-la ricotta!
ricottadicapra

I like to use goat milk, which is naturally creamier. I’ve had the best results using lemon juice to curdle the milk, but any of the coagulants listed will work well. Do not use the cloudy kind of apple cider vinegar-it gives the ricotta a funny taste. After I made my ricotta, I used the whey to make about 3 tablespoons of ‘real’ ricotta and I added it to the ricotta draining in the colander. I didn’t notice a taste difference.
Don’t throw out the whey! It’s rich in vitamins and protein. I used mine to water my olive tree and peperoncini! You can also keep it for adding to soup or risotto, for making bread, or as a substitute for milk in cakes or other recipes.

If you want a visual with great music, you can check out this ‘Recipideo’ from Liana at http://www.ita-liana.com and Aurora Importing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQoogplj7Tg&feature=c4-overview&list=UU5nUbu7rcMW_wIlLqbuCFfA

Buon appetito!

Click here for help with Italian pronunciation.

Vocabolario
Inglese:                      Italiano:
Whey                           siero
Curds                           caglia
Goat milk                     latte di capra
Cow’s milk                    latte di mucca
Apple cider vinegar       aceto di mele
Whole milk                   latte intero
Lactose-free milk          latte senza lattosio
Skim milk                     latte scremato
Organic                        biologico
Colander                      colapasta
Do-it-yourself (DIY)      fai-da-te
Butterfingers                Avere le mane di ricotta