You might be wondering what that weird foreign word is in the title. It’s the variety of one of my favorite Italian olives and is pronounced taj-jas-kay. These small greenish-purplish-brownish olives are cultivated on the rocky mountain slopes ::pendenze of the Italian Riviera in Liguria.
Taggiasche olives have a meaty texture and a slightly tart salty flavor. They are perfect ground up in this pesto or just plopped into various salads or entrees, especially with white fish like rockfish :: loscorfano.
If there is one thing I beg of you, it’s to use a good rustic bread, not the store bought sliced kind. Mr. Italicano and I shot a video this weekend at our favorite bakery :: forno, Forno di Mario, located in Correggio. The video will be coming soon but in the meantime we took home a loaf of miracle bread made with natural yeast and antique grains. This bread was perfect for a light and crunchy bruschetta.
This appetizer :: antipasto is perfect for last minute guests as you can whip it together in just 5 minutes. It helps to have a jar of good quality taggiasche olives in the cupboard for occasions like this.
This appetizer is perfect for last minute guests as you can whip it together in just 5 minutes.
Serves: 10-12 bruschette
Ingredients
6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
12 ounces (340g) taggiasche olives, drained
2 tablespoons lemon juice (about half a lemon)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup (10g) loosely packed Italian flat leaf parsley
1 loaf of rustic bread, sliced
Crumbled feta, as needed
Instructions
Put the oil, olives, lemon juice, garlic, capers and parsley in a food processor or blender and mix until slightly chunky. Add more extra virgin olive oil if needed to arrive at the desired consistency.
Serve with toasted bread, some crumbled feta and parsley.
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Here’s some other great recipe to try with taggiasche olives:
This baked goat cheese with tomato and olives is ridiculously easy to prepare, looks fancy and is absolutely delicious. This is the perfect appetizer for when unexpected guests stop by or when you don’t have a lot of time (or desire) to cook an elaborate appetizer, but want to avoid using processed foods.
When I said that this baked goat cheese was easy to prepare, I wasn’t joking. All you need is 5 minutes to throw the ingredients in a baking dish then let the oven work away for 15 minutes. The result is creamy goat cheese that you can slather onto toasted artisanal Italian bread topped with mouthwatering roasted tomatoes and flavorful taggiasche olives.
For those of you interested in learning a few cooking words in Italian so you can read the menu on your next trip to Italy, here is a quick recap of the words seen in the video:
goat cheese :: formaggio di capra
tomatoes :: pomodori
parsley :: prezzemolo
olives :: olive
oregano :: origano
sea salt :: sale marino
black pepper :: pepe nero
extra virgin olive oil :: olio extra vergine di oliva
This baked goat cheese with tomato and olives is easy to prepare and the perfect appetizer for when unexpected guests stop by or when you don’t have a lot of time (or desire) to cook a elaborate appetizer, but want to avoid using processed foods.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 goat cheese log (6 ounces/180g)
10 grape or datterini tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup Taggiasche olives (or kalamata olives)
2 pinches of dried oregano
1 pinch of sea salt
A few cracks of black pepper
A good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Fresh artisanal Italian bread
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Cut the goat cheese in half and place it in a small baking dish. Top with tomatoes, parsley, olives, oregano, salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes.
In the meantime slice the bread and toast in the toaster or stick in the oven for a 1-2 minutes, flip the slices and bake for another minute or two.
Serve the baked goat cheese with the toasted bread. Buon appetito!
Every find yourself looking for an appetizer that is elegant to present but takes just minutes to prepare? Well, look no further, stuffed figs with balsamic vinegar to the rescue!
Figs are such an elegant fruit. They remind me of avocados; they give a dish an instant gourmet-factor. These tear drop beauties are the star of many recipes: slice them up and toss them on a pizza along with some gorgonzola cheese, load them in a caramelized onion and asiago panino, or add them to a fresh mozzarella salad. And, then of course you can use them for salsas, jams, pies and marinades—oh, how I love you figs and your versatility.
