I always had the impression that homemade dinner rolls were hard to make and opted for the store bought version or the local bakery instead. How great it is to be proven wrong. Homemade rolls and bread, like 7 grain bread, are really so easy. The only demanding part is that you need to be home to knead the dough and let it rise at least 2-3 times, depending on the recipe. This recipe makes 10 rosemary and taggiasche olive dinner rolls that are golden and crunchy on the outside and soft clouds of yumminess on the inside. They are also perfect for those who follow a vegan diet.
Although there is a surplus of forni :: bakeries that are scattered out throughout the streets in Italy, many Italian women still make their bread at home. It’s part of their culture, like that of making homemade pasta.One of my favorite things about Italy is that there is still a strong sense of tradition, and although the effects of globalization are present in Italy and are increasingly changing the way people dress, talk, eat and live; it hasn’t completely taken over yet, and Italy is still a country that is very much rooted to their traditions that have been carried on for centuries.
This is especially true in the small little town of Correggio, where I live, which is located about one and half hours south of Milan. Here you will observe couples walking hand in hand for their evening passeggiata :: stroll after dinner, old men passing whole afternoons together playing bocce ball and cards in designated clubs, women shopping for fruit and vegetables at the outdoor markets and coffee shops bustling with customers standing in front of the counter taking shots of espresso before heading on their way. Life is simple, yet full, and nothing completes the day more than gathering around a table with friends and family, drinking a glass of wine, eating homemade food and breaking bread together.
In a medium ceramic bowl combine the following ingredients: flour, yeast, salt, sugar and water. Knead vigorously for 10 minutes.
{First leavening phase} Turn the oven on so it just turns on the light, i.e. the lowest setting possible. Cover the bowl with a damp dish cloth and put in the oven for 1 hour.
{Second leavening phase} Shut off the oven, remove the bowl and knead the dough for a few minutes. Divide the dough into 10 balls and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Place in the unheated oven for 30 minutes.
{Third leavening phase} Take the cookie sheet out of the oven, knead each ball of dough for a few minutes while adding a pinch of rosemary and 6-7 olives for every ball. Replace in the unheated oven for 45 minutes.
Remove the cookie sheet and heat the oven to 482°F (250°C). When the oven is ready, bake the dinner rolls for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 392°F (200°C). Turn the dinner rolls upside down and continue baking for 10 minutes. Store in a paper bag.
Anchovies get a bad rap. Many people instantly think of anchovy pizza and how peculiar it is to have salty fish :: pesce on their beloved thin crust bread. You may be among them; you may be quick to snub this recipe after reading the title, or maybe you already have and will never read these words. It’s quite a shame, however, as anchovies are the secret punch of flavor in a lot of Mediterranean dishes :: piatti and even tucked away in commonly used American sauces, ahem, Worcestershire sauce or ceasar salad dressing, just to name two.
Italy’s gastronomy often incorporates this salty little fish into a variety of different recipes. From appetizers to pastas, main dishes to pizzas, anchovies, or acciughe in italian, are quite common. I, like many of you, was quite skeptical to try them; yet, now I find myself craving for this salty flavor much like I do soy sauce.
What I truly love about traveling is immersing myself in the local traditions and food is a big and important part of every culture :: cultura. Fresh anchovies aren’t nearly as salty as those conserved in oil. Anchovies also boast numerous health benefits like being rich in omega-3 fatty acids, high in protein and iron, and are beneficial for heart, skin and eye health. I implore you to let your daring side take action before joining in on the naysaying about this tiny little scrumptious fish, this really is a recipe to try!
Marinated anchovies are a typical Italian dish and are delicious alone or served with this arugula pesto. They an be eaten as an appetizer, side or main dish.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
For the marinated anchovies:
8 ounces (250g) fresh anchovies, cleaned, scaled and opened
White wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ lemon, juiced
Handful of basil, chopped
1-2 teaspoons red pepper corns (optional)
Pinch of ground chili pepper (optional)
Extra virgin olive oil
For the arugula pesto:
3 ounces (85g) arugula
¼ cup (23g) walnuts
½ tablespoon (7.5g) capers
¼ cup freshly shelled peas, boiled in unsalted water for 2-3 minutes
7 large basil leaves
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼-1/2 lemon, juiced (adjust to taste)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the marinated anchovies:
Layer the anchovies in a rectangular casserole dish. Pour enough white wine vinegar to completely cover the anchovies. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Store in the refrigerator for a few hours. The anchovies are ready when they change from transparent to a whitish color.
Drain the marinade and layer the anchovies in a clean rectangular casserole dish or rimmed serving plate. Squeeze lemon on top of each layer of anchovies and top with basil, red pepper corns and ground chili pepper. Pour extra virgin olive oil on top until the anchovies are completely covered. Refrigerate until cold. Consume within 1 day.
