food

Learn How to Make Homemade Pasta :: West Coast Food Tour!

by italicana kitchen | Jan 11, 2017 | Events

I am so excited to be on another food tour with Smeg, USA!

three-colored-pasta-veritcal Probably by now you’ve been aware of my obsession with their 1950’s style small appliances. I just love the cool design; it’s the only appliance that I want to leave out on my countertops. My favorite appliance is their stand mixer and pasta attachments. I love the look on peoples’ faces when I’m able to show them how to make fresh, homemade pasta in 20 minutes. Eating, healthy good food has never been so easy!

Come stop by at these free demonstrations, say hi and I’ll share with you all of my pasta making tips and tricks. I’m excited to see you there!

Here is the lineup to the upcoming events:

Vancouver, Canada

Hudson’s Bay Company

Address: 674 Granville St, Vancouver, BC V6C 1Z6, Canada

Thursday, January 12th 12-2pm and 4-6pm

Friday, January 13th 12-2pm and 4-6pm

Sunday, January 15th 12-2pm and 4-6pm

San Francisco, USA

Thursday, January 19^th — Williams-Sonoma — 12-2pm

340 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94108

Friday, January 20^th Bloomingdale’s — 12-2pm

Address: Westfield San Francisco Centre, 845 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA

Saturday, January 21^st — Williams-Sonoma — 12-2pm

340 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94108

Sunday, January 22^nd — Bloomingdale’s — 12-2pm

Address: Westfield San Francisco Centre, 845 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA

NYC-Web-Cindy This post is in collaboration with Smeg USA. All of the thoughts are my own.

I Don’t Have Time to Cook

by italicana kitchen | Nov 14, 2016 | Food For Thought

“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst”

William Penn

“The quality of life is more important than life itself”

Alexis Carrel

“Creation is a better means of self-expression than possession; it’s through creating, not possessing, that life is revealed”

Vida D. Scudder

Mr. Italicano and I recently returned from 2 weeks of my cooking demonstrations in New York City with SMEG USA to help celebrate their 10th anniversary in the states. I spent the week catching up on jet leg and reflecting about the comments I received from the people who stopped by to watch these cooking shows.

What I discovered is that that one of the overarching problems for local New Yorkers is that the meal time decision usually comes down to one thing: time. Of course, this is quite a universal problem, but it really struck home while talking with people who live in the city and rarely, if ever, cook. “I just don’t have time,” they would say.

Cooking for me is a sacred part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Not only am I creating, which stimulates sentiments of satisfaction, I also know exactly what I am putting into my body. Why would anyone who wants to lead a balanced and healthy lifestyle refute these two things?

Although many New Yorkers had blamed it on time, I want to help by giving my opinion about the time for cooking simple meals. If you try to compare a simple and nutritious meal that you would make at home to the same kind of meal you would find, let’s say, at an organic restaurant near your home, the factor of time is almost the same. Don’t believe me? Let’s do the calculation together: CONTINUE READING

Hello from New York!

by italicana kitchen | Oct 31, 2016 | Events

It’s been such an exciting time for italicana kitchen! I have been on quite an adventure: 10 food events around New York City to celebrate Smeg USA’s 10th anniversary in the states. My last one is today at Eataly Downtown. To celebrate Halloween I will be making pumpkin hummus, creamy pumpkin soup and homemade turmeric pasta with pumpkin sauce, walnuts and crispy sage ribbons. I would love to see you there!

Here are some photos of the 10 food events. What do you think of my 1950’s look? CONTINUE READING!

Simone Rugiati at Stosa Cucine Bologna

by italicana kitchen | Oct 5, 2015 | Events

What do you get when you create a cooking show event with Simone Rugiati, a famous Italian chef, at the beautiful Stosa Cucine store? Give up? I’ll tell you. One heck of an entertaining afternoon.

During mine and other food bloggers exclusive interview with Simone before the cooking show, I naturally asked him what Continue Reading!

Scafata

by italicana kitchen | Jun 8, 2015 | Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

Last weekend I was invited to Umbria (a region in central Italy) along with six other wine, food, and travel bloggers, to participate in a three day educational tour. You can read about this incredible experience and get some travel tips :: consigli di viaggio from my previous post about Umbria. Now, let’s talk about a delicious traditional dish I tried called Scafata. Oh my, if you haven’t tried this Italian stew with fava beans :: fave you are in for a treat!

Fava beans, or broad beans as they are often called, are the oldest known beans. Like lentils, they are used in various European and Mediterranean dishes. Fava beans grow in a soft fuzzy pod :: baccello, but are much larger than peas. In France and America it is custom to peel the transparent skin off the bean, but here in Italy, we just shuck them from the pod and eat them raw, or cook them in various dishes.

Fava beans are the main players in this dish. From here you can toss in a variety of seasonal vegetables. I’ve used a sweet Tropea onion, freshly shelled peas and a large bunch of Swiss chard :: bietole. Asparagus would work well, which I unfortunately didn’t have on hand.

Scafata is good when eaten warm right after being cooked, but like many great Italian dishes, it becomes absolutely darn right mouthwatering when made a day or two ahead and eaten cold or heated up. The traditional recipe doesn’t call for cheese :: formaggio, but Mr. Italicano tried it with grated Parmesan as well as a spoonful of Burrata, which were also great variations.

Scafata

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

"Scafata" is a traditional dish from Umbria, Italy that is loaded with vegetables and perfect for summertime.

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 red or Tropea onion, finely chopped
3 cups (400g) shelled fava beans (or frozen)
2 cups (285g) shelled peas (or frozen)
13.5 oz (400g) cherry or datterini tomatoes, without the skins*
12.5 oz (350g) Swiss chard, chopped
1 handful basil or mint, chopped
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, as needed
Grated parmigiano reggiano (parmesan cheese), as needed (optional)

Instructions

Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Don't add salt to the boiling water as the peas and fava beans will toughen up. Salt the dish at the end of the recipe.
Put the extra virgin olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and onion and cook for a few minutes over medium heat.
When the water is boiling, cook the fava beans for 2-3 minutes then drain them (reserving the hot water) and put them in the skillet with the garlic and onions. Add the tomatoes, swiss chard and half of a ladle of the hot water. Cover the skillet and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary to keep the mixture from sticking to the pan.
Now that the stew is ready, bring the water reserved back to boil and cook the peas for 1-2 minutes; drain and add to the fava mixture. Add the basil or mint, salt and pepper to taste. If desired, add the parmesan cheese. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Serve warm o cold. This dish is best made a day or two in advance and eaten cold or reheated.
*To easily remove the tomato skins, stick the tomatoes in the freezer over night and run them under lukewarm water to remove the skins; or, boil them for 1 minute and then run them under cold water and the skins will easily come off.

Here is another great recipe to try with fava beans: Avocado and Fava Bean Dip

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Learn How to Make Homemade Pasta :: West Coast Food Tour!

Here is the lineup to the upcoming events:

I Don’t Have Time to Cook

Hello from New York!

Simone Rugiati at Stosa Cucine Bologna

Scafata

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