I like to use figs as edible containers for creamy Italian cheeses like ricotta, stracciatella and goat cheese. Of course, good balsamic vinegar drizzled on top is a natural companion. If you like a little crunch, you can also add a few caramelized walnuts.
One of the best parts about this recipe is how you can put it together in just a few minutes. I love having a few recipes up my sleeves for unexpected guests. Bring out these stuffed figs on a platter with a bottle of good red wine and your friends will start calling you the next Martha Stewart. *Although, beware…that just may mean you’ll have more people dropping by in the future!*
Every find yourself looking for an appetizer that is elegant to present but takes just minutes to prepare? Well, look no further, stuffed figs with balsamic vinegar to the rescue!
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
6 figs
½ cup (100g) ricotta, stracciatella or goat cheese
Good balsamic vinegar, as needed
Instructions
Wash the figs well then cut four slits on the top of each going only ¾ way through. Fill with a spoonful of ricotta, stracciatella or goat cheese. Drizzle on some balsamic vinegar. Buon appetito!
There is one important rule to cooking great Italian food: simplicity. Due to its short list of natural ingredients, there is no question why this roasted radish and leek burrata bruschetta is one of my favorite appetizers.
Most Italians will be content to dine on a simple chunk of artisanal bread, block of locally produced cheese and freshly cut meat, like the renowned prosciutto crudo (cured ham). There is no need for mayonnaise or some kind of fancy dip. All you need is a knife :: coltello to cut the bread and cheese, then everything is eaten by hand. Simplicity at its finest.
Mr. Italicano asked his grandfather :: nonno once why he ate the cheese, meat and bread in separate bites instead of creating a sandwich.
““A vöi vèdar cüs’ aghé dèntar!” He responded in Reggiana dialect, meaning, “I want to see what’s inside!”
Wise man. Often times we Americans pack in so many ingredients and sauces with preservatives inside of a sandwich that it no longer exists being a simple meal but a caloric artery clogging bomb.
It makes me laugh when I go to a Subway when I’m in the States and the “Italian sub” contains three types of meats. Where did this idea come from? In Italy it is almost viewed as sacrilegious to combine multiple cold cuts in one sandwich, and therefore you will see that Italian sandwich counters typically only offer sandwiches that are composed of bread and one kind of cold cut with the addition of cheese or tomatoes :: pomodori at the maximum. Italians want to taste each separate ingredient.
For those of you who want a vegetarian option, this roasted radish and leek burrata bruschetta will be your taste buds best friend. Made up of wholesome toasted bread topped with creamy burrata cheese and roasted radishes and leeks coated in a sweet honey :: miele vinaigrette, how can your mouth not be watering? Mine is. I simply can’t write any longer, I’m off to devour one. Buon appetito!
An easy bruschetta recipe made up of wholesome toasted bread topped with creamy burrata cheese and roasted radishes and leeks coated in a sweet honey vinaigrette.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
2 bunches fresh radishes, sliced thinly
2 leeks, green part removed and sliced thinly
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 ounces (230g) fresh burrata
1 garlic clove
4 large slices of rustic artisan bread
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425* (220°).
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and layer the sliced leek and radishes in one row.
Combine the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, honey and salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well then drizzle over the radishes and leeks.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, keeping eye that they don’t begin to burn. Stir once or twice while baking.
In the meantime, rub the garlic clove on one side of the slices of bread. Toast in the toaster, in a pan on the stove or in the oven. Distribute the burrata among the 4 slices, top with the roasted radishes and leeks (separate like the photo or mixed together.) Serve immediately.
Welcome to the world of delicious savoury vegetable pies.
This savoury vegetable pie is a delicious Italian appetizer.
From my experience, the Italian restaurants in America give us a biased point of view on Italian food :: cibo. Either it’s an Ital-american version run by an American who doesn’t even know what pasta “al dente”* is or it’s runs by a genuine Italian but who may only offer the most popular range of Italian food that Americans have come so accustom to: pizza, pasta, meat platters and cheese :: formaggio. Unfortunately, often missing from these menus are all the common dishes made in Italian homes that are eaten regularly.
