an italian cook around the world
Zucchine alla Scapece derives from one of the most ancient food preservation techniques: the Escabeche. This delicious side dish is a classic of the Neapolitan cuisine. The zucchini are previously fried, then marinated into a mixture of garlic, vinegar, and fresh mint. Here the recipe and the history!
Fried spinach and cheese croquettes is a delicious variation of the Gnudi traditional recipe. These tasty balls, breaded and deep-fried sound like a fantastic Idea for a party or game day, paired with a good beer and your preferred sauces!
Fried sage is an appetizer I particularly love: easy, quick, and tasty! The batter I use is a classic Italian plus a few spices to improve flavor and color. I listed below my favorite spices, but feel free to experiment your favorite seasoning. The only rule is: once ready serve as soon as possible!
Beer batter is a simple mix to fry vegetables and seafood. It does not require any eggs or dairy products: vegan and tasty! This mixture will make your deep-fried recipes light and crispy. The beer batter basic recipe needs just flour, beer, olive oil, and salt; but, depending on the recipe, I love adding some spices like turmeric, cumin, or paprika.
Ratatouille recipe is a delicious, vegan dish, very traditional into the Southern France cuisine. These stir-fried mixed vegetables are perfect as an appetizer as well as a side dish! In the tradition, the ingredients are slowly stewed until creamy along with Provencal Herbs, but over the years the cooking time is got reducing progressively, so according to your preference cook the ratatouille 30 mins up to 3 hours!
Sweetbreads is the meat of the hour. These smooth and tender veal bites are a-must-to-try at least once in your life! Today I present you a simple recipe to taste them; breaded in a crunchy crust in delicious contrast with their soft texture. Try it on; if you like chicken nuggets, you will love Sweetbreads!
Fried lamb chops recall my childhood: In Bologna, my hometown, Easter means fried lamb! Even today, I can still see my granny’s hands poaching the meat into the eggs and heavy cream mixture. I can hear the sizzle of the peanuts oil and smell the fragrance of frying chops filling out any space of the house. I have never been bored of this dish! It is so tasty and full of fun, a feast of sensations. The crisp of the golden crust covering a secret of spiced meat, the sour taste of the lemon juice, the permission to eat directly with my hand, a joy forbidden with almost all other courses, so yummy!
Fried artichokes is a classic recipe in Rome. This is one of the most popular Roman dish, prepared since XVI Century in the restaurants located inside the Italian capital historic center. Originally, the fried artichokes (named “carciofi alla Giudia” in Italian) were prepared for Easter gatherings, but currently they are served daily from November to April. The artichokes are fried in two times with different temperatures. Thanks to this method, the artichokes will be well cooked and crispy! Traditionally, the artichokes used for this recipes are called “mamma romana”: a local artichoke famous to be very tender and without hairy heart. To make this dish, today I choose the baby artichokes: thanks to its tenderness, it is perfect for this recipe! Serve the fried artichokes as appetizer or aside meats, eggs or fried seafood. A suggestion: prepare more fried artichokes you think are enough, because they will finish as fast as your guests can say “one more, please!”
September, here we are … the stew’s season is starting! For these first days of Fall, I propose you a classic Italian chicken stew, winking to just gone summer time (yeah, I’m feeling nostalgic…), with bell peppers, black olives and pickled capers. This traditional dish, transmits all the flavors of the southern Italian farms. I fried peppers as Sicilian way, and I cooked the chicken in the same oil, with a tasty tomato and basil sauce. To prepare this recipe I strongly suggest a dutch oven with enamel interior: Your stew will be a resounding success!
A couple of days ago dining with my wife Caterina, we were talking about Italian fried peppers, a delicious traditional dish served cold, and dressed with oil and vinegar, as in the south of Italy its’s used to prepare. Yesterday morning wandering around the aisles of my preferred grocery, I saw a box of Sweet mini peppers in plain sight, and I thought about the previous day chat with Caterina. I bought them right away and I quickly reach my kitchen to give vent to my cravings! I prepared the sweet mini peppers with basil, garlic and balsamic vinegar, then I let them rest covered overnight in the fridge. The pan fried sweet mini peppers are perfect to be tasted with bread crostini, but next to roasted sausages or with a delicious slice of aged Pecorino cheese and cured meats as well.
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