For the arugula pesto:
Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until well blended. Refrigerate. Serve on top or alongside the marinated anchovies.
Bulgur is an inexpensive cereal grain that is high in fiber and protein and low in fat and calories. I love bulgur not only for its nutritional benefits but also for its quick cook time and convenience that it can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator. You can toss together any of your favorite raw or cooked vegetables with bulgur to create a delicious and healthy salad :: insalata perfect for summer dinners and ideal for a no-fuss picnic lunch. This time around I added chunks of avocado, crumbled feta, chopped cherry tomatoes all mixed together with a delicious herb green sauce. For a simple, yet, elegant presentation serve the bulgur salad in the avocado shells.
This weekend I was in Rimini, Italy at Al Mèni, a culinary event that promotes handmade food and products. Massimo Bottura, one of Italy’s most famous chefs, led the event that was held in a beautiful circus tent where 24 renowned Italian and international chefs created innovative dishes :: piatti for spectators to try. Also making a surprise visit was Oscar Farinetti, owner of Eataly, an international supermarket offering high quality Italian artisanal products.
Massimo Bottura is well known for his Michelin three stars restaurant, OsteriaFrancescana, located in Modena, Italy and ranked first in Italy and fifth in the world by the San Pellegrino list of the World’s Top 50 Restaurants. With such a famed presence, I honestly expected him to have a reserveddemeanorand to be quite of an snob. Boy, was I wrong! He is an effervescent, playful and comical person. During Al Mèni he flittered from one group of spectators to the next, sprayed his chefs with water from the faucet hose and even invited me, a little food blogger, back in the kitchen for an enthusiastic explanation of the preparation of one of the dishes. Here are just a few pics from this grand event :: evento!
A delicious and healthy salad perfect for summer dinners and ideal for a no-fuss picnic lunch.
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
For the bulgur salad:
1 cup (185g) bulgur
2 avocados
1 cup (140g) crumbled feta
1 cup (170g) chopped cherry tomatoes
1 cucumber, chopped
For the Herb Green sauce:
1 handful parsley (about ½ cup (33g))
¼ cup (25g) shelled walnuts
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon, juiced
½ garlic clove
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the bulgur salad:
Cook the bulgur according to the package’s directions. Slice the avocado in chunks and conserve the shells. Add the avocado chunks, crumbled feta, cherry tomatoes and cucumber to the bulgur.
For the Herb Green sauce:
Put all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Add a few spoonfuls at a time to the bulgur salad, depending how strong you want the flavor. Add a few more squeezes of lemon if you want an added burst of freshness. Serve cold.
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Have extra herb green sauce? You can use it up with this delicious recipe for green eggs and toast!
In Moglia, a small town in the region of Lombardia, Italy, lives an adorable woman name Adriana who owns Con Gusto, a small shop :: negozio where she sells homemade pasta. She invited me to visit her sunlit laboratory where she passes her day preparing a variety of pastas, including one of my favorites: tortelli di zucca, which is filled with pumpkin and is similar to ravioli. Italian recipes are usually passed down throughout generations. Each family has its own way of making tortelli di zucca, which is a traditional dish from Mantova. Whereas other recipes include mostarda (pickled fruit) in the filling, Adriana’s only calls for: nutmeg ::noce moscato, ground amaretti cookies, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and cooked pumpkin purée. Once you have prepared the filling :: ripieno, then it’s time to make the pasta dough, which is simply made from 100g of all purpose flour for every egg. Italian farm fresh eggs resemble orange garnet stones, they have such a magnificent color so don’t be surprised if your pasta dough doesn’t have such deep shades of yellow. You can roll the pasta dough by hand, or use a pasta rolling machine. After which, the pasta sheet is cut into tiny squares using a frilled edge pastry cutter. Adriana has one with multiple blades to get the job done quicker, but you can also find single cutters as well. The next part is my favorite task: forming the pasta into the tortelli shape. I find this part quite therapeutic and relaxing. Your hands nimbly work at forming little round balls of orange filling and enclosing them with the pasta square so that it makes a triangle ::triangolo. Then you squeeze the pasta together around the center to push out all of the air :: aria that is around the filling and turn the ends in to form a little hat like Robin Hood wears. Repeat. Repeat. And, repeat, some more. It’s quite a long process, but totally worth it for the yumminess that you’ll soon be putting into your mouth.