*Cooking pasta “al dente” means that the pasta is slightly hard when you bite into it, not mushy.
Try this Italian appetizer at your book club, wine night or dinner party.
One of my favorite hidden italian recipes is the “torta salata”, or in English, “savoury pie”. This is a very typical appetizer :: antipastothat can be eaten straight out of the oven or made the a day ahead and stored in the fridge. It can also be served as a main dish for dinner :: cena. The beauty of these savoury pies, is that there are endless limits to new flavor creations. Here is one that I just invented because I had a craving for grated zucchini (yah, kind of random, I know) and Philadelphia Cheese but you can play around with this recipe to include any of your favorite cheeses, meats and/or vegetables to create your very own savoury pie masterpiece.
This recipe is super easy and versatile. Just use whatever vegetables and cheeses you have in the fridge.
I also try to pack my meals with additional health foods, like flaxseeds :: semi di lino which taste great, look great on top and are high in fiber and Omega-3 essential fatty acids. What are your favorite savoury pie flavor combinations?
This Italian savoury vegetable pie makes the perfect appetizer for book clubs, wine nights or dinner parties. It's a great dish to make a day in advance for stress free entertaining.
Serves: 3-6
Ingredients
½ tablespoon salt
1 eggplant, diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 scallion, finely chopped
½ cup chopped parsley
2 carrots, grated
1 medium-sized zucchini, grated
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
6 ounces light cream cheese
Whole wheat store bought pastry dough
Flax seeds (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F
Add the diced eggplant to colander, add salt and toss well with your hands. This will take the bitterness out of the eggplant and prevent it from soaking up oil. Set in the sink as the liquid will drain, for at least 20 minutes.
Add the scallion to a large sauté pan coated with olive oil. Sauté over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally for 5-10 minutes. Stir in the grated zucchini and carrots to the pan along with a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste, cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Drain the eggplant, rinse with ice cold water then blot dry with a paper or tea towel. Add the eggplant to the pan and sauté for 10 minutes. Add the cream cheese, stir well and remove from heat.
Keeping the wax paper attached, place the pastry sheet in a 8 x 11 x 2 inch pan. Cut off the extra pastry dough that is hanging over the edge with cooking scissors. Cut the extra pastry dough into strips. Fill the pan with the vegetable and cheese mixture and place the pastry dough strips diagonally on the top from both angles to create a checkered image. Sprinkle flax seeds on top (optional).
Bake for 30-40 minutes in a ventilated oven, checking frequently. Once the top strips have turned golden cover with aluminium foil and continue baking until time has finished. (Check to make sure that the bottom is well cooked and continue baking a few minutes if needed.) Cool for 10 minutes, cut into squares and serve.
This recipe can also be made up to a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator; just take out the savory pie 15 minutes before serving. This savory pie can be served as an appetizer or as a main dish accompanied by a side dish or two.
You might be wondering what that weird foreign word is in the title. It’s the variety of one of my favorite Italian olives and is pronounced taj-jas-kay. These small greenish-purplish-brownish olives are cultivated on the rocky mountain slopes :: pendenze of the Italian Riviera in Liguria.
Taggiasche olives have a meaty texture and a slightly tart salty flavor. They are perfect ground up in this pesto or just plopped into various salads or entrees, especially with white fish like rockfish :: lo scorfano.
If there is one thing I beg of you, it’s to use a good rustic bread, not the store bought sliced kind. Mr. Italicano and I shot a video this weekend at our favorite bakery :: forno, Forno di Mario, located in Correggio. The video will be coming soon but in the meantime we took home a loaf of miracle bread made with natural yeast and antique grains. This bread was perfect for a light and crunchy bruschetta.
This appetizer :: antipasto is perfect for last minute guests as you can whip it together in just 5 minutes. It helps to have a jar of good quality taggiasche olives in the cupboard for occasions like this.
