an italian cook around the world
Vichyssoise is a cream soup we all know, and probably we have tasted at least once in our life. But, its popularity is its strength and its weakness all at the same time. Honestly, if your experience is limited to canned Vichyssoise, it’s time to prepare the authentic Vichyssoise: It’s easy to make and delicious!
This Coconut clam chowder recipe originates by my love for the traditional Thailand’s coconut soups. The first time I ate a Thai coconut soup was in 2002. I ‘ve been in Ko Lipe, a little Island on the West coast of Thailand, and it has been love at first time! So, when I think about the South-East Asia, and I desire a good clam chowder at the same moment, I like to prepare this recipe. The briny flavor of the clams is perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the coconut milk and the spicy hot taste of the chili peppers. Sometimes, at the very end, I like to add a squeeze of lime juice, but this is a personal choice!
This coconut cream soup is the result of my passion for Southeast Asia and Roman cuisine! I love so much coconut soups, they recall me my travel in Thailand, tables placed on the water edge, exotic flavor and spices… This recipe combine the delicate flavor of Romanesco broccoli, a must of the Roman tradition, with the sweet of coconut milk and the sour of the tofu marinated into the soy sauce. Usually, I serve this coconut cream soup as appetizer either to start Italian or Asian meals, a perfect connection between two great culinary traditions.
Pastry cream tart (called in Italy “torta della nonna” = grandmother’s cake) is a classic Italian dessert. A crispy and flavorful pastry dough shell hide a creamy egg and milk custard. A rain of pine nuts and powdered sugar complete this traditional dessert, a sweet remembrance for any Italian kid!
A few days ago , I have been desiring so much some fresh cheese, the same I use to taste in my childhood! Fine, soft, and delicate cheese with its unmistakable scent of milk… and so… I cooked it! The most famous fresh Italian cheese is called “Giuncata”. Its name descend from the traditional molds made with canes (canes = giunchi in Italian), used to store it. The Giuncata is a soft, and tasty cheese, and it’s and healthy as well! It’s ready in a few hours to be enjoyed with tomato salad, cured meats or even simply speared on a slice of bread!
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Everyone likes the mashed potatoes! Today I propose a recipe from my family, the Italian mashed potatoes. The main characteristic of this recipe is the total absence of lumps, and Its smooth and creamy taste. To obtain a puree in this way is essential to sift the peeled potatoes throughout a good mill. To make my mashed potatoes even more delicious I added grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and white pepper. If you want, you can replace it with another type of grated cheese, the important thing is that it melts and amalgams easy and fast with the puree.
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home baking
When I see rack of lamb in plain sight on the butcher’s counter, I simply cannot resist! I love its unique flavor, almost naturally spicy, and its versatility: you can fry, pan-fry, bake, or stew it. My very first memory of lamb goes back to my maternal grandmother’s breaded lamb chops: fried and immediately served in a dish with baked potatoes…yum, sooner or later I’ll make them again! Today we will prepare the rack of lamb simply in the oven, after having briefly pan-fried it. To enhance the flavor of the meat I recommend an intense sage pesto and to finish off, a scented potato purée seasoned with fennel; need I say more? Buon appetito!
In Italy, meatballs (that we call “polpette”) are a classic Monday dish. In fact, originally the meatballs were made with the leftovers of the meat used for Sunday’s broth. Nowadays, meatballs are no longer made just to avoid throwing out leftover food, and we prepare them in many ways: with vegetables (eggplant is an excellent choice), meat (veal, beef or pork) or fish (especially cod and shrimp). Usually the balled mixture is fried and then simmered, although at times they area perfect street food, just fried and eaten on the go. Today we are going to prepare sausage meatballs, topped with a sauce made of tomatoes and fresh basil, without frying them so they are lighter. Given that the meat is very savory, I don’t add salt to either the sauce or the meatballs, and they are still very tasty. Your only regret will be not having prepared a few more!
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