Adriana was so kind to send me home with a big tray ::vassoio to cook for Mr. Italicano and myself, but before I left she showed me some of the other pasta she previously made. Then she quickly showed me how she makes her maccheroni al pettine, which is literally translated to “comb maccheroni” because she uses a small comb-like utensil to create the line indentions. She starts out with the pasta dough and cuts it into squares :: quadratini, like she did for the tortelli di zucca. However, this time she rolls a square onto a little wooden stick, then moves it across the comb-like utensil. Then she just pops the piece of pasta off the little wooden stick. And, that’s how quickly you can make handmade maccheroni al pettine. Oh, how I adore Italian cooks and their homemade pastas. I don’t have the exact proportions for Adriana’s tortelli di zucca but if the picture below has tantalized your taste buds and you are dying to make these, try out this similar recipe and simply omit the mostarda so it is more like Adriana’s. Don’t forget to try out my friend Elena’s tortelli verdi (spinach tortelli) recipe as well. Enjoy! If you happen to be near Mantova, you can find Adriana’s shop at the address below:
Con Gusto
P.zza Libertà, 69
46024, Moglia MN
Italy
Note: This post is not sponsored or paid by Con Gusto. I promote companies whose products I like and think you will enjoy.
These one bowl chocolate cupcakes with Nutella and cream cheese frosting are 80% healthy and 20% sinful. Unlike traditional cupcakes, I’ve used soy milk, yogurt, coconut oil and a blend of flours (all purpose and kamut) to create a lip-smacking cupcake that doesn’t leave you feeling guilty about piling it high with a luscious Nutella and cream cheese frosting. Since these cupcakes are for a 12-year-old’s birthday party, I’ve decided to use granulated sugar, although I do plan to experiment with brown sugars and natural sweeteners in the future so stay tuned for an update on this post with an optional sugar substitute that will make these cupcakes even healthier.
My unofficially adopted Italian niece, or Sweet Pea as I call her, is 12 years old today. What a great age. Do you remember that year of freedom when you were still a child but on the verge of being an adolescent? Do you recall when you still looked for a hand to hold or an evening cuddle, but felt independent for the first time and knew you could do without? What a great moment when you had a taste of responsibility but didn’t have the weight of the world on your shoulders. Your parents’ trusted you to ride your bike to a friends or stay an afternoon alone at the house, but your weren’t expected to act like an adult. You could still be goofy and weren’t criticized for your playfulness.
My Sweet Pea is far wiser than she knows. Only this morning she was telling me how she was so excited to hang out with her friends tonight and be “stupid”, not in the unintellectual sense, she confirmed, just silly. Good for you, Sweet Pea. Even she understands that every now and then she should enjoy some frivolous and carefree moments, without exclusively thinking of the future and how to achieve her grand goals. My advice to you throughout this year and those to follow is to never lose that adorable silliness of yours. This morning I reminded you to enjoy your life to its fullest, citing the phrase by Oscar Wilde, “Life is too important to be taken seriously.” Work hard for the dreams you want to achieve, yet don’t forget that the world is a giant playground ready to be explored. Happy Birthday, Sweet Pea. I love you!
Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella and Cream Cheese Frosting
I always had the impression that homemade dinner rolls were hard to make and opted for the store bought version or the local bakery instead. How great it is to be proven wrong. Homemade rolls and bread, like 7 grain bread, are really so easy. The only demanding part is that you need to be home to knead the dough and let it rise at least 2-3 times, depending on the recipe. This recipe makes 10 rosemary and taggiasche olive dinner rolls that are golden and crunchy on the outside and soft clouds of yumminess on the inside. They are also perfect for those who follow a vegan diet.
Although there is a surplus of forni :: bakeries that are scattered out throughout the streets in Italy, many Italian women still make their bread at home. It’s part of their culture, like that of making homemade pasta. One of my favorite things about Italy is that there is still a strong sense of tradition, and although the effects of globalization are present in Italy and are increasingly changing the way people dress, talk, eat and live; it hasn’t completely taken over yet, and Italy is still a country that is very much rooted to their traditions that have been carried on for centuries.
This is especially true in the small little town of Correggio, where I live, which is located about one and half hours south of Milan. Here you will observe couples walking hand in hand for their evening passeggiata :: stroll after dinner, old men passing whole afternoons together playing bocce ball and cards in designated clubs, women shopping for fruit and vegetables at the outdoor markets and coffee shops bustling with customers standing in front of the counter taking shots of espresso before heading on their way. Life is simple, yet full, and nothing completes the day more than gathering around a table with friends and family, drinking a glass of wine, eating homemade food and breaking bread together.
My Sweet Pea is far wiser than she knows. Only this morning she was telling me how she was so excited to hang out with her friends tonight and be “stupid”, not in the unintellectual sense, she confirmed, just silly. Good for you, Sweet Pea. Even she understands that every now and then she should enjoy some frivolous and carefree moments, without exclusively thinking of the future and how to achieve her grand goals. My advice to you throughout this year and those to follow is to never lose that adorable silliness of yours. This morning I reminded you to enjoy your life to its fullest, citing the phrase by Oscar Wilde, “Life is too important to be taken seriously.” Work hard for the dreams you want to achieve, yet don’t forget that the world is a giant playground ready to be explored. Happy Birthday, Sweet Pea. I love you!